The Coach’s Playbook

Think about the Coach’s basketball playbook. For sure you will see a bunch of X and O’s there. One set for defense and then another for offense. I once read that one NBA team had 100 plays for offense and the same number for defense. Two hundred plays… imagine that!

But maybe for those who understand basketball much deeper than the ordinary fan, like me, you can see much more. You’ll see the coach’s basketball philosophy, his values on the court, his goals and his vision for the team. How will the team develop in the future if they can just do these sets of plays on a consistent basis? How will they implement variations once their opponents adjust? In a sense you are viewing a part of a coach’s character.

I would like to see and understand the playbooks of great coaches like Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, Pat Riley, Don Nelson and the others. Do they emphasize more defense or offense? Experts say Don Nelson is a more offensive oriented coach and sometimes do not have much strategy on defense. But how can you argue with his success? Pat Riley had an offensive onslaught during the 80s Showtime Lakers but formed dramatically different teams for the Knicks and the 2006 NBA Champions, Miami Heat. How about Phil Jackson? He quietly sits there and win 9 NBA titles.

In our life the greatest coach, God also gave us a playbook… the Bible. You can find His strategy there plus the things He likes and His dislikes. Scholars have studied his words for generations. His basic strategy is to show His love for man. First He created man and gave him the freedom to think for himself. When man sinned and felt that they don’t need a God, the latter continued to pursue the former. He showed man the Ten Commandments, sent prophets to remind them of His love and also warn them of the pertinent danger ahead if man continues with his lifestyle. The rule in the playbook says that if man continues on He will be merited a punishment. This punishment was more than just a jog around the gymnasium. But God had another play in His sleeve. God sent his Son Jesus to be punished in our place. God became man so that the latter could understand how much He loves man.

Want to know all of these and understand God? Read His playbook… read the Bible. You can find the best plays for your life in His playbook

Suggested links:

How do we know the Bible is true?

How to Study the Bible by Max Lucado

Bible Gateway: Online Bible