Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

Balance in Basketball (and Life)

Balance is perhaps the most important word for a player or coach to keep in mind. You have to have emotional balance. You have to have physical balance. You have to have mental balance. As coach I had to teach players individual balance, and then the balance of losing themselves in the group for the greater good of the team.

Balance means keeping things in proper perspective, not permitting either excessive exuberance or dejection to interfere with preparation, performance, or subsequent individual or team behavior.

Balance is important in many aspects of basketball. Besides physical, emotional, and mental balance, we need squad balance, rebounding balance, offensive balance, defensive balance, size balance. Balance. ...