33 shots in 29 minutes. 45 assists and 54 fields goals. 60 points in under 30 minutes makes history for Golden State Warrior, Klay Thompson.
Recently waiting for a business meeting to begin, a couple of colleagues and I were sitting around and one mentioned the December 5th basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Indiana Pacers. I hadn’t seen the game but was riveted by the enthusiastic re-telling.
Turns out Klay Thompson, considered the GSW’s third best scorer, dropped 60 points in less than 30 minutes during the game. He made history that night for the most points since the shot clock era (1954-55) by a player in less than 30 minutes. The previous record holder was his more famous teammate, Stephen Curry, at 46 points.
How the heck did he do this? What were the factors that needed to be in place to allow this extraordinary feat to occur? I did a little research and here’s what I determined was crucial to this successful splash –
- Attune – When the GSW players saw that Thompson was in a flow and had a “hot hand” they automatically feed it. When his teammates realized Thompson was in a groove they found him in transition, off screens, standing idly in the corner — wherever he was open.
- Cheer – The GSW bench went wild and added excitement to the streak. Curry couldn’t contain himself. “Thompson hit four three-pointers in the second quarter, prompting fans to stand every time he touched the ball behind the arc,” shared the NBA Morning shoot-around.
- Complement – Thompson is said to be a “complementary scorer” and as such, complements well what his other teammates bring to the game. Curry and Kevin Durant are “primary scorers” and are considered the top two scorers for GSW. They excel at creating points with the ball and can create shots for themselves or others off the bounce. Thompson excels at creating points without the ball. Writer Kelly Scaletti shared, “You want the cheese to go on your crackers, not more crackers. His gravity, shot creating off the ball and alacrity with it makes it easier for Curry and Durant to create shots. Their ability to create means all his cutting and coming off screens isn’t for nothing. While Durant, Curry and Thompson produce points, they require different skill sets, and Thompson has honed his as well as Curry and Durant have perfected theirs.”
Sports, like business. can be very competitive – not only with the opposing team but with fellow team members. One player or teammate tries to outdo the other and sometimes that competiveness can get in the way of the best results and outcome. What if the next time you worked on a project with your team you
- Looked to see whose open, available and ready for the next challenge.
- Paid attention to the co-worker with the hot hand and cleared the way of distractions and diversions to let them go full speed ahead. Don’t interfere with the creative process.
- Cheered them on and built energy and excitement around their momentum.
- Remembered that we all have a part to play and at best, we bring something unique that complements our team. Own that and build those skills.
No matter if your team is in the stadium or the office: ATTUNE, CHEER and COMPLEMENT.
