When we think of leaders in basketball, we often think of point guards or top-scorers. Leaders can actually come from any position.
Inspiration can come from a lot of places. When your team is tired, a fiery speech from a coach or a commanding shout from a teammate can ignite a flame that helps everyone push through. Leaders keep heads from hanging when you're down, and egos humble when you're up.
There are a lot of great examples of leaders in today's game, from coaches like Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra to players like Fred VanVleet and De’Aaron Fox.
The Basketball Movement was founded by legendary leader Rob Yanders, who taught us so much of what we know about leadership.
Leadership can be vocal or even just by example. Not every player has the personality to be a vocal leader for their team, even if they're the best players (for example, Kawhi Leonard).
Leadership does not always come from the top.
If the top player for a team is not up for being vocal, that role needs to fall to someone else. Communication is essential to basketball - on fastbreaks, offense, and especially defense.
The top vocal leader on your team may even come off the bench. Players who are engaged and helpful from the bench are much better for a team than players who quietly wait to enter the game.
The best way to be a leader - no matter your role on the team - is to lead by example. If you are a player who does not give up on plays, constantly pushes the pace, and defends tenaciously, you continually set an excellent example for your teammates. That is called leadership.
“Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It’s being able to take it as well as dish it out. That’s the only way you’re going to get respect from the players.”
You may be the last player to come off the bench at the end of the game. If you play hard and scrape your way back into the game, you can inspire others to follow.
Leadership is incredibly important in basketball as well as other aspects of life. Remember that you can be a leader by working as hard as possible and setting an example for others to follow, no matter your position or role.