DMC
12-11-2010, 08:54 PM
I watch every Spurs game and have since before David Robinson ever donned a Spurs jersey. I don't watch the ball so much these days, but I do watch other people on the floor and I take note of the time outs and the coach's reactions to certain situations.
Pop applauds not when his team hits a game winning shot, or when they run a perfect fast break with a monster jam at the end. He applauds when someone hits the floor for a loose ball or when they take a harder than necessary charge. He applauds when players do little things that make the big things mean something. That's what I like about Pop. It's not showmanship, he's not concerned that he's being watched. It's that he genuinely appreciates those efforts.
It reminds me of watching a chess grandmaster pause for a longer moment than usual after a lesser opponent has made a seemingly normal move, and sure the lesser opponent loses, but the grandmaster knows the significance of that move and what it indicates about the opponent. It's a level of respect and acknowledgment that the seeming small things are the most important parts.
Next time you watch a Spurs game, watch what Pop applauds, what gets him off the bench and then watch what gets the opposing coach fired up. You will see that many of the coaches on sub-500 teams get fired up because of offense. They may slap a player on the ass for hustle, but they get fan-like excited over, well, exciting plays. The grandmasters, they applaud those things that make a great team a championship team, and only a handful of these coaches recognize those small things when they are happening.
Pop applauds not when his team hits a game winning shot, or when they run a perfect fast break with a monster jam at the end. He applauds when someone hits the floor for a loose ball or when they take a harder than necessary charge. He applauds when players do little things that make the big things mean something. That's what I like about Pop. It's not showmanship, he's not concerned that he's being watched. It's that he genuinely appreciates those efforts.
It reminds me of watching a chess grandmaster pause for a longer moment than usual after a lesser opponent has made a seemingly normal move, and sure the lesser opponent loses, but the grandmaster knows the significance of that move and what it indicates about the opponent. It's a level of respect and acknowledgment that the seeming small things are the most important parts.
Next time you watch a Spurs game, watch what Pop applauds, what gets him off the bench and then watch what gets the opposing coach fired up. You will see that many of the coaches on sub-500 teams get fired up because of offense. They may slap a player on the ass for hustle, but they get fan-like excited over, well, exciting plays. The grandmasters, they applaud those things that make a great team a championship team, and only a handful of these coaches recognize those small things when they are happening.