Joe Lapchick coached the Knicks while Phil Jackson was on the team. He also was the Head Coach at St. Johns. After reading his Player Relationship Code, I am able to see the lasting influence he had on Phil Jackson. This is once again from Ralph Pim and Jerry Krause's wonderful book Basketball Defense Sourcebook.
Undoubtedly, my personal experiences when breaking in with the Celtics had a great influence on my coaching. At any rate, I developed a sort of player relationship code down through the years. Some of the parts are listed below:
1. Make a strong effort to help players develop high ideals, a moral sense of correct behavior, and the power to govern emotional control as a basketball player and as a gentleman. With this as a starter, fair play, appreciation of the rights of others, and general sportsmanship follow in natural sequence. As a player, I became considered less effective if I became unreasonably angry with either my opponent or referee.
2. Take an active interest in the academic standing and progress of every player. the chief objective in the players' life is a good education. Show him that you are interest in his life objectives and his desire for an education.
3. Guard the health and physical welfare of the players. Devote personal attention to injuries and see that treatment is prompt and continued regularly. Make sure that good equipment is issued to every player and that he is given frequent medical check ups and attention.
4. Keep players at a distance without building a wall of reserve. Express warm concern in matters pertaining to their personal affairs where possible, but show no favoritism.
5. Study and know every player. Make him feel that he "belongs" and is important to the success of the team whether he is starting "star" or the last sub on the bench. Be reasonable and treat little incidents with a sense of humor, but by all means praise generously a job well done. Be a disciplinarian and a teacher, but keep in mind that every player is different. Some players resent strong criticism, while others expect it and will respond to it. In this connection, I ahve always made a practice of telling a player why I took him out of a game, unless it was merely for rest.
6. Be friendly and industrious, take pride in your work, and permit no disrespect. Be th boss, but work democratically with your players.
7. show that you expect players to take pride in their behavior and appearance by setting a personal example of cleanliness in speech, dress, and actions.
8. Develop a strong desire in your players to win, but be sure to stress that it is imprtant to win with controlled joy and degree of humility. Losing is never pleasant, but if something is learned, all is not lost. You can lose with dignity, despite internal pain, if you have played your best and acted like a gentleman.
9. Player discipline is a must, but it is far better to help a player overcome his faults than to make him turn in his uniform for an infraction. It is the coach's solemn duty to first try to save the boy, not because of his importance to the team , but for the good of the boy himself. However, this must never be done at the cost of loss of respect by the other members of the squad.
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