Greetings Nick!

Didn’t know if you caught much of the NCAA Men’s Championship Basketball game on Monday between Kentucky and Kansas?

I’ve been following Kentucky all season. I knew that the club had a much heralded 5-Star freshman class going into the year. Usually with college basketball, it’s almost a guarantee that the recruits will crave to play for an offensive-minded coach that will allow them opportunities to shoot and play a ton of minutes so that they can be a one-and-done prospect that moves on to the NBA.

That’s what made Kentucky such a unique story in my eyes and one for you to be aware in case you are on a team currently playing selfish baseball. Possibly on a team that lacks togetherness? Or one that doesn’t have the will to compete or just do the everyday ‘little things’ to improve a teammate’s entire game?

Here’s Kentucky, a team that will roll out the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft; possibly one other in the top five and three more in the first round. Yet, not one player all year averaged more than 14-points per game nor even played more than 32-minutes in a game? Talk about team sacrifice? Senior Darius Miller went from starting on the UK Final Four team in 2011 to coming off the bench and playing 26 minutes per game in 2012, all to help put the team in a better position to win.

“We got along,” sophomore forward Terrence Jones said after the championship game Monday night. “No one cared who got the accolades. The main goal was getting to this point and winning.”

Why I say this fellas is that it doesn’t matter how young you are. It’s how you play together. The Kentucky players buried their egos for the greatness of the team. They even led the nation in defensive efficiency and blocked shots, stats so rare for a team loaded with many prized prospects especially in today’s ‘dunk the ball’ every chance you get game of basketball. Yet, when the NBA drafts, the Kentucky players are going to be the ones in high demand now and soon to be richly rewarded for their commitment to excellence and great team performance.

If you can, I encourage you to read up on Michael Jordan. You may know him as perhaps the greatest offensive player ever in the NBA! He, the poster boy for ESPN highlights! Yet, to me, Jordan was probably the BEST DEFENSIVE player at his position ever in the NBA, winning such recognition in NINE different seasons during his playing career! Jordan was also incredibly ferocious in his commitment to practice and winning! He would not let his teammates play anything less than 100% on any given night.

Same with this year’s Kentucky Wildcats. They were a unique squad that came together and sacrificed for each other for a chance at “team glory!” Now they are going to enjoy the accolades and be immortalized forever as a team of champions not to mention one of personal wealth after many NBA teams reward them for their “We First” season long performance!

All the Best my friend! Have a super great weekend on the field!

Jim Loria

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“I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me” – stated by Charles Swindoll, author, educator and radio preacher

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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has. Rather, teams of a few people dedicated to their cause and committed to seeing it through, and working by trusting and helping one another, without trying to attain individual glory, that has always made a difference" - stated by Margaret Mead, the famous American cultural anthropologist

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“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success" – stated by Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company

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"None of us is as smart as all of us" – stated by Ken Blanchard, Global Leader in Leadership Training


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By: Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com