The game of basketball rewards TOUGHNESS. Players control their own effort. A players effort is determined by how much it matters to them from within. Does the game matter? Skills don’t play a factor. Even having the physical attributes to allow for an advantage don’t play a factor. It’s the intangibles, playing with great effort, communicating, and having a sense of urgency that will give a player a chance to earn minutes even if they lack certain fundamentals. The game is 90% mental, 10% physical. If a player is mentally tough and able to persevere through the ups and downs of a game, a coach can always have faith in that player. If a team is made up of players that have that mental and physical toughness, they will always have a chance to win regardless of the opponent.
I have read the book “Toughness” by Jay Bilas and if you have not had a chance to read it, I highly recommend it. Here, I would like to share some of my favorite quotes from the book that you can pass along to your players:
“Mental Toughness leads to Physical Toughness” – Coach K
“It takes toughness to bring whatever it takes to win and bring it EVERYDAY!” – Bill Self
Body language is so important to Bill Self. “I don’t want a bunch of guys with their shoulders down and sighing when something goes wrong, he said. I don’t ever let bad body language go. Ever.” – Jay Bilas
“Soft is when you choose the easier path when the right path is the harder one, that is SOFT!” – Bill Self
“Toughness doesn’t have anything to do with the physical. It is mental and about the will and concentration necessary to prepare, mentally and physically to play.” – Coach Knight
“You can not be tough without being confident, and you cannot be confident without working hard and preparing.” – Jon Gruden
“Very few people are willing to do what it takes to do extraordinary things, they talk about what they want but to be honest you have to pay the price to be the best. And you have to be willing to pay the price everyday. It isn’t easy but it’s absolutely worth it.” – Tom Izzo
“Mentally tough doesn’t just mean responding to adversity, I think dealing with success or a big lead takes just as much mental toughness.” – Jon Gruden
“Don’t mistake routine for commitment, just showing up is not enough.” – Tommy Amaker
“I am a believer in Doug Collins philosophy of getting 70 percent of a games 50-50 balls, that is an ideal measure of a teams overall toughness.” – Bill Self
“Taking a charge is perhaps the ultimate unselfish tough play in basketball.” – Grant Hill
“Commitment is not doing just what is required, it is extra. Commitment is extra time, extra work. Do you come in and do extra work? – Tom Crean
“People talk about buying in, but most don’t. It’s just too hard. But if they do, if they lock in, the rewards are incredible, almost indescribable.” – Tom Crean
