A successful partnership is a key in any sport, no matter how many athletes are playing at once. Let's think about basketball specifically. You start with a pick-up game of two-on-two. In that situation, you must work hand-in-hand with your teammate (partner), in order to prevent your two opponents from scoring, and you must find a way to score yourself. Usually, in order to become efficient partners, you have to play a few games together to figure it out. And the more you play together, the better your partnership becomes.

I once read about a basketball coach who told a player who received four Fs and one D on his report card, “Son, looks like you’re spending too much time on one subject.” That kind of wisdom is trouble. Too often wisdom is considered to be just “smarts,” but it is much more than that. Knowledge is knowing, but wisdom is knowing when to use it.

When you think of undying, unwavering commitment, who comes to your mind? I have always been inspired by athletes and coaches who have that type of “over-the-top” commitment. It gets my competitive juices flowing. When I see players with tenacity, it makes me ready to strap on the pads and lace up the shoes!