Archive for the ‘Success Principles: Sports Edition’ Category

Lessons We Can Learn From Moneyball

Posted: October 3, 2011 in By Patrick Bet-David, Success Principles: Movie Edition, Success Principles: Sports Edition
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By Patrick Bet-David

Many people in America right now are wondering how they will get out of their current financial situation. Americans are asking questions like: “Will this ever change?” and “What can I do about it?” The movie Moneyball, based on a true story, is a perfect illustration that everything can be okay if we learn to live life living within our current financial means. 

 In the movie Moneyball, Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane is approached by the owner of the team in 2001 to build a strong team that makes it to the playoffs with only a budget of $41 million dollars. Compare that to the Yankees budget that year of $125 Million. How do you compete with that huge gulf in resources?

That’s exactly why our economy is where it’s at today with many Americans who have a budget of the Oakland A’s while trying to live the life of the New York Yankees. Can it be done? Absolutely, but it will require Americans to sit down and try to build a life with what they currently have. Just like in the movie, Oakland was forced to find players undervalued by the market, and by finding value in “discount” players, the team proved itself capable of competing with the super-sized budgets of other teams.

It’s not going to be easy or quick, like some of these late night get-rich-quick commercials suggest; it will require work  determination and sacrifice to get it right. It may require many families to create a secondary income, cut back non-essential spending or become avid coupon clippers and discount shoppers.

It’s amazing what creativity and fortitude we are capable of when forced to do more with less. Many Americans had become accustomed to living beyond their means, using credit cards and see-want-buy approach to budgeting. Now, consumer credit card debt is down 18% from this time last year and has been on a steady decline since the recession started. ;l.While Americans are cutting back on spending and reducing personal debt, the same cannot be said of the Federal Government. U.S. debt has doubled in the same time period.

Our Nation is trying to spend money that we don’t have hoping things will work out, but at the end of the day we’re setting up the future of America for failure.  We’re leaving it up to the Generation X & Y to pay the price for the current financial decisions of Washington DC. We may want to consider encouraging Billy Beane to apply for the position of the Comptroller General of the United States of America or sit as an advisor on the budget committee.   The point is, we need more leaders in Generation X & Y to become experts in the area of money because they’re the ones that will be the next leaders in Washington making the big decisions for the future of America.  The future looks bright for those who learn to play best with the current hand they’ve been dealt.

The Top 10 Best NBA Players without a Championship Ring Since 1980

Posted: June 9, 2011 in By Patrick Bet-David, Success Principles: Sports Edition
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Earlier, I posted my blog on the Top 10 Best NBA Players with a Championship Ring Since 1980. Here is my list of the top 10 best NBA players who haven’t won a championship. I look forward to your comments and discussion on which players you agree and disagree should be on the list.

(By next week either Nowitzki or Lebron will be eligible for a spot on the “players with championship rings list”.)

10. Dwight Howard – If he comes to the Lakers, he could end up with several rings. He could end up being recognized as one of the most dominant centers of our time.  What’s
interesting about Howard is the fact that he still has a ton of room for improvement: free throws, inside game, outside shot, not getting as many fouls as he does, and a few other areas.  The Lakers have the right center that could teach him a few things about that. Another reason why he should consider coming to the Lakers: his larger than life personality will work well for him in cities such as Los Angeles.

9.  Reggie Miller – He was one of the two players that the Knicks didn’t want to face in the playoffs. He wasn’t intimidated by any player. He played against the best.

8. Dirk Nowitzki – He has been the greatest shooting seven-footer in the game.  He has a soft touch and he is definitely someone you would want on your squad. Let’s just see
if he’ll finish this season staying on the no-ring list or if he gets his first NBA title and fights for a spot on the top list.

7. Dominique Wilkins – He is like a human highlight film. Wilkins had close to 27,000 career points. But he should’ve done even better.

6. John Stockton – He is one of the top five point guards of all time. He made his teammates look good.

5. Charles Barkley – Here is another one of those players who was not afraid of anyone.  He guarded centers better than centers guard other centers.  He would put the fear into his competitors.  But he played during an era where his team couldn’t make it through the Lakers, Pistons, or the Bulls.

4. Alan Iverson – He was hands down the greatest six foot player in the history of the game. He played like he was seven feet tall.  He owned the court.  He was a four-time scoring champion, MVP, and five different seasons he averaged over 30 points per game.  Unfortunately, the 76ers never built a team around him and that’s why he’s on the no-ring list.

3. Steve Nash – Great point guard with no ring. Two time MVP. He makes the top 3 list because he made his teammates better, like many of the leaders.  He could’ve been better than an Isaiah Thomas, but he needs his Ring.  THE RING IS THE THING.

2. Karl Malone – He is probably one of the most dominant power forwards in the history of the game.  He is the #2 all-time scorer in the NBA.

1. Lebron James – He’s a beast.  He belongs in another league. I’m curious what his diet was growing up. He is 6’8, 260 pounds, and all muscle.  Are you kidding me? That’s a cartoon character! I was disappointed when he went to Miami for many reasons, but it’s
his decision where he wants to play. He could easily pass up Kobe and end up being #2 on the top list, but not #1. I’m sure many Lebron fans will not appreciate that, but it is what it is.  He may make it off the “no-ring” list by next week if Miami wins the championship, but we’ll soon know for sure.

The Top 10 Best NBA Players With a Championship Ring Since 1980

Posted: June 9, 2011 in By Patrick Bet-David, Success Principles: Sports Edition
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On this blog we spend a lot of time studying “the great ones”, in business, of history and in sports.  I believe that there is a lot that we can learn from other people’s success and what they do to get there.

Sports is a great place to study greatness because we all get a front row seat to watch a player’s teamwork, hustle, and heart. We can see a player’s rise and fall, and analyze what they did to get there.

I have a group of friends in my life that every time we get together we end up debating the great ones throughout NBA history. One of my friends, Steve, was the star of his high school basketball team. He took the same drive that averaged him 28 points a game in high school and channeled that into business, becoming the CEO of a multi-million dollar company. When Steve and I get together we talk about faith and philosophy, business principles and sports, but ironically, it’s only when we talk about sports  that we get  into heated debates.

I decided to share  my thoughts on the best NBA players of all time, both those with and without rings,  and let the debate begin.  Athletes are our  modern day gladiators, and most of us love watching and discussing our sports  legends. We may not all agree on who’s best, but I hope we can find some common inspiration from these NBA warriors.

10. Isaiah Thomas- I had to choose Thomas over Dwayne Wade because it’s still too early to tell with Wade, but also because Isaiah made his teammates better.  He was a fighter and a competitor. He also has two championships plus a season where he averaged 21 points, 14 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. For these reasons, he makes my top 10.

9. David Robinson- Some of you may argue this one, but I put him on this list for a few reasons.  He was never the player who wanted a ton of attention.  He has two championships, an MVP award, and scored 71 points in a game (yes, I know it was the last game of the season and he was trying to beat Shaq for scoring champion). It’s still a ton of points. What I’m very impressed with is the fact that Robinson passed the torch to Tim Duncan in the classiest way.  He not only became a leader, but replaced himself when he left San Antonio to make Duncan the next name on this list.

8. Tim Duncan- He has four NBA titles. He was always dependable. Although he did it with no flash, Duncan always delivered when necessary.

7.  Hakeem Olajuwon- He had the greatest foot work for a seven-footer in the history of the NBA.  Kobe once visited Hakeem to improve his foot work.  He’s a two-time NBA Champion.  And he’s from my wife’s hometown, so I had to put in on the list to represent the great city of Houston.

6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- He leads the league in points scored in his career. He’s also got six rings, and six MVP’s to go with that.  He’s a given on this list.

5. Larry Bird – He couldn’t jump more than an inch, couldn’t win a dunk contest with an eight-foot rim, and you couldn’t get a smile out of him, but Bird was one of the greatest fighters the NBA has ever seen. This man knew how to fight and he worked his tail off.

4. Shaq– Like Madonna or Prince, he doesn’t need a last name. He is simply SHAQ: the most dominant center in the history of the NBA.  If Shaq and Kobe could’ve worked it out, they easily could’ve had 7-9 championships together.  Ego got in the way.

3. Magic Johnson – Some will argue that Magic is the greatest player of all time because he made everyone else on the team better. Also, Magic could play all five positions.  Even though his career best points in a game was only 42, many times he almost averaged a triple-double in an entire season, which is an incredibly difficult thing to do.  Magic was a winner all the way from high school to college, to the NBA and to the Olympics.  This warrior was amazing.  On a side note, he definitely wins the award for “Best Smile in the NBA”.

2. Kobe Bryant – You can’t take anything away from Kobe.  His 81 points in a single game (1/22/2006) is by far much tougher than when Chamberlin scored 100; Kobe had to fight for it. Only two players in the history of the game have scored 50 plus points four games in a row (Kobe and Wilt Chamberlin). Kobe has five rings, which ties him with Magic.  He’s been a Laker his entire career. He’s had five, 60-point games in his career (Jordan only had four). He’s a much better shooter than Jordan. There once was a time where Kobe had a shot at fighting for the position of #1 greatest player of all time, but he lost it when he lost twice in the NBA finals (Jordan never lost a final). Kobe had Shaq.  Jordan had Scottie.  Jordan won six titles with Phil Jackson. Kobe won five. If Kobe would’ve won this year, and then won one more without Phil, then we would have room to argue that he should be #1 on the list.

1. Michael Jordan – The reason that I put Jordan first on the list is that he can easily be argued as the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Jordan also had an incredible drive to win. If there was a leaderboard for players who hated losing more than the rest, Jordan would be #1 on that list. What impresses me about Jordan is not his six rings (he would have had eight, if not for his break), or his five MVPs (he would have had 8 if the NBA
didn’t have to share the love with other players).  And it’s not the fact that he averaged 37.1 points per game in his 1986 season after coming off of a season-ending injury in 1985. All of these things are great accomplishments, but what makes Jordan #1 is that he became the new standard in ability and athleticism. That new standard extended to off the court as well. Jordan was the best at post-game interviews. He was the total package in the NBA.

Let the debate begin! I look forward to hearing who else you would suggest belongs on this list or who should be removed or put  in a different order, and why.

Nine Things We Can Learn From the Lakers Being Swept

Posted: May 10, 2011 in By Patrick Bet-David, Success Principles: Sports Edition
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A blog about why the Lakers got swept may seem like a strange topic from a company
in the financial services industry. But you may have noticed from my earlier articles that I believe there are a lot of lessons we can learn from sports that apply to business and life in general.

As a Lakers fan, I have long admired their championship attitude and drive. As amatter of fact, as a company, we set a goal to own the Lakers by 2029! That may sound crazy to some, but this company is built on the idea of making the impossible a reality.

Here are nine things that we can learn from the Dallas Mavericks’ sweep of the Lakers this week:

1.     The Hunger Factor

A hungry wolf pack will go after prey that is larger, stronger, and with dangerous hooves and antlers. But a wolf with a full belly will sit content as a baby dear walks by. Hunger is the motivator that gets us through pain, fatigue, and a superior opponent.

When you look at the metaphorical hunger that drives people to win, we have to ask: did the Lakers have a full belly? Were they stuffed on the championship rings already on their fingers? It’s like many of us who have a decent job with benefits and we fall in the trap of getting comfortable instead of doing something extraordinary with the gifts that God has given us. The Lakers got complacent with their past successes; they forgot that the hunger for greatness can’t end after a few successful hunts.

2.     Lack of Synergy

The Lakers in the second round played more like individuals than as a team. If there is one statistic that you can look at to evaluate teamwork, it is assists. Assists represent synergy on a team; everyone gets involved. There are times during the season when a player can carry a team for a game or two; but in the playoffs, it’s a team that wins championships, not an individual player.

Now there might be some Michael Jordan fans out there tempted to say that Jordan did it on his own, but that simply isn’t true. How many times did Paxton, Kerr, Pippen, Armstrong or Kukoc come through to help win a Bull’s game? Several times, and while maybe this didn’t happen as many as times as with Jordan, the Bulls wins were a team effort. In these playoffs, Kobe tried to take over the game too many times instead of getting his team involved. It’s the Lakeshow, not the Kobeshow.

3.     A Feeling of Entitlement

Some of the younger Laker players like Andrew Bynum seem to have a feeling of entitlement. From the beginning of the season these players started off thinking that the world revolved around them and the game was theirs before they earned it.

4.     Ego Got in the Way

The Lakers went into the series thinking that no one was real competition for them. Arrogance makes you comfortable and you lose the fire that got you there.

5.     Too Good to Hustle

If there was a song that the Lakers should’ve listened to throughout the season, it’s a song by Jennifer Lopez called “Jenny from the Block.” Here’s one of the lines:

Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got. I’m still Jenny from the block. I use to have a little now I have a lot. No matter where I go I know where I came from.

The song might have reminded the Lakers that, no matter how big they get, they have
to remember where they came from.  They have to recall the work and hustle it took for them to get into the NBA in the first place. The Lakers got too good to hustle.

6.     Lack of Toughness

I’ve often said that one of the most important qualities one must have is the courage to fight. I’m not referring to getting physical, but fighting for a greater cause. Once the fight
is gone, there’s a tendency to surrender.

That’s exactly what the Lakers did. They stopped fighting. They only fought when they felt like it. Imagine if our troops only fought when they felt like it. What would this nation look like? How safe would you and I feel? Greatness is about fighting whether you feel like it or not.

7.     Forgot What Their Jersey Represented

Sometimes we forget what the red, white, and blue represents. It represents freedom, courage, opportunity, values, principles, camaraderie, morals, honor, and a sense of history. We sometimes forget that the values this nation was founded on are not going to pass on to the next generation just by natural course. It’s required for our generation to teach the next generation how special our country is.

The bottom line is that the Lakers didn’t play with a sense of history and respect for the Lakers’ legacy.

8.    Lack of Responsibility

There’s a trend toward finding someone else to blame instead of taking personal responsibility. In politics, we’ve become experts at pointing fingers instead of uniting and realizing that we’re all represent the same flag. We all need to pull our own little red wagon and not count on someone else to pull it.

The players on the Lakers were constantly relying on someone else on the team to step up instead of deciding to be the winning factor as an individual.

9.    They Thought They were Bigger than the Game

No single American is bigger than the United States of America. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be an opportunity for heroes to rise up like Patton, the Wright brothers, Reagan, Lincoln, King, Graham, Washington and many more. However, not one of these icons is more important than this nation itself. The Lakers simply thought that everything revolved around them. The NBA is bigger than the Lakers. This league has a lot of history. Celtics pride, Knickerbockers, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, and many other teams have proud legacies.  These great teams, dynasties, and champions collectively make up the NBA.

I leave you with my prediction for the finals: Oklahoma City Thunder against the Miami Heat. Oklahoma City is a better team but Miami has more experience. The Heat should win but don’t count out the Thunder.