Current Culture is not getting it done

This is a busy, challenging, and fun time for me. In the middle of the college and NBA seasons, I’m going back and forth between the college and pro game nightly. It’s a blast! But one thing remains painfully obvious. We have to change the system of teaching basketball players the game of basketball and the game of life. And it has to start around age 5.

The current culture is not getting the job done. Two events in January underscored this for me. First, the Hawks hosted the Celtics on MLK Day. Of Boston’s starting five, only one had college experience. And despite years in the league, Boston’s Gerald Green and Al Jefferson showed their lack of knowledge of how to play professional basketball with careless, ill-timed fouls, and poor shot selection. The mental side of their games is well behind their physical skills, which are considerable. It’s a breakdown of the system, big-time.

Second point: Boston College has one of the nation’s premiere shot blockers in Sean Williams (over 5 a game). Pro body, great length, a special talent. Unfortunately, he’s got a police record as long as your arm. Before the game I did at BC last week, the comment was made that if a guy like that is going to be allowed to stay in school and on the team, if you are the head coach, you go to bed at night and hope the phone doesn’t ring. Sean Williams was dismissed from the BC basketball team Wednesday for violation of team rules. He never should have been allowed to play in the first place. Did I mention that he is a great shot blocker?? Hmmm.

This is what we’re talking about, folks. The system is broken. We aim to start fixing it.

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