The art of the assist
Photo by Isaiah Rustad
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably noticed that I’m super excited about the Atlanta Hawks. A lifelong basketball fan (although not a particularly good basketball player), this year I finally decided to get season tickets for my hometown squad. And while they aren’t one of the best in the NBA (yet!), they are young and refreshing; a true team in development.
Not surprisingly, I am optimistic about their future.
So as I get even deeper down the rabbit hole of basketball fandom, I marvel at the statistics that I can track. Of course there are the points and rebounds, time of possession, and other numbers that are easy to see with our own eyes. But there is an innumerable amount of performance metrics that are hard to observe (and even hard to sometimes understand).
Despite all of this player data, as a student of leadership and performance, there is one stat that I am most interested in:
The assist.
Sure, there is a lot of attention paid to the total amount of points a player scores, the number of three-point shots they make, or the number of times they steal the ball. Those are the plays that usually make the highlight film. But to me, it’s the assist, the pass to another player that results in a score, that is the most powerful statistic to track.
IMHO, the assist is the reflection of the true talent of a player, whether on the basketball court or in an organization.
You see, while other statistics demonstrate an individual’s physical skill set and athleticism, the assist combines skill AND intention. It is the only play on the basketball court where you intentionally give up a personal opportunity and create a possibility for another player to score.
I mean, YOU have the ball. You CAN take a shot. But you pass to THEM so they can take the opportunity to score.
And then they do.
Perhaps you passed because you realized the other player is in a better position, or because they are the better scorer. Either way, an assist means you took the chance for someone other than yourself to score points, and the chance paid off. You saw them. You passed to them. They scored.
Sounds like… teamwork, right?
Watching all of these assists in basketball (and in other sports like soccer and hockey) keeps me thinking about assists in “real life” too. By watching assist leaders closely, I’ve learned that some of the best leaders “on the floor” aren’t the ones who score the most points. Sometimes they are the ones who have the most assists. They see and create opportunities around themselves, and then put others in a position to succeed. By focusing on assists, rather than scoring, leaders can create the kind of team play that fosters unselfish attitudes, and even greater collaboration.
In fact, teams with a higher number of assists have a greater likelihood of success. But don’t take my word for it. Statistics have shown a correlation between teams with a higher number of total assisted points and their win/loss record.
So how can you lead an assist-driven team? Here are three tips.
First, it’s all about getting the right players, and making sure that you avoid the kind of people who like to score for selfish reasons, and without a team mindset.
Second, make sure that you see the possibilities for a pass. Not every opportunity is an opportunity for an assist, but many are. Seeing those moments means keeping your head up and looking out for the positions and the possibilities around you.
Third, make sure to track and acknowledge assists as they occur. If you only celebrate people who score and don’t reward the individuals who created the opportunity to score, then you are only measuring part of the success (and you might even be limiting more assists from occurring). Bottom line: if you want assists to matter, you need to measure them too.
Pat Summitt, the most successful women's basketball coach of all time (and when she retired, the most winningest college basketball coach among all women AND men) said it best:
“Teamwork is what makes common people capable of uncommon results."
Assists are the embodiment of teamwork. They are what make the possible a reality. They create connections, and help us capitalize on the talents of teammates (rather than selfishly advancing our individual position and status). They create uncommon results.
So next time you notice how many points someone has, perhaps take an extra moment to notice their assist number too. And then go create one of your own.
You might not score, but you might just master the art of the assist.
And that's how you truly win.
Questions for Further Reflection:
How would your grade yourself on your ability to create assists? Do you find yourself looking for others who are in better positions to “score” and create opportunities for them to do so?
What statistics do you pay attention to in your organization that reflect your team’s assists? Do you create opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate when someone makes a great assist?
Who in your life is great at making assists? What is it about them that you might be able to emulate in your own life? Have you thanked them for an assist they made to you?