Truth

 'The truth needs three things: number one, you got to live it. Number two, you got to be able to tell it. And number three, you got to be able to take it.' - Kevin Eastman, former Celtics Assistant

Comedian Steve Martin asked another great comedic mind, Carl Reiner, what he was going to say. Reiner answered, "the truth." When he went on stage, Reiner said something like, "I know you're all thinking, 'I hope this isn't long and boring.'" 

Tell the truth with humanity. 

Explain to players:

• Strengths and areas of need
• How they might improve
• What their current role is and whether they can increase it

Some coaches are brutally honest. Bobby Knight would say, "just because I want you on the floor, doesn't mean I want you to shoot."

 

"I would let you shoot it but your teammates don't think you should..." 

Video is "the truth machine." It confirms or disconfirms what you think you see. When the film came on, we'd think, "I hope I'm not getting roasted today." We all had our turn. 

What truths should players embrace? 

• Be on time. 
• Take care of business. "There is no ability without eligibility." School matters. 
• Be ready to go (stretched out, mentally focused) when practice starts.
• Know your responsibilities (e.g. assignments/coverages).
• Commit to excel in your role...put the team first. 
• Manage your body with proper diet and sleep and avoiding substance abuse.  
• Be a great teammate. Don't be a distraction. Don't 'bigfoot' teammates.

A lot of these relate to discipline. "Discipline determines destiny." Elite players are disciplined. They're in their notebook, know their assignments, and are coachable. They make both the team better, teammates better, and "impact winning." In basketball, they are possession enders as they score, rebound, or get stops of opponents. In volleyball, they either finish plays on attacks and keep plays alive on defense. 

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