THE CHALLENGE

What can an NBA Team Can Learn From Blue Angel High Performance?

The Sacramento Kings have some of the most talented players in professional basketball. Yet despite their individual talent, The 2011-2012 season was a time of trial for the Sacramento Kings, who finished in the lower rungs of the NBA. As the next season approached, the Kings faced several challenges. How do you get talented individuals to see the world outside of their own prism? How do you create a high degree of trust that will inspire the teamwork? How do you keep an entire team aligned, from the coaches and players on the court to the administrators and executives who keep the machine running?

 

Along with the Kings front office, coach Smart planned a cross-department gathering that would include the entire Kings administrative support staff as well as the players and coaches.

 

THE EVENT

Leading up to the presentation, there was some skepticism in the audience. Many of the players, as well as members of the front office were unaccustomed to traditional keynote speakers, and there was a certain amount of uncertainty about the benefits. However, through the high impact video and the overall interactive nature of his keynote, those uncertainties vanished. Coach Smart noted that the players were engaged, “Because of how he did it, it wasn’t just talking at the players. There was video, then there was interaction. I think because of that he was very successful in his presentation.”

 

Chris Clark, Director of Public Relations for the Sacramento Kings, said:

“Never in my life has a ‘self-help,’ motivational speaker penetrated my consciousness. I’ve always relied primarily on a strong constitution and personal set of beliefs as my source of inspiration. Then....he spoke, and John ‘Blue’ me away.”

 

THE RESULT

After the keynote, morale was high. With the support of the training camp, and the unity provided by the keynote, The Kings went on to win 5 of their 7 preseason matches, including 3 matches against longtime rivals the Los Angeles Lakers. “I think we all talked as a team,” said Tyreke Evans of their communication on the defensive end in preseason.

 

As the season progressed, The Kings intentions remain the same, and they have continued to incorporate elements of John Foley’s Diamond Performance Framework into their plan. After the event, Keith Smart reflected on the experience, saying “The idea of CenterPoint alignment is something I’ve returned to throughout the season. All we’re trying to do is get to that CenterPoint, with our whole team and our whole organization. All the things we’re trying to do is to get to that next level as we move forward to something great from our basketball team.”