I often share with my Duke Basketball teams a Winston Churchill quote: "Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others."
In other words, you can possess countless good qualities as an individual, but if you don't have the courage to proceed, you may never see those qualities come to fruition. It takes courage to put what you believe to be the best of you on the line, to test it, and to see how far it takes you. Courage means daring to do what you imagine.
For the most part, people do not attempt things because they fear the consequences. But the greatest consequence of all comes in not attempting to do the things that you believe you can. Having courage means boldly pursuing your dreams, no matter what the consequences may be.
Sometimes in basketball games, I will bring my players into a huddle and see fear in their eyes. Maybe a particular player has missed several shots in a row, or perhaps the oposing team has made a run and put us back on our heels. My job as a leader is to show them a face of courage. That is what a team is all about. When one individual gets down or afraid, they will look to their teammates and their leader, in particular, to bring them out of it. I want my face to tell them, "Let's all get together and let's do those things that we imagined and prepared for in practice. Let's have the courage to do the actions necessary to reach our goals." I want to take them past the hurdle of fear and help them in times of both individual and collective doubt. All of a sudden, we walk away from the huddle and, together, we are going to go after it. We are going to have a chance.
I can remember a time of extreme doubt in my life when I was offered the chance to attend the United States Military Academy and to play basketball there. At first there was no way I was going to go. I was too afraid and too full of self-doubt. But I received the encouragement I needed from my parents, my greatest supporters.
My father, in particular, was not a man of many words, but when it came to ensuring that his son did not turn down a great opportunity because of simple fear, he was vocal and emphatic. Thanks to him and my mom, I was able to find the inner courage to make the right decision, one that shaped who I would become as an adult. Just look at the word "encouragement" and you will see that it means helping another find courage. Always surround yourself with individuals who will help to enable your courage when it is lacking from within.
The most courageous player I ever coached was Bobby Hurley. Even when I myself felt stifled by moments of doubt, I could look into Bobby's eyes and find the confidence to proceed. My job in coaching was to give him the freedom to boldly follow his instincts.
In the 1991 NCAA semifinal game against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, we were a considerable underdog. UNLV had won 45 games in a row, including the National Championship game from the previous year when they beat us by 30 points, 103-73. Unlike the year before, this year's game was hard-fought, close, and incredibly exciting. Throughout the course of the game, usually only one basket separated the two teams' scores.
With under two and a half minutes remaining, UNLV jumped to a five-point lead and it seemed the momentum was going their way. When Bobby brought the ball down the court, I recognized that UNLV had changed from man-to-man defense to a matchup zone. I jumped up off the bench to tell Bobby to run a certain play against this new defense. Just as I got to my feet, Bobby took a three-point shot and knocked it down. He did not need my instruction, he needed to courageously follow his instincts. As a result of that play, the momentum shifted back and we were put in the position to win the game in the last few seconds. Bobby's three-pointer was as big a shot as any Duke player has ever hit. After we beat UNLV, we won our first National Championship by beating Kansas 72-65. Many people think of game-winning shots as last-second shots. This is not always the case. Bobby's courageous shot in the UNLV game is the perfect example.
The following year, we again found ourselves in the national semifinal game, this time matched up against Indiana. The Hoosiers played an amazing first half and really should have blown us right out of the gym. However, Bobby hit four three-point shots in that half to keep us within striking distance. We played well and together in the second half and won, eventually beating Michigan for our second straight National Championship. Neither of those championships would be ours unless Bobby had the courage to follow his instincts.
Courage is the capacity to confront what can be imagined. We all have the capacity to imagine amazing things, but you need the courage to take those often frightening steps toward making your dreams a reality. Your time will come. As President John F. Kennedy once said, "Courage is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to all of us."