1.He is the NCAA’s career leader in free throw percentage at 92.1%.
2.He’s not perfect – Redick wasn’t always so committed to extraordinary conditioning. He once was more committed to his social life. “I think a lot of college students, when they go through those first two years, they’re trying to figure out who they are and who they’re going to be, and I struggled with that for a while.”
Raised in what he calls “a conservative family,” he says he got to college and saw things he’d never seen. He did not avert his eyes. “Maybe if you’ve never partied before and you go to a party on Saturday night and have fun – in your eyes – well there’s another party on Sunday night. Should I go to that, too? You just kind of get caught up in what everybody else is doing.”
Eventually Redick figured everything out for himself. “It was kind of like, Man what are you doing? We’ve got a game tomorrow,” says forward Lee Melchionni “it’s sort of hard being in that place, but I needed to say that for the good of our team.”
“At some point, you wake up one day and think, ‘I’m not really headed down the road I want to head down.’ And I had that day. In mid-May 2004 he went to see Krzyzewski and spoke with him about redirecting his life. Ten months later, Redick was ACC Player of the Year.
3.Conditioning - “I was impressed with his physical conditioning,” says Texas coach Rick Barnes, whose team allowed Redick a career-high 41 points. “He’s like a mountain stream of running water. It goes up against one rock and turns another way – it never stops flowing.”
With help from assistant coach Chris Collins, Redick studied players such as Reggie Miller and Richard Hamilton, guys known for running defenders through an armada of screens. “Those guys never wear down as the game goes on,” Collins says. Redick averaged 36.8 minutes per game over the past two seasons.
9.27.2009
Chris Paul - Competitive
“He’s a great kid. He’s lovable,” Scott says. “But when the whistle blows, he wants to kill you. He’s a lot like Isiah. When the game starts he wants to beat you as bad as he can.”
History says the odds are stacked against him, yet Paul expects nothing less than success from himself. But what does the rest of the world expect?
“I’m not sure,” Paul says. “I always think some people think you can do it, and some think you can’t. But you need both of them. You need people who are gonna support you, and then you need people who make you want to go out and prove something.”
History says the odds are stacked against him, yet Paul expects nothing less than success from himself. But what does the rest of the world expect?
“I’m not sure,” Paul says. “I always think some people think you can do it, and some think you can’t. But you need both of them. You need people who are gonna support you, and then you need people who make you want to go out and prove something.”
LEBRON JAMES - CLUTCH?
Charles Barkley does not want to hear any more excuses when it comes to LeBron James and his lack of game-winning shots and a perceived deficiency in clutch play, especially during the fourth quarter of games.
James is only 21, but Barkley said three years in the NBA is enough seasoning to step up his game and become more of a threat during prime time.
"LeBron's not a rookie anymore," said Barkley, one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time and an analyst for TNT. "He's got to have an imprint on the game in the last minute, by making a big rebound, getting a stop, taking a big shot, any way he can get it done.
"They shouldn't lose five or six games in a row unless they're playing the Spurs or the Pistons during that span. He shouldn't let that happen."
The Cavs have certainly had their fair share of losing streaks this season, and it isn't fair to put all the blame on one player just like it isn't fair to give one player all the credit.
Questions have surfaced about some of James' decisions late in games and his inability to make winning shots in the final seconds.
The ball of criticism began to roll in January when James missed a potential winning shot against the Los Angeles Lakers and then passed up open shots against the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.
Barkley jumped on James' play following the Cavs' loss to the Washington Wizards. In the loss, James was 0-for-8 from the field in the second half and 4-of-12 from the free-throw line, including four straight misses from the line in the final minutes.
"LeBron's got to be more selfish," Barkley said. "His team is going to expect him to finish these games. He can't have three or five points in the second half. He's got to decide and say to himself that 'we're not going to lose tonight.' He's got to find away where the outcome of the game is in his hands. If he wants to be great, he's got to make it happen."
James is only 21, but Barkley said three years in the NBA is enough seasoning to step up his game and become more of a threat during prime time.
"LeBron's not a rookie anymore," said Barkley, one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time and an analyst for TNT. "He's got to have an imprint on the game in the last minute, by making a big rebound, getting a stop, taking a big shot, any way he can get it done.
"They shouldn't lose five or six games in a row unless they're playing the Spurs or the Pistons during that span. He shouldn't let that happen."
The Cavs have certainly had their fair share of losing streaks this season, and it isn't fair to put all the blame on one player just like it isn't fair to give one player all the credit.
Questions have surfaced about some of James' decisions late in games and his inability to make winning shots in the final seconds.
The ball of criticism began to roll in January when James missed a potential winning shot against the Los Angeles Lakers and then passed up open shots against the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.
Barkley jumped on James' play following the Cavs' loss to the Washington Wizards. In the loss, James was 0-for-8 from the field in the second half and 4-of-12 from the free-throw line, including four straight misses from the line in the final minutes.
"LeBron's got to be more selfish," Barkley said. "His team is going to expect him to finish these games. He can't have three or five points in the second half. He's got to decide and say to himself that 'we're not going to lose tonight.' He's got to find away where the outcome of the game is in his hands. If he wants to be great, he's got to make it happen."
NFL QUATERBACKS
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH THE TOP QUARTERBACKS IN THE NFL
PETER KING: If you're a general manager scouting passers, what is the one trait that today's NFL quarterback has to have?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Toughness. I don't think toughness is when a quarterback says, "I'm going to run somebody over." Toughness is playing the worst game of your life but not backing down. You don't want to sit on the sideline. You want to stay in there and win. You know, down 21 points and the defense is getting through in every single way, and you throw three interceptions. Staying in that game, keeping your head up, trying to drive your team down the field when everything's going wrong—that's the kind of toughness I want in my quarterback.
PETER KING: Is there ever a feeling of fear inside you?
CARSON PALMER: Fear of failure always drives me. I don't want to let my guys down. After we lose and I see my linemen, it's like I let them down. That's the feeling a quarterback has to have.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Even if I do ever feel anything like that, and I'm not saying I ever feel scared or nervous, but I'll never show it. We can't. Not at our position. Everyone's looking at us.
PETER KING: Let me put it this way—think back to big moments or big games. How does your stomach feel?
AARON RODGERS: When I was a point guard, I wanted the ball in the last two minutes. When I was a pitcher, I wanted the ball in the last inning. That's why in the big moments in games, I'm not tight. Those moments are why you play.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: I want the ball. Our defense does some amazing things, but I want to have the ball, and that's the way I've always been playing sports.
PETER KING: Like on the last drive of the Super Bowl?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: On that drive I ran out and thought, This is going to be really hard. Because we had kind of struggled late in that game. Not saying I definitely couldn't do it. I just knew it would be tough. When I got in the huddle, I told the guys, "I don't have any speech. Just think of all the extra work we put in, all the extra film study we did together. It'll all be for nothing if we don't do this." Then we get a holding call on the first play, and it's going bad. But here's the thing about playing quarterback in this league: Even if you don't feel confident, you have to show you feel it, so when your teammates are looking at you, they believe it.
MATT RYAN: You don't want to let the guys down. As for nerves, I always find myself more nervous before the game, before the kickoff, before the first snap. Then when you're in it and you take a couple of hits, you get into the flow of the game. Honestly, when the game's on the line, I feel calmer than on the first series because I'm into the game. I'm not thinking about how big the moment is.
PETER KING: If you're a general manager scouting passers, what is the one trait that today's NFL quarterback has to have?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Toughness. I don't think toughness is when a quarterback says, "I'm going to run somebody over." Toughness is playing the worst game of your life but not backing down. You don't want to sit on the sideline. You want to stay in there and win. You know, down 21 points and the defense is getting through in every single way, and you throw three interceptions. Staying in that game, keeping your head up, trying to drive your team down the field when everything's going wrong—that's the kind of toughness I want in my quarterback.
PETER KING: Is there ever a feeling of fear inside you?
CARSON PALMER: Fear of failure always drives me. I don't want to let my guys down. After we lose and I see my linemen, it's like I let them down. That's the feeling a quarterback has to have.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Even if I do ever feel anything like that, and I'm not saying I ever feel scared or nervous, but I'll never show it. We can't. Not at our position. Everyone's looking at us.
PETER KING: Let me put it this way—think back to big moments or big games. How does your stomach feel?
AARON RODGERS: When I was a point guard, I wanted the ball in the last two minutes. When I was a pitcher, I wanted the ball in the last inning. That's why in the big moments in games, I'm not tight. Those moments are why you play.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: I want the ball. Our defense does some amazing things, but I want to have the ball, and that's the way I've always been playing sports.
PETER KING: Like on the last drive of the Super Bowl?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: On that drive I ran out and thought, This is going to be really hard. Because we had kind of struggled late in that game. Not saying I definitely couldn't do it. I just knew it would be tough. When I got in the huddle, I told the guys, "I don't have any speech. Just think of all the extra work we put in, all the extra film study we did together. It'll all be for nothing if we don't do this." Then we get a holding call on the first play, and it's going bad. But here's the thing about playing quarterback in this league: Even if you don't feel confident, you have to show you feel it, so when your teammates are looking at you, they believe it.
MATT RYAN: You don't want to let the guys down. As for nerves, I always find myself more nervous before the game, before the kickoff, before the first snap. Then when you're in it and you take a couple of hits, you get into the flow of the game. Honestly, when the game's on the line, I feel calmer than on the first series because I'm into the game. I'm not thinking about how big the moment is.
9.26.2009
TONY PARKER
Parker's improved jumper could score him the Finals MVP award.
Two years ago, the San Antonio Spurs won an NBA title. But Tony Parker wasn't necessarily happy.
Then 23 years old, the point guard had been a bit player in the deciding seventh game, as Parker's inability to connect from outside against the Pistons' mighty defense limited him to a 3-for-11, eight-point performance. The Spurs periodically sat Parker and used a combo of Brent Barry and Manu Ginobili to play the point in that series, and after Game 7, writers debated whether the Spurs would even bring Parker back the next year.
The 2007 Finals couldn't be more different. The French flash is likely to be named series MVP if the Spurs close things out in Thursday's Game 4, after Parker again made a couple of big shots down the stretch to win Game 3 -- including a rare 3-pointer with a minute left to hold the Cavs at bay.
That's no accident. It's the culmination of a two-year process that saw him completely rebuild his jump shot and then torment Cleveland with the new weapon in this year's Finals.
Right after the 2005 Finals, Parker made the decision that he wanted to improve. He didn't care that he was a world champion point guard making near-max money and dating a hugely popular TV star; he was frustrated that his shaky jump shot was having such a negative impact on his game.
Enter Chip Engelland. Hired that offseason as a shooting coach by the Spurs after he'd previously plied his trade in Denver, Engelland helped rebuild Parker's jump shot piece by piece. The slingshot-like set shot that Parker entered the league with -- now gone forever -- was replaced by a smoother jumper that has repeatedly made the Cavaliers pay for going under the screen to take away his driving lanes.
For Parker, it was the right coach at the right time.
"Timing is important," Engelland said, "because when you play in the NBA, you always think you're just going to keep getting better. [But] the NBA is hard, and then you plateau, and that timing is good [for fixing a shot]."
And there was definitely some fixing to do.
"In the first few years [of Parker's career], whenever he'd shoot it, I just figured it was going to be a turnover, same as a turnover -- there's no way that's going in," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But in the last year and a half when he shoots it, I actually think it's going to go in, so he's changed me quite a bit. But that's due to his work and Chip Engelland, who's really worked hard on him."
"Tony, even though he won a championship that year, wanted to get better," Engelland said. "That's where I give him a ton of credit. His summer time, he wanted to work at something he's not good at. That's uncomfortable."
They had to start from the bottom up, and that required Engelland to establish trust with Parker before he could start working on his jumper. Former Spurs GM and current Cavs GM Danny Ferry said Engelland's patience with players is one of his greatest assets -- that he'd focus on developing the relationship so that players would trust his advice on fixing the shot.
"We got to know each other first," Engelland said. "We did a lot of talking with him, where he wanted to go. Tony wants to be great. So [I said] what it takes -- he has to have a consistent jump shot and his free throw has to improve.
"I think the most important thing, and this is true for every player, their shot is personal. Whether it's a 12-year-old girl or an [NBA player], it's their own shot. It's theirs, it's personal. When I talk to a player at any level ... I don't come in and disrespect their shot."
That helps him establish a rapport with his pupils, and from there he can start tweaking. One of the key examples Engelland used to help Parker come to grips with rebuilding his jumper was Tiger Woods. Parker is a huge Tiger fan, and once he learned Tiger redid his whole swing after crushing the field in the Masters for his first major victory, that made Parker far more receptive to the idea of working on his own game.
"It takes a lot of trust," Engelland said. "It's hard to want to get better at something."
Focusing on short jumpers, Engelland went to work on Parker: "We started with the basics, the very basics: balance, hand placement on the ball, follow through, what he watches, his target. He's done it great. He did a good job listening, practicing. It's not easy to do."
One of the keys was changing Parker's thumb position on the ball. Engelland said when Parker shoots a floater -- something he does as well as anyone in the league -- his thumb is in the correct position, at nearly a right angle to the rest of his hand, so that he can keep control over the ball. But on his jumper, the thumb often was close by his fingers, and as a result the ball would frequently come off the side of his hand.
Thanks to that fix and others like it, the results have been obvious, and not just in the last three games. Parker had never shot better than 33.3 percent on 3-pointers, or 75.5 percent on free throws before this season. This year those two numbers were way up -- 39.5 percent from downtown, albeit on fewer attempts, and an impressive 78.3 percent from the stripe.
Parker's newfound consistency is turning the scouting report against him upside down. Previously, teams would dare him to shoot from outside and focus on taking away his drives to the basket. But his rebuilt shooting stroke has left opponents in a quandary.
"Against Phoenix, they tried to do the same strategy," Parker said. "They put Shawn Marion on me and he was going under, and I start knocking down shots and then they have to come out. And that's when you penetrate again, and that's when you try to get back to the basket and get some stuff going for my teammates or for myself. The whole key is to make sure I shoot with confidence."
So with Parker burning the Cavs from outside -- even throwing in a rare triple in crunch time to help hold off Cleveland -- Engelland was feeling like a proud parent after Game 3. "I'm happy for him," Engelland said. "I just like his consistency. ... He's just been solid in the playoffs. ... I think that's what coach Popovich wants -- he's so talented that he just wants for him to be consistent."
Parker isn't Engelland's only client. Engelland got his start in the business working with ex-Spurs guard Steve Kerr -- "like being the Maytag repairman," Engelland joked -- and worked with Grant Hill and several Nuggets before coming to San Antonio. Since joining the Spurs, he's also helped rebuild the jumpers of two other historically wayward shooters who have had strong playoffs -- Fabricio Oberto and Jacque Vaughn.
But his most famous client at this point is Parker, because he's shining on the league's biggest stage and brimming with confidence.
"I feel a lot more comfortable," Parker said. "I think that's what one of my limits was, you know, early in my career. I always had, like, great games and then they'd adapt, and I don't think I was shooting well enough from the outside to be consistent in a series. I think the last two years, you know, all the work I put in with Chip, I feel very comfortable and I've got a lot more confidence to knock down that shot."
He'd better get comfortable being an NBA Finals MVP, too. Because despite Parker's series-long protestations that this is Tim Duncan's team, his rebuilt jumper is about to put him in the history books alongside some of the game's greatest stars.
Two years ago, the San Antonio Spurs won an NBA title. But Tony Parker wasn't necessarily happy.
Then 23 years old, the point guard had been a bit player in the deciding seventh game, as Parker's inability to connect from outside against the Pistons' mighty defense limited him to a 3-for-11, eight-point performance. The Spurs periodically sat Parker and used a combo of Brent Barry and Manu Ginobili to play the point in that series, and after Game 7, writers debated whether the Spurs would even bring Parker back the next year.
The 2007 Finals couldn't be more different. The French flash is likely to be named series MVP if the Spurs close things out in Thursday's Game 4, after Parker again made a couple of big shots down the stretch to win Game 3 -- including a rare 3-pointer with a minute left to hold the Cavs at bay.
That's no accident. It's the culmination of a two-year process that saw him completely rebuild his jump shot and then torment Cleveland with the new weapon in this year's Finals.
Right after the 2005 Finals, Parker made the decision that he wanted to improve. He didn't care that he was a world champion point guard making near-max money and dating a hugely popular TV star; he was frustrated that his shaky jump shot was having such a negative impact on his game.
Enter Chip Engelland. Hired that offseason as a shooting coach by the Spurs after he'd previously plied his trade in Denver, Engelland helped rebuild Parker's jump shot piece by piece. The slingshot-like set shot that Parker entered the league with -- now gone forever -- was replaced by a smoother jumper that has repeatedly made the Cavaliers pay for going under the screen to take away his driving lanes.
For Parker, it was the right coach at the right time.
"Timing is important," Engelland said, "because when you play in the NBA, you always think you're just going to keep getting better. [But] the NBA is hard, and then you plateau, and that timing is good [for fixing a shot]."
And there was definitely some fixing to do.
"In the first few years [of Parker's career], whenever he'd shoot it, I just figured it was going to be a turnover, same as a turnover -- there's no way that's going in," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But in the last year and a half when he shoots it, I actually think it's going to go in, so he's changed me quite a bit. But that's due to his work and Chip Engelland, who's really worked hard on him."
"Tony, even though he won a championship that year, wanted to get better," Engelland said. "That's where I give him a ton of credit. His summer time, he wanted to work at something he's not good at. That's uncomfortable."
They had to start from the bottom up, and that required Engelland to establish trust with Parker before he could start working on his jumper. Former Spurs GM and current Cavs GM Danny Ferry said Engelland's patience with players is one of his greatest assets -- that he'd focus on developing the relationship so that players would trust his advice on fixing the shot.
"We got to know each other first," Engelland said. "We did a lot of talking with him, where he wanted to go. Tony wants to be great. So [I said] what it takes -- he has to have a consistent jump shot and his free throw has to improve.
"I think the most important thing, and this is true for every player, their shot is personal. Whether it's a 12-year-old girl or an [NBA player], it's their own shot. It's theirs, it's personal. When I talk to a player at any level ... I don't come in and disrespect their shot."
That helps him establish a rapport with his pupils, and from there he can start tweaking. One of the key examples Engelland used to help Parker come to grips with rebuilding his jumper was Tiger Woods. Parker is a huge Tiger fan, and once he learned Tiger redid his whole swing after crushing the field in the Masters for his first major victory, that made Parker far more receptive to the idea of working on his own game.
"It takes a lot of trust," Engelland said. "It's hard to want to get better at something."
Focusing on short jumpers, Engelland went to work on Parker: "We started with the basics, the very basics: balance, hand placement on the ball, follow through, what he watches, his target. He's done it great. He did a good job listening, practicing. It's not easy to do."
One of the keys was changing Parker's thumb position on the ball. Engelland said when Parker shoots a floater -- something he does as well as anyone in the league -- his thumb is in the correct position, at nearly a right angle to the rest of his hand, so that he can keep control over the ball. But on his jumper, the thumb often was close by his fingers, and as a result the ball would frequently come off the side of his hand.
Thanks to that fix and others like it, the results have been obvious, and not just in the last three games. Parker had never shot better than 33.3 percent on 3-pointers, or 75.5 percent on free throws before this season. This year those two numbers were way up -- 39.5 percent from downtown, albeit on fewer attempts, and an impressive 78.3 percent from the stripe.
Parker's newfound consistency is turning the scouting report against him upside down. Previously, teams would dare him to shoot from outside and focus on taking away his drives to the basket. But his rebuilt shooting stroke has left opponents in a quandary.
"Against Phoenix, they tried to do the same strategy," Parker said. "They put Shawn Marion on me and he was going under, and I start knocking down shots and then they have to come out. And that's when you penetrate again, and that's when you try to get back to the basket and get some stuff going for my teammates or for myself. The whole key is to make sure I shoot with confidence."
So with Parker burning the Cavs from outside -- even throwing in a rare triple in crunch time to help hold off Cleveland -- Engelland was feeling like a proud parent after Game 3. "I'm happy for him," Engelland said. "I just like his consistency. ... He's just been solid in the playoffs. ... I think that's what coach Popovich wants -- he's so talented that he just wants for him to be consistent."
Parker isn't Engelland's only client. Engelland got his start in the business working with ex-Spurs guard Steve Kerr -- "like being the Maytag repairman," Engelland joked -- and worked with Grant Hill and several Nuggets before coming to San Antonio. Since joining the Spurs, he's also helped rebuild the jumpers of two other historically wayward shooters who have had strong playoffs -- Fabricio Oberto and Jacque Vaughn.
But his most famous client at this point is Parker, because he's shining on the league's biggest stage and brimming with confidence.
"I feel a lot more comfortable," Parker said. "I think that's what one of my limits was, you know, early in my career. I always had, like, great games and then they'd adapt, and I don't think I was shooting well enough from the outside to be consistent in a series. I think the last two years, you know, all the work I put in with Chip, I feel very comfortable and I've got a lot more confidence to knock down that shot."
He'd better get comfortable being an NBA Finals MVP, too. Because despite Parker's series-long protestations that this is Tim Duncan's team, his rebuilt jumper is about to put him in the history books alongside some of the game's greatest stars.
CHRIS JACKSON
CHRIS JACKSON - 6’0 160lbs
FRESHMAN LSU – 30Pts 4Asst
SOPHMORE LSU – 28Pts 3Asst
• All-Time NCAA Freshman Leading Scorer
• Had 55pts in his 5th college game against Florida
• The last person to average 30Pts a game was Glen Robinson in 1994
• Make 20 3’s in a row before he could leave the gym
• Make 10 swishes in a row before he could leave the gym
FRESHMAN LSU – 30Pts 4Asst
SOPHMORE LSU – 28Pts 3Asst
• All-Time NCAA Freshman Leading Scorer
• Had 55pts in his 5th college game against Florida
• The last person to average 30Pts a game was Glen Robinson in 1994
• Make 20 3’s in a row before he could leave the gym
• Make 10 swishes in a row before he could leave the gym
9.23.2009
WHAT'S YOUR LEGACY?
The impact of your life will be determined by your dash.
When you die they'll indicate on your tomb the year of your birth and the year of your death separated by a dash (1989 — 2070). The dash is your life. What you did. How you lived. Whose life you touched. The legacy you left behind.
Aristotle said: "Excellence is not an art. It's a habit."
You can't be excellent half of the time and be in a comfort zone the other half. Your either excellent or your not.
None of us can start out inventing our legacy. Rather, we are who we are and we do what we do. The world notices and assigns to us the definition of our legacy. The best legacies are innocent by-products of a life lived well and a heart overflowing with tender love. Seek not fans, fame, or fortune.
Everybody wants it to matter that they lived. When God breathed in our nostrils and gave us life, He intended for us to use it well.
Your legacy is not something that you can wish for. Its built day, by day, by day throughout your life. It's getting up early every morning and putting in a HARD days work.
When it comes to basketball coaches will remember each and every one of their players. How are your coaches going to remember and talk about you? Will they refer to you as one of their warriors? Will they think of you as a lazy player or will they remember you as a leader and a winner? Will they think about what kind of player you could of been if you would of worked harder? These are the questions you will answer throughout your career.
When it comes to life everybody will leave a legacy, some will be good and some will be bad, but only a few will be great. Leaving a special legacy is HARD. It means going about your life in a different way than everybody else. The road you take will be less traveled. There will be those days when you don't want to work but you will dig deep and still bring it because thats the only way you do things.
Your going to leave a legacy, what kind of legacy is it going to be?
When you die they'll indicate on your tomb the year of your birth and the year of your death separated by a dash (1989 — 2070). The dash is your life. What you did. How you lived. Whose life you touched. The legacy you left behind.
Aristotle said: "Excellence is not an art. It's a habit."
You can't be excellent half of the time and be in a comfort zone the other half. Your either excellent or your not.
None of us can start out inventing our legacy. Rather, we are who we are and we do what we do. The world notices and assigns to us the definition of our legacy. The best legacies are innocent by-products of a life lived well and a heart overflowing with tender love. Seek not fans, fame, or fortune.
Everybody wants it to matter that they lived. When God breathed in our nostrils and gave us life, He intended for us to use it well.
Your legacy is not something that you can wish for. Its built day, by day, by day throughout your life. It's getting up early every morning and putting in a HARD days work.
When it comes to basketball coaches will remember each and every one of their players. How are your coaches going to remember and talk about you? Will they refer to you as one of their warriors? Will they think of you as a lazy player or will they remember you as a leader and a winner? Will they think about what kind of player you could of been if you would of worked harder? These are the questions you will answer throughout your career.
When it comes to life everybody will leave a legacy, some will be good and some will be bad, but only a few will be great. Leaving a special legacy is HARD. It means going about your life in a different way than everybody else. The road you take will be less traveled. There will be those days when you don't want to work but you will dig deep and still bring it because thats the only way you do things.
Your going to leave a legacy, what kind of legacy is it going to be?
CHRIS PAUL VIDEO
Chris Paul preparing for the 2009-2010 season...
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/09/13/nba_20090913_cp3_workout.nba/
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/09/13/nba_20090913_cp3_workout.nba/
"Coach always says..."
It's a simple reminder of what messages players retain and recall, sometimes years after they've left the field or the gym. Here's a selection of them.
Coach always said...
"If you are not doing it the right way, why are you doing it. Learn how to do it the right way and practice it the right way."
"You'll be remembered by your last performance."
"Toughness is a skill."
"If you do the little things right you’ll win."
"The more things you can do, the longer you'll be around here."
"What you put in is what you get out."
"You don’t improve during the playoffs. You improve at practice."
"The season is a marathon not a sprint. What matters is that our team gets better with each game."
"Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships."
"You have to go hard on every play because it could be the difference in the game."
"In every crisis lies opportunity."
"The mental is to the physical as 4 is to 1."
"Good things happen to good people who work hard."
"If you get a five-point lead, push it up to 10. If you have a 10-point lead, push it to 20."
"Turn the page. Good stuff, bad stuff, just turn the page."
"We're not playing our opponent. We're trying to beat the game. The opponent is just another hurdle."
"Forget about the last play. Think about the next play."
"Finish."
"Mismatches don't beat you, uncontested shots beat you."
"Make the easy play."
"The pain of regret is worse than the pain of disappointment."
"How do you want to be remembered?"
"Not to be afraid to win."
"The first one on the floor gets the ball."
Click on the link to Coach Musselman's story for the complete list of nearly 200:
http://emuss.blogspot.com/2009/03/coach-always-said.html
Coach always said...
"If you are not doing it the right way, why are you doing it. Learn how to do it the right way and practice it the right way."
"You'll be remembered by your last performance."
"Toughness is a skill."
"If you do the little things right you’ll win."
"The more things you can do, the longer you'll be around here."
"What you put in is what you get out."
"You don’t improve during the playoffs. You improve at practice."
"The season is a marathon not a sprint. What matters is that our team gets better with each game."
"Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships."
"You have to go hard on every play because it could be the difference in the game."
"In every crisis lies opportunity."
"The mental is to the physical as 4 is to 1."
"Good things happen to good people who work hard."
"If you get a five-point lead, push it up to 10. If you have a 10-point lead, push it to 20."
"Turn the page. Good stuff, bad stuff, just turn the page."
"We're not playing our opponent. We're trying to beat the game. The opponent is just another hurdle."
"Forget about the last play. Think about the next play."
"Finish."
"Mismatches don't beat you, uncontested shots beat you."
"Make the easy play."
"The pain of regret is worse than the pain of disappointment."
"How do you want to be remembered?"
"Not to be afraid to win."
"The first one on the floor gets the ball."
Click on the link to Coach Musselman's story for the complete list of nearly 200:
http://emuss.blogspot.com/2009/03/coach-always-said.html
9.21.2009
WES WELKER
The room was packed with football players, young ones with a million questions and veterans with no doubts. It was Texas Tech's first team meeting of 2000, and coach Mike Leach was doing a sociological study. From behind the podium Leach watched his newcomers size one another up—the walk-ons, the high school track stars and the big-name recruits who once owned the spotlight on Friday nights. Standing in the middle of them all, a head shorter than most, was a freshman receiver from Oklahoma City named Wesley Welker. Leach met his gaze and couldn't help but hold it. "If you've seen that Foghorn Leghorn cartoon, Wes was like the chicken hawk," Leach recalls. "He was shorter than everybody, one of those barrel-chested guys with thick ankles. I was thinking, This fella is pretty sure of himself. He had this steely-eyed stare, this look that said, I can whip all their asses."
This season, one NFL defensive back after another has recognized that look at the line of scrimmage, along with its aftermath: the 5'9", 185-pound Welker darting across the field, finding the soft spot in a zone and turning a short completion into a back-breaking gain, often as the hot read when quarterback Tom Brady was feeling pressure. On a Patriots offense flush with talent, Welker is its most unlikely playmaker, an undrafted, undersized player who developed into someone coach Bill Belichick just had to have.
While there were signs in training camp that Welker might thrive playing alongside wideouts Randy Moss and Donte' Stallworth, no one could have forecast his 112 catches and countless key blocks—except Belichick. Welker had tormented the coach as a receiver, a returner, a special teams tackler and even an emergency kicker for the Dolphins from 2004 through '06, when Miami went 3--3 against New England. "We couldn't defend him, we couldn't cover him," Belichick says. "And a lot of other teams had the same problem."
Welker's coaches at Heritage Hall High couldn't slow him either, no matter how hard they blew their whistles. He treated every drill as a mission statement. During sprints Welker would sometimes dive across the finish line, just to ensure that he was first. "We were always worried he was going to break a rib," says Rod Warner, who coached Welker at Heritage Hall and is now the school's athletic director. "He was like, 'Coach, I wanted to win.'"
On Friday nights Welker stayed on the field for almost every snap. He lined up at tailback, receiver and free safety, returned kicks, kicked off and booted field goals and extra points. A familiar sight was Welker sprinting into the end zone, then trying to catch his breath before attempting the point after. "Right before the snap, he'd tip up his face mask and throw up," Warner says. "It was like it was no big deal."
Says Welker, "You're nervous before games, especially at that age. You're excited to play, you hadn't eaten anything, it's hot out, and next thing you know, you're throwing up. But whenever I threw up, I knew I was going to have a good game."
Though Welker dominated in high school, scoring 90 touchdowns and kicking a 57-yard field goal—he also played soccer at Heritage Hall—most Division I scouts saw short arms, a small frame and an average 40 time. Tulsa almost gave him a scholarship, but the coaching staff chose to sign a faster receiver instead. "I told him, 'You might want to consider a smaller college,' but he wasn't having any of it," says Welker's father, Leland. "He said, 'If I can't play Division I football, I don't want to play.' He always wanted to play with the best, against the best."
Welker's prospects changed after several Texas Tech assistants persuaded Leach to watch a game tape. Leach saw the same physical shortcomings that scared away other programs, but there were signs that he couldn't ignore. "The film was very dramatic," Leach says. "I'm watching it, and I'm like, 'If only he was bigger.' Then he'd make a play. 'If only he was faster.' He'd make another play. 'If only he had longer arms.' He'd make another play. He was one of the most competitive people I've met, could focus longer than anyone I've met, and he took advantage of every moment he had."
In Leach's spread offense, Welker had little trouble finding holes. His anticipation, quick feet and peripheral vision made him a tough cover, even when everybody in the stadium knew the ball was coming his way. "As much as it is a sacrilege to say, I think a lot of that came from soccer," Leach says. "He was coordinated, and he had great vision out of the corner of his eyes because [in soccer] you're always looking for an opening or a lane to pass it to your buddy. If you're carrying a ball, it's even easier to see the holes and run through them."
Welker left Tech with school records in catches (259) and receiving yards (3,069). After making the San Diego Chargers' roster at the end of training camp in 2004, he soon alternated between elation and impatience. "Every practice was just the same, trying to get reps whenever I could," he says. "There were days I wouldn't get one. Maybe they'd throw me in on a blocking play, so I'm out there busting my butt on blocking, making sure that somehow I show up in the camera." The Chargers cut him three days after the season opener, and Miami signed him six days later.
Playing with a revolving door of quarterbacks in Miami, Welker couldn't help but wonder how things might be better in, say, New England, where the Patriots developed cohesion and welcomed versatility. (Not to mention they had won three Super Bowls.) Since arriving, the 26-year-old Welker has elevated the Pats as a receiver and return man. When Brady senses the Giants' pass rush this Sunday, he will no doubt look for Welker, who in the teams' Dec. 29 meeting had 122 yards on 11 receptions, seven of those for first downs. "I guess it's easy [for defenders] to miss him," Brady says. "He can hide in the grass."
Says Welker, "On the outside looking in, it was the type of team I always wanted to play for. When I came here, they didn't care what I ran in the 40 or what my size was. They looked at the film, and they saw what they saw. It's finally the day where I wasn't passed over."
This season, one NFL defensive back after another has recognized that look at the line of scrimmage, along with its aftermath: the 5'9", 185-pound Welker darting across the field, finding the soft spot in a zone and turning a short completion into a back-breaking gain, often as the hot read when quarterback Tom Brady was feeling pressure. On a Patriots offense flush with talent, Welker is its most unlikely playmaker, an undrafted, undersized player who developed into someone coach Bill Belichick just had to have.
While there were signs in training camp that Welker might thrive playing alongside wideouts Randy Moss and Donte' Stallworth, no one could have forecast his 112 catches and countless key blocks—except Belichick. Welker had tormented the coach as a receiver, a returner, a special teams tackler and even an emergency kicker for the Dolphins from 2004 through '06, when Miami went 3--3 against New England. "We couldn't defend him, we couldn't cover him," Belichick says. "And a lot of other teams had the same problem."
Welker's coaches at Heritage Hall High couldn't slow him either, no matter how hard they blew their whistles. He treated every drill as a mission statement. During sprints Welker would sometimes dive across the finish line, just to ensure that he was first. "We were always worried he was going to break a rib," says Rod Warner, who coached Welker at Heritage Hall and is now the school's athletic director. "He was like, 'Coach, I wanted to win.'"
On Friday nights Welker stayed on the field for almost every snap. He lined up at tailback, receiver and free safety, returned kicks, kicked off and booted field goals and extra points. A familiar sight was Welker sprinting into the end zone, then trying to catch his breath before attempting the point after. "Right before the snap, he'd tip up his face mask and throw up," Warner says. "It was like it was no big deal."
Says Welker, "You're nervous before games, especially at that age. You're excited to play, you hadn't eaten anything, it's hot out, and next thing you know, you're throwing up. But whenever I threw up, I knew I was going to have a good game."
Though Welker dominated in high school, scoring 90 touchdowns and kicking a 57-yard field goal—he also played soccer at Heritage Hall—most Division I scouts saw short arms, a small frame and an average 40 time. Tulsa almost gave him a scholarship, but the coaching staff chose to sign a faster receiver instead. "I told him, 'You might want to consider a smaller college,' but he wasn't having any of it," says Welker's father, Leland. "He said, 'If I can't play Division I football, I don't want to play.' He always wanted to play with the best, against the best."
Welker's prospects changed after several Texas Tech assistants persuaded Leach to watch a game tape. Leach saw the same physical shortcomings that scared away other programs, but there were signs that he couldn't ignore. "The film was very dramatic," Leach says. "I'm watching it, and I'm like, 'If only he was bigger.' Then he'd make a play. 'If only he was faster.' He'd make another play. 'If only he had longer arms.' He'd make another play. He was one of the most competitive people I've met, could focus longer than anyone I've met, and he took advantage of every moment he had."
In Leach's spread offense, Welker had little trouble finding holes. His anticipation, quick feet and peripheral vision made him a tough cover, even when everybody in the stadium knew the ball was coming his way. "As much as it is a sacrilege to say, I think a lot of that came from soccer," Leach says. "He was coordinated, and he had great vision out of the corner of his eyes because [in soccer] you're always looking for an opening or a lane to pass it to your buddy. If you're carrying a ball, it's even easier to see the holes and run through them."
Welker left Tech with school records in catches (259) and receiving yards (3,069). After making the San Diego Chargers' roster at the end of training camp in 2004, he soon alternated between elation and impatience. "Every practice was just the same, trying to get reps whenever I could," he says. "There were days I wouldn't get one. Maybe they'd throw me in on a blocking play, so I'm out there busting my butt on blocking, making sure that somehow I show up in the camera." The Chargers cut him three days after the season opener, and Miami signed him six days later.
Playing with a revolving door of quarterbacks in Miami, Welker couldn't help but wonder how things might be better in, say, New England, where the Patriots developed cohesion and welcomed versatility. (Not to mention they had won three Super Bowls.) Since arriving, the 26-year-old Welker has elevated the Pats as a receiver and return man. When Brady senses the Giants' pass rush this Sunday, he will no doubt look for Welker, who in the teams' Dec. 29 meeting had 122 yards on 11 receptions, seven of those for first downs. "I guess it's easy [for defenders] to miss him," Brady says. "He can hide in the grass."
Says Welker, "On the outside looking in, it was the type of team I always wanted to play for. When I came here, they didn't care what I ran in the 40 or what my size was. They looked at the film, and they saw what they saw. It's finally the day where I wasn't passed over."
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