The Denver Nuggets clinched their first-ever NBA Championship, beating the Miami Heat in 5 games. While the entire team made the difference on Tuesday – the dominating duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray rallied when it mattered most in the fourth quarter to bring this title home for Denver.
If you spent any time watching the NBA playoffs or the finals – you may have heard a thing or two about these players and the triple-double. Actually, two triple-doubles.
A score in a basketball game of at least ten points, ten rebounds, and ten assists by a single player. Dictionary.com
It’s a statistical feat that is reserved for NBA’s elite players – but that isn’t what stood out in these finals. In game three, Jokic scored 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists while Murray had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Two players on the same team logged a triple-double.That’s triple-double history. It speaks to their high level of play and HOW they play the game. This is where we begin.
The Coach’s Corner Newsletter #2
HEADLINE: A double triple-double
To understand how rare this is I reached out to my former KOA Radio co-host Dave Logan – himself a 3-sport athlete, former NFL wide receiver, voice of the Denver Broncos and the only high school football coach in the country to win 11 championships at four different schools. He says the way Jokic and Murray play individually, with each other and the entire team is seamless.
“Jokic is a generational talent, whose triple-doubles are a byproduct of his unselfishness and willingness in games where he is aware of what his team needs most at that moment. If he needs to get others involved, he’s selfless.
Murray is an elite player who is the guy behind the wheel and has the ball in his hands almost every single minute, making decisions on when to pass and when to score.”
Logan says their skill and talent comes from a place of being able to work off each other and be so intuitive that they don’t have to verbally communicate. They have eye-contact, they understand what the other is doing, and in this finals matchup, they have been unstoppable.
After Tuesday’s win, Jokic told the crowd, “I play for Jamal, Jamal plays for me.”
To read more on this powerful duo and the impact of their accomplishment, check out the full story on NBA.com.
INSIGHT: How to have a triple-double mindset
As I wondered out loud about the term triple-double, and whether I could use it to refer to people who dive into their work and launch with incredible results, Logan brought me back down to earth. When Jokic and Murray both scored their 30+ point triple-doubles in game three, Logan stresses their performances were out of this world and may never happen again.
Still, there is an insight that translates beyond the court.
Believing in the whole person – and the notion that how you do one thing is how you do anything – we talked about success as it relates to the players Logan coaches now at Cherry Creek High School. His team is in week two of an 8-week camp and each player has to be committed physically, mentally and emotionally.
“In order to be successful, there has to be a process you have to embrace to get to the end result of the finished product. You can’t skip steps of the process and expect to get where you want to go.”
That’s the key, isn’t it? When you decide you’re in it to take it to the next level, every single step does matter. Turns out that when you are considered great at what you do, you “have an understanding of what you have to do at that precise moment.”
Thanks, Dave.
TOOL: Getting to peak performance
While I’m not encouraging you to enroll in an 8-week boot camp – even though you’re free to do what you want – I have found a tool that uses your mind and body to challenge your limits.
I became familiar with the work of Dr. Arlene Bauer in a fabulous webinar for BetterUp coaches, where I contract as a coach. As an expert in Peak Performance, Dr. Bauer focuses on coaching high-functioning individuals towards continued, optimal growth. Her straightforward approach is totally workable and who knows…maybe even a triple-double mindset?
Clear Intention
• Ask yourself what you want to learn/accomplish
• Focus beyond your current skill level
• Write your intention down
• Specificity helps you measure
Focused Attention
• Prime your brain, body, environment
• Limit internal and external distractions
• Take active recovery breaks
• Practice mindfulness
Feedback and Reflection
• Seek out feedback from others
• Reflect on sustains and improves
• Slowly increase challenge
Repetition
• Practice doesn’t make perfect
• Gradually refine your performance
• Move outside the comfort zone
• Practice visualization
My takeaway? I’d like to think I operate in a way where I could have a triple-double mindset – by making connections that matter, being prepared to rebound, and remaining selfless enough to assist when needed.
The Denver Nuggets – who won their first NBA championship title – earned every single win whether it made history or was a fight to the last basket.
Full disclosure. Yes, I live in Denver and love cheering for the Nuggets. What an amazing run this has been.
Where might you tap into your triple-double self?
Thanks for reading!
