Page 149 - How to Create a Winning Organization

It Takes 10 Hands to Score a Basket
Seek Players Who Will Make the Best Team Rather Than 131
the Best Players.
Astute leadership understands the chemistry of teams and organi-
zations. Often the most talented individuals will not be a good fit
for your group. Be alert to overall impact—chemistry. Remember
future All-American Sidney Wicks, who achieved personal greatness
soon after he began putting the team first.

ON WOODEN
Gail Goodrich: UCLA Varsity; 1963–1965;
two national championships

SHARE THE BALL;THINK BEYOND YOURSELF
I came out of high school—LA Poly—as a guard who always
thought in terms of having the ball. That’s how a guard
thinks: “Give me the ball so I can shoot.”
Coach Wooden wanted me to think beyond just having the
ball because he had decided to install the Press—a full-court
defense. Of course, when you play defense you don’t have the
ball. He was having a little trouble getting me to change my
thinking until one day Coach said, “Gail, the game is 40 min-
utes long. The opponent has the ball approximately half the
time. That leaves us 20 minutes with the basketball.
“We have five players. In my system balance is important,
so each player should handle the ball about the same amount
of time. That means you will have the basketball for approx-
imately four minutes per game. Gail, what are you going to
do for the team during those other 35 minutes when you do
not have the ball?”