№44: Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty [2006] (A Book Review) | The Riddler [12-inch statue] from The Batman [2022] movie (A Toy Review)
February 27, 2022
Welcome to the tedi.substack.com weekly newsletter! At the end of each week1, this newsletter will touch on any number of entertaining, informative, or (possibly) useful topics.
The focus of this week’s newsletter is on a book review that I did on Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty’s Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior [2006] as well as what I picked up in Toys R’ Us today.
More after the jump.
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Book Review: Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty [2006]
Words by: Dr. Tedi Gustilo Villasor
Whenever I pick up this book from my shelf, it never fails to bring back memories of the time that I started to become aware of the game of basketball. As many of your know [or may not know], the internet was pretty much in its infancy back then in the early 90’s and the only way that one could realistically educate themselves on the NBA was to either read the sports page of USA Today,2 be on the lookout for delayed games on television, or at the very least, be immerse in the past editions of Zander Hollander’s The Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball—assuming of course that you could get your hands on them.
Gobbling up any available resource on the subject matter was also a big help and that is where Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior (1995) comes in. It was one of the first basketball books that I read cover-to-cover3 and I find that a number of its core points still resonate strongly to this day.
Written by then incumbent Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson prior to the start of his team’s second three-peat dynasty, Jackson and co-author Hugh Delehanty give readers a taste of his coaching and spiritual philosophy as well as letting us in on a number of interesting tidbits that transpired beyond the bright lights of the old Chicago Stadium and new United Center.
Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior is Jackson’s third book (of seven) and first as an NBA tactician. I highly recommend it, and consider it to a must-read for any basketball aficionado who wishes to know more about the game within the game.
Here are a number of highlights from the book:
On showing players empathy: “In my work as a coach, I’ve discovered that approaching problems of this kind [players dealing with injury or bereavement] from a compassionate perspective, trying to empathize with the player and look at the situation from his point of view, can have a transformative effect on the team. Not only does it reduce the player’s anxiety and make him feel as if someone understands what he’s going through, it also inspires the other players to respond in kind and be more conscious of each other’s needs.” (p. 52)
On what really motivates people: “The Bulls’ owner Jerry Reinsdorf, once told me he thought most people were motivated by one of two forces: fear or greed. That may be true, but I also think people are motivated by love. Whether they’re willing to acknowledge it or not, what drives most basketball players is not the money or the adulation, but their love of the game. They live for those moments when they can lose themselves completely in the action and experience the pure joy of competition.” (p. 79)
On sending a clear message to players: “This is a trick I learned from assistant coach Johnny Bach. Basketball players spend an inordinate amount of time watching videotapes, which can be a tense, embarrassing experience—especially when their teammates start ribbing them about their mistakes. Bach, a witty ex-Navy man who viewed basketball as a war game, subtly indoctrinated the players by splicing clips from movies such as An Officer and a Gentleman and Full Metal Jacket into the game tapes. The results were often quite funny.” Jackson added, “The Wizard of Oz tape was a hit, too. One sequence showed B.J. [Armstrong] dribbling to the basket and being flattened by the Detroit front line, followed by a shot of Dorothy arriving in the Land of Oz, looking around and saying to her faithful dog, “This isn’t Kansas anymore Toto.” B.J. laughed. The message? You’re not playing against college players anymore; you’re playing against hardened professionals, who’ll stomp all over you if you give them half a chance.” (pp. 107-108)
On the subject of meditation: “Here’s the basic approach [that meditation instructor George] Mumford taught the players: Sit in a chair with your spine straight and your eyes downcast. Focus your attention on your breath as it rises and falls. When your mind wanders (which it will, I repeatedly), note the source of the distraction (a noise, a thought, an emotion, a bodily sensation), then gently return the attention to the breath. This process of noting thoughts and sensations, then returning the awareness to the breath is repeated for the duration of the sitting. Thought the practice may sound boring, it’s remarkable how any experience, including boredom, becomes interesting when it’s an object of moment-to-moment investigation.” Jackson continued, “Little by little, with regular practice, you start to discriminate raw sensory events from your reactions to them. Eventually, you begin to experience a point of stillness within. As the stillness becomes more stable, you tend to identify less with fleeting thoughts and feelings, such as fear, anger, or pain, and experience a state of harmony, regardless of changing circumstances.” (p. 118-119)
An intervention to expand the minds of his players: “Another way I expand the players’ minds is by giving them books to read on road trips. Titles I’ve handed out include: Fever: Twelve Stories by John Wideman (for Michael Jordan), Ways of the White Folks by Langston Hughes (Scottie Pippen), On the Road by Jack Kerouac (Will Perdue), All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (Steve Kerr), and Beavis & Butt-Head: This Books Sucks by Mike Judge (Stacy King). In some cases, I’ve selected books that explore spiritual issues. B.J. Armstrong has read Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, while John Paxson bravely struggled through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” (p. 125)
Copies of the revised paperback edition of Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior [2006] are available online as well as in a selected bookstores in the Philippines.
About the author: Dr. Tedi Gustilo Villasor obtained his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology (2009) and Masters of Science in Guidance and Counseling (2002) from De La Salle University-Manila (DLSU). He has also completed a Certificate in Sports Counseling (2006) from San Diego University for Integrative Studies (SDUIS). Aside from his private practice at the Makati Medical Center, Dr. Villasor was a columnist for Baby Magazine wherein his column, "Rules of Engagement" (formerly known as “Understanding Your Child”), focused on children 10 years of age and above. For more, you can visit his website at www.tedi31.com or follow him on Twitter or Instagram.
Toy Review: The Riddler [12-inch statue] from the upcoming The Batman movie [2022]
Seeing movie merchandise on toy shelves prior to a film’s release date has been an industry standard for many years. Usually, consumers have a couple of hours, days, maybe weeks, to scoop up the figure(s) they want—depending on the character’s popularity or it’s scarcity which tends to accelerates this process. Regardless, it becomes a game of speculation where you either buy early (at retail) and hope that the collectible that you’re about to purchase would eventually appreciate or you simply opt to wait it out, watch the movie, and hope that the figure which you now covet didn’t already fly off the shelves. Remember, bare shelves is usually a telltale sign that the very same item is now priced atrociously in the secondary market.
This was the problem that I faced when my family and I stopped by a department store last Wednesday (February 23rd). The toys for The Batman movie had just been released and from my sources were going fast in some stores around Metro Manila. Imagine, all this buzz for a movie that’s only going to hit theaters on March 2, 2022. Then again, it’s Batman we’re talking about so at least for most of the local collectors, the hype is real.
Anyway, I was on the fence with the new Riddler figure. He has always been a personal favorite dating back to the Frank Gorshin(+) days. But of course, since I have yet to watch the Matt Reeves directed Batman film, I really wouldn’t know what I‘ll be getting.
What up with the McFarlane 7-Inch The Riddler figure?
Unlike it’s 12-inch statue and Funko POP! counterparts, the 7-inch action figure differs in it’s question mark emblem and placement. What gives? Also missing from the 7-inch is a duct tape accessory which seems to be an integral part of this character based on theatrical trailer.
On the other hand, the 12-inch statue and Funko POP! comes with the aforementioned duct tape accessory.
The Verdict
After looking at my options, I decided on the 12-inch statue. There are only four (4) in a case so time will tell if I made the right decision on this one. ■
About
Tedi Gustilo Villasor, Ph.D. is a former columnist for Baby Magazine (Philippines) as well as a past contributor to NBA.com/Philippines. His other works include the indie comic books Lindol and OBIsessions.
Click here for more information on his work as a psychologist.
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Click here to order Lindol (with artist and co-creator Randy Valiente) from our online partner Secret HQ.
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Unless something exciting comes up that necessitates an additional entry.
For the players statistics.
Sam Smith’s The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of a Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls (1992), Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s My Life (1992), and—my personal favorite—Larry Bird’s Drive: The Story of my Life (1990) immediately come to mind.
It was a bit late this week. Family first.