The Athletic

5 leadership lessons from Jim Crutchfield, the Division-II coach that NBA greats think is a basketball genius: 1. Always challenge the status quo Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat coach, to The Athletic’s C.J. Moore: “He just cuts to the obvious. Always just questioning, like, why? Why would people do it this way?” 2. Designate time to other interests Crutchfield allots time in the middle of his workday for pickleball and tennis breaks. He said: “The Japanese proved that when they started playing games and exercising in the middle of a workday, saying it refreshes your mind and body.” 3. Believe in yourself Eric Bovaird, Chaminade coach: “He just totally believed in his style and his system, and he just knew that it was going to work. He just knew it. And he transferred that belief to the players.” 4. Limit feedback and instruction to the essentials During one 40-minute game, Crutchfield shouted out instructions twice. Jordan Fee, Crutchfield’s lead assistant: “He knows you’ve got to coach with a revolver and not an uzi. He’s only got so many bullets in his chamber.” 5. Find creative ways to hold others accountable Crutchfield writes his players’ names down every day and ranks them so he can calculate how many minutes each one of them would get if they were to play a game that day. It helps his decision-making process while holding the players to a standard.

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Leadership matters. Just ask the New York Giants. Before the Giants lost Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, the team’s owner, John Mara, famously said he would have a “tough time sleeping” if that happened. Not only has Barkley threatened the NFL’s single-season rushing record in his first year with the Eagles, his leadership void for the Giants has been huge, according to a recent ESPN story. "For me the biggest part of losing Saquon was the locker room aspect," tight end Daniel Bellinger told ESPN. "Just having him as a leader and a guy that when there were times like, what do we do, he would be like 'Go play!' He brought an energy that sometimes we needed out there." Added safety Dane Belton: "It wasn't just the offense as far as the leadership perspective. You definitely lose that. And you look at the team, we're super young. To that, it can't help to lose a great leader like that.” While leadership is not one size fits all, having a consistent, encouraging, positive voice in your ear can, even subconsciously, make a difference. It’s a good reminder that leaders still set the culture for teams and organizations.

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“I was committed to retiring here,” center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns said about the Minnesota Timberwolves trading him to New York. “I was committed to playing the rest of my career here, and my family was on board and my friends were on board.” No one was more shocked than Towns after joining the New York Knicks, following 9 seasons in Minnesota. “There was no part of me that was willing to leave,” he said. “And life had a different path for me. I was stunned.” The forced “different path” was not wanted, but it’s what has ultimately been showcasing Towns’ potential in a new light. He’s been a standout player for years, but has recently soared to new levels. He dropped 32 points against his former team in the Knicks' 133-107 win over the Timberwolves two weeks ago. He did so, all while being welcomed home to the Target Center in Minneapolis with video tributes, cheers and signs. His character and who he was to Minnesota overpowers any room for hard feelings. Instead, his growth he’s had as a player in New York is proving to exemplify what embracing a new opportunity, no matter how it comes along, can do.