Basketball Quote by Don Meyer
“Our goal as a team is to keep playing as a group for as long as we can because you will never have that team again. It is like a dying limb, you have to prune it off and let another one grow in its place. That is the way you have to do it, but it still hurts losing these guys and that team because they and you have put so much effort into building a team. Even if you win that last game (and a national championship), it hurts badly because the players know they will never have that same special group of guys together on the same team again. Somebody always goes and somebody new always comes in.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Team building and transition, 2008
Teams are fleeting; cherish the present group, but accept change as necessary for growth.
In simple terms: Teams change; value them while they last.
Key Takeaway
Appreciate current teammates and prepare for future changes.
Themes
team dynamics
change
loss
growth
Mood
reflective
empathetic
Type
leadership
teamwork
When to use this quote
- coaching transitions
- team restructuring
- career milestones
- mentorship
Key Concepts
transience
collective identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you honor past teammates while embracing new ones?
- What practices help maintain team culture through turnover?
A Different Perspective
New members may not replicate the same chemistry.
![“I failed, I think, seven [or] eight times before I finally got my first [championship]. It was just, you know, just about me growing up. Now that I'm an old, old veteran-age 29-I do things a lot differently. I don't go to the gentlemen's clubs anymore. I had to slow that down.” quote by Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/08f/shaquille-o-neal-659_age_i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-be_2731.jpg)
