Are you a true professional?
Becoming the best of the best at something is hard work. It takes hard work and dedication to your craft to be at the top of your field. Not many High School basketball coaches are able to say that they coached someone who went on to play in the NBA (or WNBA). I was lucky enough to be a part of Anthony Lamb’s journey and coached him from 2012-2016 before he went on to have a stellar career at Vermont before playing for three NBA franchises – Warriors, Rockets, and Spurs. In the #CJJblog this week, I give him his flowers and share some key factors that were, in my eyes, the main reasons why Anthony was able to live out his dream of being a professional basketball player. Enjoy.
- Drive. It was an absolute pleasure having a front row seat to watching Anthony outwork everyone else. His drive to be the best was unmatched. To put his work ethic into perspective, I witnessed him on many occasions get right back into the gym immediately after games. Same night. Nobody does that.
- Character. He is a tough kid and gave his all no matter the situation. This would be evident during practice where even at his size, he would beat our guards in conditioning drills.
- Improvement. Every day he would get better. Something about his game would improve. You don’t become the America East Conference back-to-back Player of the Year without the motivation to improve yourself.
- Goals. His Freshman year, he told me he wanted to play Division 1 basketball. Then in college, it shifted to playing in the NBA. He put in the work and achieved these goals.
- Self-care. Anthony took great care of his body. No drinking, no alcohol, got plenty of sleep, and understood what he needed to do to take that next step.
- Mental imagery. During his time with me, I noticed Anthony really embraced mental imagery. He was even quoted in our local newspaper here in Rochester crediting mental imagery for him hitting clutch free throws after a big Sectional Playoff victory.
- CANEI. For those of you who follow me closely, you know I love to embrace the CANEI Formula – Constant and Never-Ending Improvement. Anthony embodies this exact phrase in everything that he does. For example, he worked on his shooting so much, that in his best NBA season in 2022-23 for the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 36.7% from three-point range. Not bad for a big man who some thought “can’t shoot well enough to get to the next level.”
- Teammate. Anthony is the perfect teammate. ON and off the court, always looking to serve others and help them get better. He is no stranger to the dirty work, either. He could be spotted gathering warm-ups to help out the team manager.
- Mindset. Anthony truly exemplifies what it means to have a winning mindset. Even though he was an all-star in high school, he would still get on the floor, take charges, and do whatever was necessary to win. No wonder why the Warriors liked him so much.
Did You Know? Anthony is currently playing overseas in Italy in the LBA
Life Tip #3: Leave a profit everywhere you go. Everything you touch turns to gold, not garbage.
Deckard & Company