1: The San Antonio Spurs are the most successful team in American sports in the past 25 years, Daniel Coyle writes in The Culture Code.
They’ve won “five championships and a higher percentage of games than the New England Patriots, the St. Louis Cardinals, or any other storied franchise,” he notes.
When asked what was the greatest moment of team cohesion, Spurs players and coaches all agree on one specific night: June 18, 2013.
Interestingly, that was not a night when they celebrated a huge victory. Instead, it was “when they suffered their most painful loss,” Daniel notes.
That night, the Spurs “were on the verge of winning their fifth NBA championship in a historic upset, having built a three-games-to-two lead in the best-of-seven series against the heavily favored Miami Heat,” he writes.
The score was tight the entire game. “Then, toward the end of the fourth quarter, the Spurs went on a dramatic 8–0 run to take a 94–89 lead with 28.2 seconds left on the clock,” Daniel writes.
“The Heat sagged; the crowd went quiet. The championship seemed clinched. According to win-probability statistics, the odds of a Spurs victory at that point were 66:1.”
Security personnel began roping off the court for a championship celebration. “In the Spurs’ locker room, attendants placed chilled champagne in ice tubs,” Daniel writes, “and taped up plastic sheeting over the lockers.”
2: Then disaster struck.
LeBron James missed a long three-point shot. But the Heat grabbed the rebound. James shot another three-pointer. Swish.
The score was now 94-92. The Spurs were quickly fouled and made one of the two free throws, now leading by three with 19 seconds left.
“Miami had one possession left to attempt to tie the game,” Daniel recalls. “The Spurs’ defense dug in, pressuring the Heat and forcing James to try a long three-pointer, which missed badly.
“For a second, as the ball caromed high off the rim, the game seemed over,” Daniel notes.
Not so fast.
Miami’s Chris Bosh grabbed the rebound and passed it to teammate Ray Allen, who stepped back and made a three-pointer to tie the game. The Heat rode their newfound momentum to a 103-100 overtime victory.
“The Spurs had gone from almost-certain victory to one of the most devastating defeats in NBA history,” Daniel writes.
Following the loss, the players seemed to be in shock.
Daniel writes: “Tony Parker sat with a towel over his head, crying, ‘I’ve never seen our team so broken,’ he said later. Tim Duncan lay on the floor, unable to move. Manu Ginobilli could not look anyone in the face. ‘It was like death,’ said assistant coach Sean Marks. ‘We were gutted.'”
3: Players and coaches assumed the team would head to the hotel to regroup.
Legendary Head Coach Gregg Popovich had other ideas.
“Pop’s response was, ‘Family!'” Brett Brown, then an assistant coach, later told a reporter. “‘Everybody to the restaurant, straight there.'”
Pop then left the locker room and headed to the restaurant to prepare the private dining room.
“He had the tables moved,” Daniel writes. “He wanted the team together in the center, with coaches close by, surrounded by an outer ring of family. He started ordering appetizers, picking dishes that he knew his players would like. He chose wine and had waiters open it.”
Then Pop sat down. “He looked as sad as I’ve ever seen a person look,” Coach Marks remembers. “He’s sitting in his chair, not saying a word, still devastated.
“Then—I know this sounds weird—but you can just see him make the shift and get past it. He takes a sip of wine and a deep breath. You can see him get over his emotions and start focusing on what the team needs. Right then the bus pulls up.”
Pop stood up and greeted every player as they walked into the room.
“Some got a hug, some got a smile, some got a joke or a light touch on the arm,” Daniel writes. “The wine flowed. They sat and ate together. Popovich moved around the room, connecting with each player in turn.
“People later said he behaved like the father of a bride at a wedding, taking time with everyone, thanking them, appreciating them.
“There were no speeches, just a series of intimate conversations. In a moment that could have been filled with frustration, recrimination, and anger, he filled their cups.
“They talked about the game. Some of them cried. They began to come out of their private silences, to get past the loss and to connect. They even laughed.”
“I remember watching him do that, and I couldn’t believe it,” Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford says. “By the end of the night, things felt almost normal. We were a team again. It’s the single greatest thing I’ve ever seen in sports, bar none.”
The Spurs played game seven “with cohesion and energy,” but ended up losing to the Heat.
“The Spurs kept the unopened champagne,” Daniel writes, “and used it the following year after they defeated the Heat in five games to win their fifth championship.”
More tomorrow!
________________
Reflection: Think back on a painful loss or setback. How did I react? How did my team react? What can I learn from Coach Pop’s response in the story above?
Action: Discuss with a colleague or friend.
What did you think of this post?
