This
story is about an athlete that learned some hard lessons in year’s past and
made such an about face change in himself and his game that he might be chosen
his league’s MVP this year and crowned NBA Champion?
He
is Carmelo Anthony of the NBA New
York Knicks. Always his team’s top scorer in the pros whether it was for his
past team in Denver or with New York. After seven years with the Nuggets, he
forced his way out of Colorado midway into the 2010-11 season to play in the ‘Big
Apple’ and was lashed out by the national media for his selfishness. Since his
arrival, the Knicks went from a solid team to a dysfunctional outfit. The brunt
of the media and fan backlash was targeted at Anthony because of his need to
always have the ball. His style did not play out well in their coach’s system (who
was fired) nor with the arrival of Jeremy
Lin (who became an overnight global sensation) and seemingly stole the
spotlight from Anthony. He found out that playing on the world’s “Biggest
Stage” in New York (or anywhere for that matter) doesn’t mean anything unless
you have TEAM SUCCESS. His personal and commercial appeal plummeted. No endorsements
coming in. He was even shunned by the fans even though he is a local player
that grew up in New York.
Anthony
knew he needed to change his game and become a better teammate. Where he absorbed these lessons came at the
2012 London Olympic Games as a member of Team USA. There he was surrounded by
teammates like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant,
Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, etc. He knew he would not be the primary. Not the
scorer. There he would share minutes. Even more importantly, he’d have to learn
to play team first ball and focus his attention on defense and blocking out the
opposing players to help his teammates be put in better position on the court.
After
helping lead Team USA to the Gold Medal Championship and coming back home to
American soil, there was a significant change in Anthony, both the person, the teammate,
and in his game. He seems to now focus on MAKING EVERYONE AROUND HIM A BETTER
PLAYER. The results: The Knicks are second to Miami in the Eastern Conference
standings in the early going (20-8 W-L record). He still is among the NBA’s top
scorers (2nd only to Kobe
Bryant at nearly 30 points per game) but Anthony’s Knicks are now among the
top echelon in overall team defense – a stat unheard of in recent years.
What were the lessons Carmelo Anthony learned from his time spent at the Olympic Games?
Winning
Is the Only Thing That Matters
Carmelo
knows that for him to pick up the accolades and respect of his colleagues in
the NBA, he must get the Knicks to become playoff contenders and win a
Championship. Winning must come first before personal glory as he found out at
the Olympics. He is now doing the little things necessary to win and his
teammates are noticing!
Respect
the Coach
In
all sports, the “star players” or the key returning veterans must CONNECT with
their COACH and be on the same page Trust is another word. There doesn’t have
to be “love and admiration” for the coach but in order for the team to have a
chance to succeed, there must be RESPECT for the people in charge!
Trust
and Empower Teammates
The
only way the Knicks can ever win an NBA Championship is if all the pieces to
the puzzle perform well as a team. Anthony is showing this year that he finally
trusts his teammates. He can make the team better just by his actions of
becoming a committed teammate!
This
year, Anthony has garnered more praise from media and fans for the way he has
become a team player and for showing more maturity both on and off the court.
The past couple of seasons, the words TEAM PLAYER and Anthony just never seemed
to go together. In addition to the experiences at the Olympics, many say the
changes in Anthony also resulted because of the intense New York media
criticism of him personally and then watching LeBron James change his game and evolve as a Miami Heat teammate,
eventually winning his first Ring as the deciding factors.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS FELLAS – A GREAT QUOTE
FROM PHIL JACKSON, THE LEGENDARY NBA HALL OF FAME COACH WITH CHICAGO AND LOS
ANGELES – “The
strength of the team is each individual member; the strength of each member is
the team”
Wishing you a very Happy New Year! May 2013 be a
year of great health for you. A year that brings you on-field success, many memories
to cherish and inches you closer than ever to reaching your Dreams!
Jim Loria
------------------------------------------------------Here’s an example of LEADERSHIP from Seattle Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson … After the Seahawks defeated San Francisco last Sunday, he went to his teammates in the locker room and said: "We got work to do tomorrow boys. Come in and get your lift in.'' Even though it would be Christmas Eve day, he set up a workout schedule for his teammates to do Video Tape analysis at 8 AM and Lift at 10 AM. That's what leaders do.
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“Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great” – stated by Billie Jean King, Tennis Legend and Hall of Fame member
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“Today I will do what others won't,
so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't” – stated by Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Famer and
all-time leading wide receiver
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“The power of WE is stronger than the power of ME” – by Author Unknown
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“Don't talk about it,
be about it” – stated by Jim Rohn,
Self Help Author and Motivational Speaker
###
Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com
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