Brian Scalabrine and the Zen Cigar

Ben Guest's new book reminded me of an old NBA tale.

Ben Guest’s “Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball” releases today. You can buy it at Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Coaching-Basketball-Namibian-ebook/dp/B09KL7P5BP — Ben and I also recorded a podcast episode about it. You can check that out at Boxscore Geeks here — https://www.boxscoregeeks.com/articles/the-boxscore-geeks-show-zen-and-the-art-of-coaching-basketball. Thanks and enjoy!

While reading “Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball” by Ben Guest, I couldn’t help but think of Brian Scalabrine. His book is out today (11/1/2021 for those in the future) and well worth the $0.99 (now higher for those in the future, sorry!) price tag if you’re a sports fan.

Ben paints a classic “sports movie scene.” It’s the end of a close game. His team is up by three but needs to keep possession of the ball to avoid their fairytale upset falling apart. What does Ben do? He calls a play, but not a new trick play scrawled quickly on a whiteboard in a huddle. He calls a play the team has been practicing all year. A play designed explicitly for this routine situation in a basketball game - when you are up a little with the other team needing a steal. The play is called “Boston,” named after the NBA team. Ben calls the play, tells his team to “Go,” and then Ben does something in very “old school” Boston fashion. He sits down. He’s called his play, his team knows what to do, and they do it. Read the book to find out what happens!

The reason this section reminded me of “Brian Scalabrine” is twofold. The first is that Brian Scalabrine had the nickname: “The Human Victory Cigar.” If Brian Scalabrine was in the game, you knew the game was over, as he was a bench player used sparingly by the Celtics. This nickname was a callback to Red Auerbach, the esteemed coach, and general manager of the winningest Celtics squads of old. Red Auerbach was notorious for pulling out a “victory cigar” and sitting down when his team had won. However, Red Auerbach would later reveal the origins of this were less clever or boastful. Red Auerbach had a great squad of players. And they knew what to do. Indeed, Bill Russell, the captain of the Celtics, would win an NBA championship as a player coach. Red Auerbach pulled out a cigar and sat down because he was bored. His team was winning. They knew what to do. Red’s coaching day was over. Ben, like Red, sits down and may as well pull out a cigar. As Ben will note, the game is far from over, and lots of small things happen. And many coaches would be on their feet shouting at their players. Ben sits down because his job is over. The players know what to do, and the game is out of Ben’s hand. Ben may as well start playing Candy Crush on his phone, the millennial version of lighting a cigar.

While Ben’s “job” as a coach is over, he’s taught the players what he can. The game is in their hands. But the game is far from over. Indeed, while the players know the play, both teams try last-second adjustments to shift the balance. Ben notes in his book that one of his players, Jack, makes the most minor of movements to confuse his defender. The result? Well, read the book, but I’m telegraphing it pretty clearly. And this reminded me of Brian Scalabrine again. I could never call Brian Scalabrine a good NBA player. At his peak, he was, perhaps, a decent bench player. But Brian Scalabrine is one of the best basketball players ever to live because the NBA is that elite. In 2013 after he’d retired from the NBA, Scalabrine held the “Scallenge,” he played one on one against four college players, first to 11. He won all four games with a final score of 44-6. Brian Scalabrine explained that being an elite basketball player wasn’t all about athleticism or age on a podcast with Duncan Robinson. It was about reading your opponent and being able to react quickly “in the moment.” It’s why he was able to beat players almost half his age convincingly. Being hyper-athletic isn’t all that’s needed to win in the NBA. It’s being able to make good decisions at the moment quickly. And Scalabrine can do that, just, unfortunately, not as well as the top NBA players. But, as he said himself - “[Brian Scalabrine] is closer to LeBron James than you[good college player] is to Brian Scalabrine.”

And Ben describes the next moment of the book as that. One of his players, Jack, has to read and respond quickly during one of the highest pressure moments of his career. I won’t give it away, but let’s say he’d make Brian Scalabrine proud. And Ben, as a coach, focused on just that. He focused on running the same plays and fundamentals over and over until they were subconscious. He focused on meditating and remaining mindful in the moment. And the culmination? “Boston” and Ben sitting down with a “Zen Cigar” while his team does what they do.