Rick Pitino on Teammates
I enjoyed watching ESPN’s “Survive and Advance” so much the other night that I’ve already watched it a second time.
The thing that impressed me the second time was how much fun those former NC State teammates were having just being in each other’s company.
I don’t have any idea how long it’s been since those guys had seen each other but they laughed, and joked, and ragged on each other like it was only yesterday.
There was no mention of scoring averages, or All Conference, or future playing and coaching careers.
Everything was about the team, even though no one has been on the team for 30 years.
Watching those teammates interact reminded me of something that Coach Rick Pitino once wrote back when he was with the Celtics;
It’s the one lesson that all great teams have to tell us. If you read about great teams, and the people who played for them, the two things that connect all of them is 1) the team eventually became bigger than all the individuals who played for it, and 2) the players ultimately realized that playing for a great team was the best experience of their professional lives.
Love your coaches and your teammates and make the most of every single second you get to spend together.
If you’re lucky, really, really, lucky – you’ll get to sit around a table with your teammates 30 years from now and relive the journey.
