Yes, victory is sweet, but it doesn't necessarily make life any easier the next season or even the next day.

I'm a sports-watcher. I played football and baseball, coached baseball. So I watch those things.

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.

If you have a clear mind . . . you won't have to search for direction. Direction will come to you.

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.

Once you've done the mental work, there comes a point you have to throw yourself into the action and put your heart on the line. That means not only being brave, but being compassionate towards yourself, your teammates and your opponents.

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.