Wilt Teaches Me a Lesson

When Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers many years ago, I was invited to the press conference. One of the reporters asked him this question. “Wilt, do you think Coach Van Breda Kolff (the Lakers’ coach) can handle you? It’s been said you’re hard to handle.”

Wilt replied, “You ‘handle’ farm animals. You work with people. I am a person. I can work with anyone.”

I realized he was absolutely right; the term “handle” was inappropriate. Furthermore, I realized that two days earlier my book on teaching and coaching the techniques of basketball, Practical Modern Basketball, had been published with a section called “Handling Your Players.” I understood that needed to be corrected immediately.

I rushed home and called the publisher that same day and explained my desire to change the heading and text as soon as possible from “handling your players” to “working with your players.”

Mr. Chamberlain was correct. I believe that a leader and those under his or her supervision are working together. The former doesn’t “handle” the latter. For that reason I did not refer to UCLA as “my team” or the athletes as “my players.” And after hearing Wilt’s comment, I never again referred to “handling players.” You may try to handle a couple of mules like Jack and Kate back on Dad’s farm, but it’s the wrong attitude to apply to those you work with.

It’s a subtle difference, but it all adds up in the bigger picture of good leadership.