The following is an excerpt from my book 2021 The Year In Leadership: The Stories of Faith, Athletics, Business and Life Which Inspired Us All. The timeless lessons are more important today than ever before. You can get a copy of this book by clicking HERE or on the image provided.
An Uncomfortable Confrontation
In 2007, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons was concerned about getting physically assaulted. In other words, there was a chance he could get beat up like a kid in the schoolyard. Why? A little background.
As he describes in his excellent November 5, 2019 Book of Basketball 2.0 Podcast, Simmons had been continually hammering away at Isaiah Thomas’s ineptitude at the general manager of the New York Knicks. So frustrated by the constant peppering, Thomas went on Stephen A. Smith’s radio program and threatened “trouble” if he met Simmons on the street. Well, the day of reckoning had arrived.
In summer 2008, they finally ran into each other in Las Vegas. With the help of announcer Gus Johnson playing the role of peacekeeper, Simmons and Thomas actually talked for 30 minutes and developed a certain level of cordialness. What they connected over was a discussion about the classic Celtics-Pistons rivalry in the 1980’s. For those of who may not know, Thomas was the Pistons superstar point guard and Simmons is the biggest Boston sports homer you will ever find.
“The Secret”
The conversation went to a completely different level when Simmons brought up “The Secret”. What is “The Secret” you ask?
The Pistons lost in the ’87 and ’88 play-offs in heartbreaking fashion to the Celtics and Lakers respectfully. Sports fans will remember “Bird steals the ball!” and Thomas’s sprained ankle.
However, the ’89 Pistons finally broke through and won the NBA Championship. During those Finals, Thomas brought up “The Secret” to winning championships to a group of reporters who, at the time, did not know the amount of leadership gold being dropped on them. It went over their heads. But Simmons never forgot the following quotes about “The Secret” and brought it up 19 years later!
Thomas told the reporters, “It’s hard not to be selfish. The art of winning is complicated by statistics which for us becomes money. But you have to fight that, find a way around it, and I think we have. If we win this we’ll be the first team in history to win it without a single player averaging 20 points. We’ve got 12 guys who are totally committed to winning. Every night we found a different person to win it for us.”
He added, “Lots of times on our team you can’t tell who the best player in the game was ’cause everyone did something good. That’s what makes us so good. The other team has to think about stopping eight or nine people instead of two or three. It’s the only way to win. The only way to win… You’ve also got to create an environment that won’t accept losing.”
Simmons would ask Thomas 19 years later what was “The Secret.” Thomas smiled and said, “The Secret about basketball is it’s not about basketball.”
What???
A People Trade
In 1988, Adrian Dantley was a NBA All-Star for the Pistons who did not want to sacrifice his personal points for the overall good of the team. He wanted his statistics and the personal benefits which came with them. More money. More notoriety. Prestige.
But the Pistons were building a different kind of team and Dantley’s attitude was hurting the culture and the team’s ability to win consistently. As a result, Dantley was traded for Thomas’ close friend Mark Aguirre. The team’s chemistry dramatically improved and Pistons won the next two NBA championships.
Pat Riley famously wrote about the challenges championship team’s face after success. Check out Pat Riley’s 7 Danger Signals Of The Disease Of Me for more insight. Dantley embodied this disease and the Pistons cut him out like a cancer.
7 Secrets To A Winning Culture
As Simmons points out, the Pistons ultimately became a dynasty because:
- They liked each other.
- They knew and accepted their roles.
- They sacrificed personal statistics.
- They valued winning over everything else.
- Their best player, Isaiah Thomas, sacrificed the most to make everyone else happy.
- Everyone remained on the same page.
- They did the little things winning teams do.
“The Secret about basketball is it’s not about basketball.”
Could your organization say the same thing?
Whether you lead a church, business, athletic organization, or non-profit, “The Secret” to your winning culture is not in your policies, procedures, and systems. You must have those seven things in place to have long-term success.
This was an excerpt from my book 2021 The Year In Leadership: The Stories of Faith, Athletics, Business and Life Which Inspired Us All. The timeless lessons are more important today than ever before. You can get a copy of this book by clicking HERE or on the image provided.
