Being a ‘special’ player on the court and putting up good numbers isn’t the only thing you should be thinking about when you’re on a team. To be truly ‘special’, consider some of these things below from Kevin Eastman, current VP of Basketball Operations for the LA Clippers, and long time NBA assistant and college head coach:
“Special players hold themselves accountable and…
…don’t blame others first; instead, they look first for what they contributed (or did not contribute) to the situation.
…don’t complain; instead they look for ways to correct things that aren’t working.
…don’t procrastinate; get things done now.
…always give more than they ask of others.
…always look to take on as much as they can handle, rather than look to pass things on to others all the time.
…are constantly trying to improve their game as they can bring more to the team and constantly fulfill their role.
…are self-starters and study the game (and themselves) enough to know what needs to be done; then do about doing it.
…do the un-required work, knowing that it simply needs to be done — extra shots, extra weights, extra film watching, etc. without constantly needing to be told by a coach.
…hold others accountable for their jobs and roles because they know the importance of accountability as it relates to winning; this creates a collective responsibility.
…always be among the most trusted players on the team — by coaches and players.”