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Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success

Book by Phil Jackson · 17 quotes · Basketball, Ifs, Letting Go

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Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success Quotes

“Basketball is a great mystery. You can do everything right. You can have the perfect mix of talent and the best system of offense in the game. You can devise a foolproof defensive strategy and prepare your players for every possible eventuality. But if the players don’t have a sense of oneness as a group, your efforts won’t pay off. And the bond that unites a team can be so fragile, so elusive.”

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“And yet as a coach, I know that being fixated on winning (or more likely, not losing) is counterproductive, especially when it causes you to lose control of your emotions. What’s more, obsessing about winning is a loser’s game: The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.”

KnowsWayGamesWinningFunCausesLosesEmotionConditionsLetting GoLosingCoachesOutcomesLoserCounterproductiveObsessing
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“It takes a number of critical factors to win an NBA championship, including the right mix of talent, creativity, intelligence, toughness, and of course, luck. But if a team doesn’t have the most essential ingredient - love - none of those other factors matter.”

IfsMatterCoursesWinningNumbersCreativityTeamTalentEssentialsLuckIncludingCriticalFactorsNbaIngredientsChampionshipToughnessNba ChampionshipsChampionship Rings
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“We’re conditioned to seek only gain, to be happy, and to try to satisfy all our desires, he (Jakusho Kwong) explains. But even though we may understand on some level that loss is a catalyst for growth, most people still believe it to be the opposite of gain and to be avoided at all costs. If I’ve learned anything in my years of practicing Zen and coaching basketball, it’s that what we resist persists.”

BasketballZen
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“Kobe was hell-bent on surpassing Jordan as the greatest player in the game. His obsession with Michael was striking. Not only had he mastered many of Jordan's moves, but he affected many of M.J.'s mannerisms as well. When we played in Chicago that season, I orchestrated a meeting between the two stars, thinking that Michael might help shift Kobe’s attitude towards selfless teamwork. After they shook hands, the first words out of Kobe’s mouth were “You know I can kick your ass one on one.”

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