I could be wrong.
In the early 2000s while coaching HS basketball outside of Indianapolis I developed a relationship with Brad Stevens who was an assistant coach at Butler at the time. I deeply admired his leadership and continued to stay in touch periodically. In 2017 while Brad was having great success as the head coach of the Boston Celtics I sent him an email asking if I could come spend a day with him observing his leadership and asking him some questions. Within an hour he responded, “Come on out.” Which I then did for each of the next 4 summers.
I could fill a book with stories and leadership observations but this is the one that is most prescient to me in the days following the Celtics winning the NBA title behind Jayson Tatum’s leadership.
It was the offseason and members of the team were in the building doing individual work with coaches and then playing some pick up games while coaches watched. As I walked into the gym Brad pulled up a chair for me and I sat between Brad and the then General Manger Danny Ainge and watched Jayson Tatum’s first workout with the Celtics. I tried to act like I belonged. The Celtics had the number one pick that year and Markelle Fulz was the consensus number one player in that draft. Shortly before the draft the Celtics traded the highly coveted #1 pick to move back to the #3 pick where they chose Jayson Tatum. The conversation in the gym was more candid and easy than I anticipated so I asked them, “Were you going to take Tatum if you kept the first pick?” to which Brad said, “Yes we were, we could be wrong but we think he is the best player in this draft.”
The last 7 years has proven them to be right. I spend an unhealthy amount of time listening to NBA podcasts where talking head after talking head is sure they are right, but the real experts who spend years evaluating high stakes decisions likes this know that, “they could be wrong…”
The Celtics weren’t negligent- they evaluated like crazy but it is true they could still be wrong. After drafting Tatum they didn’t just cross their fingers and hope they were right- they have worked like crazy in a myriad of ways to work with him to become the best player he could be.
I am in a still relatively new job in a new industry. I needed the reminder of this story this week. I am more tempted than ever to believe that there is some elusive piece of knowledge out there that I don’t yet have in order to make a perfect decision. But I have to make some decisions and the truth is, “ I could be wrong.”
Be diligent in learning and researching.
Make a decision.
Work like crazy to ensure the success of that decision.
(and still you could be wrong)
If you squint you can see a skinny Jayson Tatum on his first day in the Celtics facility. I took this picture while trying not to act like an overzealous fan.
**One more thing... Brad Stevens is an even better guy than you whatever your impression of him is and believe it or not a better man than he is basketball genius.