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.

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.

I don't believe in curfews, because you can't treat men like they were boys without forfeiting a certain level of trust.

My job as a coach was to make something meaningful out of one of the most mundane activities on the planet: playing pro basketball.

What moves me is watching young men bond together and tap into the magic that arises when they focus with their whole heart and soul on something greater than themselves. Once you've experienced that, it's something you never forget.

The sign of a great player is how much he elevates his colleagues' performance.

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.