Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of Hardwood Warrior (Hugh Delehanty and Phil Jackson)

Would you look at that? Another basketball book! They do say it is good to have a hobby, every Average Joe should have one. This book was given to me by a close friend who read my review of Eleven Rings as there are many similarities. He is also a basketball coach so maybe it was a hint that I need some help in improving my coaching? Who knows. Again, I know that Basketball in the UK is seen as niche but I would recommend this book to anyone who shows interest in sport as the advice mentioned within its pages are applicable to any sporting incident as well as life in general. 

Most people I know have played sport at some point in their life. Whether it was rounders for the village primary school or football at a professional level and we all know a coach we think is an absolute helmet. You know the one. Screaming at the 8-year-old for turning the ball over or the one who talks to the parents as if he's coaching the champions league final not the Flintshire U12’s hockey league. I must say I have been very fortunate to build strong relationships with my coaches, some of which I now consider close friends. Perhaps this is why a book on building a team first ideology within a sports team is something I can relate to.  

The writer of this book, Phil Jackson is success personified. All he seems to do is win. Which is why his take on winning in this book is very surprising to me. He states like most Average Joe’s whilst growing up to him winning was everything and to be happy losing was a thought process that would lose you his respect in an instant. However, as he matured he realised that the journey and not the outcome is what really makes sports beautiful. He would rather lose a game where his team has played team orientated basketball than win a game where an egotistic superstar takes over. The more you fall in love with a sport the more you understand this outlook, the more you notice the little things which make the game so much more.  

Phil Jackson has done this through methods which I have never seen a sports coach use, such as using Zen and Buddhist teachings. I can’t imagine these would be a hit with all players, but the process seems to work. I enjoyed this book and I am trying to use some of its messages in my personal life. However, this book was published in 1995 and in 2013 the authors brought out Eleven Rings which covers what this book does and more. This has to be expected as since then Phil Jackson has gone on to win even more and coach the superstars Kobe and Shaq. These extra years have given him more experience to pass on, which is why I see Eleven Rings as more of a hit. 

7/10.