Resilience: Embracing the Past, Anticipating the Future, Enjoying the Moment

After watching the first playoff game of the NBA Western Conference semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, I began thinking of the significance of this series.  It was an extremely exciting game that included a career-defining performance by the Warriors' Steph Curry, a characteristically masterful and successful comeback by the San Antonio Spurs, and game-winning shot by Manu Ginobili.  The Spurs relied on their championship pedigree to maintain home-court advantage if only for the moment.  Some have said that it has been the game of this years' playoffs.    

However, what was more striking were the many similarities and only subtle contrast in playing styles of the two teams and individual stars, the personalities and philosophies of the teams and organizations. This comparison has led me to share with you an interesting snapshot of the NBA at this moment in time and, perhaps, what has contributed to my appreciation of the sport.  

The San Antonio Spurs continue to remain at the top of NBA franchises in winning tradition, success, results, and longevity.  During their long-time competitiveness, they have evolved from a tough-nosed defensive-minded team to a more well-rounded team with a more balanced approach. This approach has incorporated a speedier, smaller, more European style of play that not only incorporated that style but intelligently scouted and drafted European players to execute for them. As other franchises experience ups-and-down over the years, the Spurs consistently compete, excel and win as the times change.

By contrast, without the same tradition of winning as the Spurs, the Golden State Warriors have been become a media and fan darling this season as Steph Curry has emerged as a fearless shooter who has unlimited range and uncanny accuracy, releasing quick jump shots from distances that past players have only tried in desperate, buzzer-beating situations.

The Warriors play an up-tempo, quick-passing, quick-shooting style also mimicking the Europeans.  Unlike the Spurs mix of veterans and young players, most of the regulars on the Warriors team are quite young and inexperienced.  The Bay area fans of the Warriors seem more like a crowd one might see at a international soccer match, loud and on the verge of coming unglued after every Warrior basket or opponent mistake.  Though the Spurs fans have always been loud and enthusiastic, the Warriors fans have taken it to another level.  

What I see is the evolution of the NBA in microcosm.  Though the Spurs may or may not win this series, I can see the future of the NBA in the Warriors.  The Warriors, perhaps by design, have taken the Spurs approach one step farther than the Spurs.  While not quite equaling the discipline, structure, flow and consistency of the Spurs, the Warriors have begun to use more of the court and increase the overall range that the offense can comfortably utilize use to run, pass and shoot.  The youth, athleticism, and vision of the Warriors, modeled and led by Curry, allows for that increase. It appears more haphazard, spontaneous and chaotic than the Spurs, but that is what evolution looks like, at first.    

This process of evolution has also increased the possibilities, potential and long-range resilience of the teams in the NBA. The downside is that is has also increased the risk as more individuals playing in this environment are being felled by crippling injuries.  This is also a part of the evolution of the sport and the league.

This series could be a long, highly entertaining, competitive, contested, back-and-forth affair, with highs and lows for both teams.  The winner will be the team that can be more resilient.  The winner will be the team that can:

1.  Embrace the past and understand where they and other teams have learned from champions and where they have come from.
2.  Display flexibility and be able to adapt to what their opponents are doing, the fans are reacting to, fatigue, injury, etc.
3.  Anticipate the future and be at least a step or two ahead of their opponent.
4.  Enjoy the moment by effectively dealing with the pressure and stress of the demands and expectations of a championship playoff series.

Prediction:  Spurs in 7 games.

The Kevin Garnett Mentality: Ready to Work (Video)

Do you have this passion, focus and energy?

Watch and learn.

Shut Up and Be Happy That He is Happy: The Courage of Jason Collins

The NBA's Jason Collins is a very courageous man.  I respect and support what he has done (not that he has asked me).  I apologize for us making it so difficult and for it to have taken so long. I can't imagine the struggle of having to keep such a "secret" to oneself for so long.  

However, the news isn't that he is gay.  The news is that some of us still think that we were better off when he was in the closet.  Some of us think Jason Collins was better off staying in the closet. There are people who somehow think that we were better off not knowing.  Perhaps, some of us feel better protected and safer when he was in the closet.

All we know is that he decided to inform us that he is primarily attracted to men.  Period.  Not because we needed to know, but because he needed relief from being someone who he knew he wasn't.  He almost married a woman, at least partly because he thought we needed him to.

Some of us condemn him for his choices.  Evidence strongly suggests that he is no more in control of his sexual preferences that the rest of us. How he deals with those preferences, now that is another matter.

We don't know who he has slept with.  It's none of my business.  It's none of our business what consenting adult he sleeps with in the future.  His twin brother, Jarron, doesn't know who he slept with or didn't sleep with.  Nevertheless, there are people who think that Jason is a sinner (because of what he has chosen to reveal about himself, not because of what he has done or not done with his preferences).

Coming out is not a crime or a sin.  The real sin is shunning or condemning a man without knowing the man or his actions.  There are people who feel that Jason Collins has violated their religious beliefs and their moral code.  Despite living in a country founded on and based on religious freedom, some of us continue to deny others that right.

I respect you, Jason Collins, for lifting the burden off of your shoulders in spite of the possible dangers and consequences that we insist on creating for you.  Let's hope that it helps others to unburden themselves of their secrets (whether they inform us publicly or not).

Also, thank you for putting up a mirror to our own sense of values and ethics.  Are we ready to accept and support a gay athlete?  I trust most of us are.  Most importantly, I hope we can live up to your courage.
    

  


 

San Antonio Spurs Take Game #2 from OKC (VIDEO)

Tim, Pop, and the San Antonio Spurs' Resurgence

The San Antonio Spurs have now won their last 18 games and 32 of their last 37. They have swept past their last two NBA playoff opponents in the first and second rounds, 4-0 and 4-0.

This dominance has the Spurs being touted as the favorites to win the NBA championship this year, potentially their fifth since 1999. They have sped past the Miami Heat, the pre-season pick to win it all.

Their coach, Gregg Popovich has won this season's NBA Coach of the Year award. And, their marquee player, Tim Duncan, has been rejuvenated this year with the energy and skills of an All-star after being considered well past his prime.

How has this happened? Let’s look closely at a peak performance franchise.

Setting the Tone as the Backbone of the Team

"He is getting older, just like you are, and all of us, but Tim Duncan is still the backbone of the program," said Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich. "He's the guy we build around. He sets the tone for us.Tony [Parker] and Manu [Ginobili] know that full well."

The Facts and the Numbers

For 15 seasons, Duncan has quietly gone about his business, winning four championships along with three finals and two league MVP trophies.

Here are the numbers and some accomplishments to consider:

13: Consecutive seasons to begin his career in which Duncan was named All-NBA and All-Defensive team, six more than anyone else in league history.

.702: The Spurs' winning percentage during the Duncan era, the best 15-year run by any NBA team in history.

0: Number of teams in the four major pro sports with a better winning percentage over the last 15 years than the Spurs.

One Game at a Time

For several years now, the media has wondered how long Duncan would continue playing. They and his opponents have been asking him nightly when he will retire.
Each night, Duncan says the same thing: "I got at least one more game."

Respect

In the summer of 1997. Coach Popovich flew down to St. Croix to meet his team's No. 1 draft pick.

Over the next few days the two men swam and lay on the beach, ate, and talked about life, family and priorities. Everything except basketball. Despite a difference of nearly 30 years, they connected in a way few athletes and coaches do. Today Popovich tears up just talking about it. "I really cherish that time," he says. "It was like an instant respect and understanding of each other. Almost like we were soul mates."

Leadership

When the Spurs call a timeout and you see the San Antonio coaches huddle a few feet from the bench, it's not to hash out strategy. Rather, Popovich is giving his veterans, Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker time with the team. "You'll see Timmy over there with a young kid, talking about how he should do this or that or what we meant by such and such," says Popovich. "I'll come back to the timeouts sometimes and say, 'Are we square?' and Timmy will say, 'Yeah, we got 'em.'"
"He commands that type of respect because he doesn't demand it, if that makes sense."

Motivation

What drives Tim Duncan? Everyone on the team says the same things: He loves the game. He cares just as much as the little guys do. It's one thing to claim to love the game and another, as Ferry says, "to make the sacrifices that are necessary to win."

Consistency

"He's always known who he was and been comfortable in his own skin," Sean Elliott, a retired former teammate says. "In 15 years he hasn't changed."

Ask Duncan about it, and this is what he says: "It sounds somewhat arrogant, but I don't really want to change. I like who I am, I like how I do things. I try to be that way."


Continuous Improvement Mentality/Comfort with Change

Duncan grew up in St. Croix, raised by a loving father and a mother whose mantra was, "Good, better, best/Never let it rest/Until your good is better and your better is your best."

However, As Duncan's career evolved, the Spurs' strategy changed because it needed to.

"As we got a little bit older and the personnel changed, we were going to go from one of the best defensive teams to a more middle-of-the-road defensive teams," Popovich said. "Something had to change if we wanted to continue to win at a high level. So we went to the offense about two years ago and kind of shifted it to pick up the pace, to shift a little from inside to outside. Some of the offense went from Timmy a little bit more to Manu [Ginobili] and Tony. Attack early in the clock, kind of Mike D'Antoni-ish. We tried to get that into the program." 



The Spurs are a faster, more exciting, higher scoring team who gamble a tad more on defense and generally look to fast-break more than ever. Fans like it and opponents fear it. Popovich said that the change wasn't merely a product of necessity, but also rejuvenating for a coaching staff and roster that had known only one thing for the better part of a decade. 



"It was great because we'd been the same team for a long time," Popovich said. "If you want to keep winning you have to be aware of changes that might need to be made. It was pretty obvious we had to do it. But it did make it more fun. I think the players enjoyed it, too. They were probably getting bored of the same old stuff."

Continuity and Longevity Equals Peak Performance

On April 11, 2000, Tim Duncan tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee. He missed the final four games of the regular season and forced Spurs coach Gregg Popovich into a corner: go with Duncan in the playoffs, or keep him on the sidelines.



Duncan didn't make the decision any easier.

"I was doing everything I could to get ready to play," Duncan said.



Nevertheless, Popovich was just too worried about his star player.


"He was young, a franchise player," Popovich said. "He wasn't just a No. 1 pick. With him, you've got an opportunity to win multiple championships, if you don't screw it up. I didn't know if [the injury] could get worse, or get chronic."



Popovich liked his team, and he liked its chances in the playoffs. He just liked Duncan even more. He was looking long-term and betting on the future of the franchise. He told Duncan that he would not play any more that season. Duncan was done.

"I don't know if it was right or wrong," Popovich said. "But we did it."

Fast-forward to 2012, it turned out to be the right decision. And Duncan has come to appreciate Popovich's decision to sit him down in 2000. Even though he might not have liked it at the time.

"He's always been the voice of reason," Duncan said.

Mindset

Tim Duncan has said he uses silence to "destroy people's psyches." He explains, "The best mind game you can run on someone is just to keep going at them and at them until they break." Don't respond, don't show emotion. Just keep playing. "Eventually," he says with a grin, "you'll piss them off."

Emotional Intelligence

Duncan prefers mellowness to emotion as a virtue. 

"It's essential," Duncan said of that mellowness. "Trying to stay cool and collected when things are going in all different directions around you -- if you can keep that even keel, you're not affected by the good or the bad as much. It's a great quality to have."

A Legacy of Winning
Does Duncan care about how he's viewed, how he's remembered?

Duncan thinks for a second, pulls on the sleeve of his silver Spurs sweatshirt. "Why?" he says. "I have no control of that. All I can do is play and try to play well. Winning should be the only thing that matters. I can't manipulate how people see me."

Excerpts form Los AngelesTimes.com (May 17, 2012), bleacherreport.com (May 18, 2012), ESPN.com (May 20, 2012) and SportsIllustratedCNN.com (May 21, 2012).

For more about the San Antonio Spurs, click on: http://www.squidoo.com/saspurs and http://www.squidoo.com/Duncan.

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Location:Lawrenceville Hwy,Decatur,United States

Kevin Garnett: Mastering His Craft

"You know, I don't want to come off kind of wrong, but I really go at my craft and take it very seriously. ... I always have, since '95, since I've been able to come into this league, and it's almost like you guys are shocked. Like this ain't what I do every day, like this ain't what I was made for. It comes off as disrespectful at times." 

--Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics, after winning the opening round NBA playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.

Excerpt from ESPN.com (5/10/2012),

For more on Kevin Garnett, go to http://www.squidoo.com/celticgarnett

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Location:Hudson Rd,Decatur,United States

The Miami Heat Gets Through the Fire of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals

"We had to go through a lot of adversity.  That struggle that we went through in March, where we lost five straight -- all of them close games, where we didn't execute down the stretch and weren't able to close games out -- that helped us. As painful as that was, we had to go through that fire together to be able to gain the confidence where we could be successful now in the postseason."

--Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, after his team won the NBA Eastern Conference playoff finals with a 83-80 win over the Chicago Bulls.  

The Heat came back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the game in Chicago, against the top-seeded Bulls.  The Heat won the series 4-1 after losing badly in first game of the series.  So, the Heat are no strangers to adversity.


The Heat will now face the NBA Western Conference champions, the Dallas Mavericks, who beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-1 in that series.  The Mavericks beat the Heat in both of their regular season games.  In addition, the Heat and the Mavericks faced each other in the 2006 NBA Finals, in which the Heat won 4-2 after trailing 0-2 after the first two games.  


Great team players possess a mental toughness and a particular mindset that sets them apart.  This mental conditioning allow them to fight through fierce competition, adversity, and pressure.  This unique personality characteristic puts them in the best position to succeed.


Success requires perseverance and determination.  Success involves the ability to persist through difficulties.  To these athletes, failure is not an option.


Success requires tenacity and the willingness to pay the price, including enduring the pain, suffering and hard work that it takes to practice, prepare for and fight through the exhaustion of a long regular season and the playoffs.  


Finally, to achieve the goal of a championship, the players must be driven to incredibly high levels of performance.  They must have the ability to deal with adversity through their extreme emotional strength and resilience.  They must have a tolerance for pressure and stress.  They must quickly bounce back from setbacks (from missed shots and fouls to single game losses).


Both the Heat and the Mavericks have been through considerable adversity to get to this point:  The NBA Finals.  They have prepared for months and years for this.  Who will prevail?  Who will have the mental toughness to take the title?


How about you?  


Are you prepared for success?  Can you fight through adversity with tenacity and perseverance?


Excerpts take from ESPN.com (May 26, 2011) and The Handbook of Peak Performance.    

Mavericks Roar Back from Behind and Take a 3-1 Lead in NBA Playoffs

"Throughout every season, there comes a time and a situation where they're going to test the courage and the mettle and the inner strength of your team.  This was one of those times. It's a defining moment of your season. It's one that we're going to look back on when it's all done and say, 'Hey, that was the game.'" 

--Jason Terry, Mavs guard, after the Mavs won Game Four of the Western Conference finals in the NBA playoffs.

The Dallas Mavericks are only one win away from the NBA finals.  Trailing by 15 points with only 5 minutes to play the Mavs made a comeback to remember.  They tied the game in regulation 101-101 to go to overtime and get the win.    

The veterans Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points, and Jason Kidd hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left in overtime.  The rally stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-105 on Monday night and allowed the Mavs to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.  


“One thing about this team all year, they’ve been a resourceful group, they keep believing, and we’ve been extremely opportunistic,” Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle said. “The way they hung in tonight was fantastic.”


Excerpts from ESPN.com (May 24, 2011)

The San Antonio Spurs Still Know How to Win

"We watched a lot of film on [the Dallas guards] to see what they like to do, their strengths and their weaknesses, and the main thing I tried to do was take away their strengths."

--George Hill, San Antonio Spurs guard, discussing the key to their upset of the second-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2010 NBA playoffs. The Spurs move on to the second round to play the Phoenix Suns. Hill scored 21 points in the winning effort.

Homework and Hard Work

"I spent most of my summer working so I could be able to come in here and make big shots," Hill said.

Faith and Trust

“I’ve just got a lot of faith in them. I know owners say that all the time, but we’ve all been together for 14-15 years now. We understand how hard it is to have the kind of decade we’ve had, but also to be able to stay with it in a small market. I’ve got a lot of faith…I mean, I’ve got a lot of faith in these guys.”

--Peter Holt, San Antonio Spurs owner, talking in the corridor of the AT&T Center late Thursday about the staying power of his franchise.

Championship Composure

After the six-game series against the Mavericks, the four-time NBA champion Spurs and head coach Gregg Popovich had advanced out of the first round for the 11th time in the past 13 seasons.

The Spurs never lost their composure after they lost a 22-point lead in the game, lost their touch at the free-throw line and Popovich finally blurted in the huddle:

“Next guy to miss a free throw owes me a car.”

On the way back to the court, Duncan, the worst of them all with six misses in seven tries, stared back blankly at his coach and asked, “What color do you want?”

Spurs Still Hungry

"This matchup was about which team came out and wanted it more," Mavs guard Jason Terry said. "I give the Spurs a lot of credit because they were the hungrier team."

Dreaming of the Challenge

“You dream about playing in big games like this that really count, and that’s the type of person I am,” Hill said. “I like to compete. I like the pressure. I like the challenge and things like that.”

“We’re thrilled that we beat them,” Manu Ginobili said. “We’re really proud of it.” Ginobili led the way with 26 points. Tim Duncan scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds.

Excerpts from Yahoo! Sports.com Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman, NBCsports.com and Kens5.com San Antonio (April 30, 2010).

For more on the San Antonio Spurs, click on San Antonio Spurs, Peak Performance Case Study.

Kobe Bryant: Hungry Leader of the Los Angeles Lakers

"I just want it so bad, that's all. I just want it really bad. You just put everything you have into the game and your emotions kind of flow out of you."

--Kobe Bryant, discussing his burning desire to win an NBA championship this year.

Bryant scored 40 points and had 8 rebounds and 8 assists in a game one blowout of the Orlando Magic in the NBA championship finals.


"It's been a long haul to get back here for all of us," Bryant said. "It makes you hungry and it wasn't just me, it was everybody on our team. They want to have that feeling in the NBA. I've had it three times already. Once you've had that celebration and that feeling of winning and accomplishment, you want to have it again."

"I admire his hunger as a player," Pao Gasol, his teammate, said.

"He's a great leader and somebody you look up to," another Laker teammate, Sasha Vujacic, says. "There are no words to describe him."



Excerpts taken from NBA.com (June 6, 2009)

For more on Peak Performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Execution is the Key to the Lakers Return to the NBA Finals

"We had the effort and the execution to match. It took us a while to really get a feel for the team, just how to take advantage of the defense. We saw something how they were playing us and we executed extremely well."

--Kobe Bryant, discussing the importance of execution, following the Los Angeles Lakers' Western Conference finals series victory over a very talented and tough Denver Nuggets team in the 2009 playoffs.

The Lakers are playing in their second straight NBA Championship finals as a result of their victory. Bryant led the Lakers with 35 points and 10 assists.

Excerpts from ESPN.com.

For more on Peak Performance, go to The Handbook of Peak Performance.

The Cleveland Cavaliers Stay Alive in the 2009 NBA Playoffs

"I was attacking anyone in the way, no matter who it was. There's always a sense of urgency when you are on the brink of elimination."

--LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, following a 112 to 102 victory in a must-win game five against the Orlando Magic in the NBA playoffs.

James, in a well-rounded, versatile fashion, had 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.

"The mood is win or go home. It's simple at this point," James, the regular season MVP, said in his pre-game press conference. "I have a lot of faith in my teammates. Hopefully, they accept the challenge."

"Some star players just put their head down and attack the basket. They put blinders on. But he sees the whole floor, he's aware of what's going on out there, and he can pass over defenders. That's what makes him who he is."

--Ben Wallace, Cleveland Cavaliers' center, talking about LeBron James' vision on the court.

"His intensity and his passion are out of this world. We will follow him. When he gets it going, there is nothing you can do."

--Daniel Gibson, Cavaliers' guard, pointing out James' leadership.

"I don't care what the numbers are. I'll never waver from the trust I have in those guys."

--Mike Brown, Cleveland head coach, expressing his trust in the entire team.

The Cavaliers are still down three games to two to the Orlando Magic. They must continue to display teamwork, leadership, and the intensity they had in game 5 to force a game seven, win and advance to the NBA finals.

Excerpts from ESPN.com (May 29, 2009)

For more on peak performance, go to The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Los Angeles Lakers: Pulling it Together at the Right Time

"We have to stay focused and poised and try to cut them up. Be cold-blooded, go out there and execute."

--Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, after a 103-94 victory Wednesday night, May, 28,2009 that gave them a 3 to 2 game lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.

"This Lakers group is really connected. They're driven and they're motivated to get to where we were last year to give us a chance to win."

--Phil Jackson, Lakers' head coach.

The Los Angeles Lakers, the top seed in the West, are one win away from a second consecutive trip to the NBA finals. It is no coincidence that their mental mindset is coming together as they move toward their goal of an NBA championship.

Their mindset is about being in the right competitive frame of mind. The Lakers appear focused on executing a game plan that fits the game situation. In game five, it required Kobe Bryant's flexibility in getting his teammates involved and playing the decoy role. To do so required the proper mindset and a focus on the ultimate vision: the championship and a commitment to teamwork.

All peak performance involves confidence, commitment, and alignment of behaviors with the selected vision or desired outcome. "Mindsetting" creates the inner conditions for success and innoculates against excessive stress and anxiety, the enemies of peak performance. Attention to one's mindset is necessary for peak performance. It helps deal with pressure, stress, unexpected situations and conditions. It provides a weapon against unwanted emotional states that can destroy our potential and capacity for achievement. It creates mental toughness, a necessary aid in dealing with fatigue, competition, and stress.

However, peak performance also requires execution. This step involves putting the game plan in place. If the game plan is good, then the execution should move forward flawlessly. This execution step requires the full buy-in, commitment and alignment of all the team members that are involved.

Mental mindset and execution are two crucial steps in the Peak Performance System.

In sports and business, the same peak performance principles apply.

Excerpts taken from ESPN.com (May 28, 2009)

For more information about Peak Performance, go to The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Confidence Builder: LeBron James Hits a Game Winner for the Ages

“That’s a shot you’ll see for a long time. We’re confident. I know I am as an individual. I make sure our team is.”

--LeBron James, after winning Game 2 in the NBA playoffs against the Orlando Magic to prevent the Cleveland Cavaliers from going down 0-2 in the conference finals series.

“They are a good team. But we are the best team in basketball. I don’t feel that they’ve had to adjust to us one time in the series.”

“Guarantee we’re going to win the series? Yeah, yeah. We are down 2-1. But there is nobody on this team and definitely not myself that says we are not going to win this series. Yeah, it is going to be tough. We know that. We get this game tomorrow, go home, still got home-court advantage."

--Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers' guard.

Despite the Game 2 heroics, the Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves down 2-1 in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James Keeps the Cleveland Cavaliers In A Zone

"It's unexplainable, honestly. There's only a few guys in this league that can get into a zone like that, and I'm blessed to have the ability to be one of those guys.

"You just feel like you can make pretty much every shot you take."

--LeBron James, after scoring 47 point to help the Cleveland take a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA playoff series.

James was 15 of 25 from the field and went 5 of 10 on 3-point shots, and made 12 of 16 free throws.

"He's not the MVP for nothing. He's the best player in the league. He knows when to push the gas. That's what he did."

--Zaza Pachulia, Atlanta Hawks' center.

Athletes refer to the state of being in the zone when everything comes together, when one does great things, and when mind and body are able to stretch to the limit to accomplish greatness. This state involves total immersion and focus, such that distractions and "noise" are absent. Often, at times of peak performance, athletes find themselves "in the zone." For basketball players the basket seems bigger and wider. They can't miss. For baseball players, they report being able to see the baseball bigger, more clearly and in great detail. Football players describe a feeling of being invincible with the ability to run all day through their opponents without being touched. In the zone, your confidence is high, worry is non-existent.

Flow is the term coined by University of Chicago Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, (1990) to refer to this psychological dimension described by thousands of individuals during his 25 years of researching this universal phenomenon. In sports, athletes often refer to this state as the "zone". Eastern philosophers experience similar meditative states when practicing Zen Buddhism.

During flow, consciousness becomes harmoniously ordered. According to Daniel Goleman (1995), author of Emotional Intelligence, the ability to enter a state of flow represents emotional intelligence at its best, because it is incompatible with emotional discord or strain. Flow is considered an autotelic, or intrinsically rewarding experience. Since it feels so good, this optimal experience becomes not just a means, but an end in itself.

People attain a state of flow and perform at their best when they are engaged in a task where the challenge is slightly above their ability. Too much challenge will produce anxiety, overload the psyche, and sabotage any chance of having a peak experience. On the other hand, too little challenge will inevitably lead to boredom. Flow occurs in the narrow zone between these two opposites.

For more on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, go to LeBron James, Peak Performance Case Study.

LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers Charge into the Playoffs

"We're just a really good team. We're really confident and we believe in each other.

"We're ready for anything. We don't go into a game saying, 'win by 20' or 'win by double digits.' We go into a game to execute and take one possession at a time and try to get better. If that causes us to win by 20 or causes us to win by two, we're ready for that challenge.''

--LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, after a 105-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks to take a 2-0 lead in the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference playoffs.

Now a perfect 6-0 in the 2009 NBA postseason, the Cavaliers tied a league record by winning their sixth consecutive playoff game by double digits. The only other team to do it was the 2004 Indiana Pacers. Cleveland also matched the 1986 Los Angeles Lakers by winning three straight games by at least 20 points in a postseason.

After 6 games, James’ playoff averages are 31.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

Excerpts from ESPN.com (May 8. 2009)

For more check out LeBron James: Peak Performance Case Study on Squidoo.com.

NBA Playoff Rewind: "Michael Jordan Wants the Ball" (YouTube video)

The NBA Playoffs are gaining speed and intensity. Here is a video rewind honoring Michael Jordan.

2009 NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony Matures

"Foul trouble didn't bother him, it didn't freak him out, it didn't take him to a dark side that we had to worry about. He trusted the team, the team did great and he came out in the second half and was a leader for us.

"His maturity, his mental involvement now is team and not individual ... I don't know who's given him that wisdom. Is it Chauncey [Billups]? Is it a gold medal? Is it the coaching staff? I don't care, I think he's doing a fantastic job."

--George Karl, Denver Nuggets head coach, discussing the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony, an Olympic basketball gold medal winner in 2008, who is showing more emotional maturity.

Anthony he was in early foul trouble for what he considered questionable calls, in a opening, second round game win over the Dallas Mavericks. In the past, Anthony might have verbally attacked the referees, been thrown out, or pouted on the bench. Instead, 'Melo maintained his composure and scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, including a dunk off J.R. Smith's behind-the-back assist that drove the Denver crowd crazy.

Excerpts from ESPN.com and Associated Press (May 3, 2009)

For more about Peak Performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Michael Jordan, University of North Carolina Tar Heel Legend, Makes Hall of Fame

Watch the ESPN video above to hear about Jordan's legacy as described by current players.

Michael Jordan was elected to the Class of 2009 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame along with David Robinson, John Stockton, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer.

The announcement was made today in Detroit, site of the men's Final Four. Induction is Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, Mass., home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jordan's Hall of Fame selection was no surprise after he retired as perhaps the greatest player in basketball history.

For more about Michael Jordan and Peak Performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Chauncey Billips: Underrated, But No Longer Underappreciated

"There's a presence to his presentation. He's a proud man but a humble man, a communicative man but a quiet man. Chauncey has the intagible part of the point guard position down much more than the fans and the amateur observers would think. The efficiency, the leadership in the locker room, he has those things on an A-plus level, and how valuable is that?"

--George Karl, NBA Denver Nuggets head coach, discussing Chauncey Billips. Billips was traded from the Detroit Pistons to Denver for Allen Iverson in early November of 2008.

Since the trade, the Nuggets have won 16 games and lost only four as of Monday, December 15. Despite being less heralded that Iverson, Billips won a championship while on the Detroit team and played in two finals and in six straight NBA conference finals.

Billips was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics in 1997. He bounced around with four NBA teams, including Denver, before succeeding in Detroit.

"A special guy, and you know he went through a lot before he got his chance. A lot of people didn't believe in him, and he's always played with that chip on his shoulder. "

--Rick Carlisle, who briefly coached Billips in Detroit.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 12/17/2008.