--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Play off your great player... great teams…" description: "\"Play off your great player... great teams have a go-to player and they play off of him.\" — Don Meyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png" --- # Play off your great player... great teams have a go-to… ![“Play off your great player... great teams have a go-to player and they play off of him.” quote by Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png) > “Play off your great player... great teams have a go-to player and they play off of him.” [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great teams rely on a primary player to create opportunities for others, fostering collective strength. **In simple terms:** A star player can lift the whole team. Key Takeaway Build around a reliable leader. Themes teamwork leadership strategy dependence Mood strategic encouraging Type coaching motivational When to use this quote - team building - game planning - leadership development Key Concepts role model synergy hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - Who is your go‑to player? - How can you develop secondary leaders? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on one player can cause fragility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Basketball coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-coach/) [Basketball coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-coaching/) [Basketball motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-motivation/) [Coaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaching/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Good basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-basketball/) [Great basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-basketball/) [Great player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-player/) [Great team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-team/) [Inspirational basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-basketball/) [Motivational basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-basketball/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-great-493861/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Player Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player-great-396511/) [Player Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player-play-279268/) [Playing basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-basketball/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Teams Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teams-player-4157584/) ## Related quotes > [It is foolish to expect a young man to follow your advice and to ignore your example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/it-is-foolish-to-expect-a-young-man-to-follow-your-advice-and-to/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/what-to-do-with-a-mistake-recognize-it-admit-it-learn-from-it-forget/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [Good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the Me for the We.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/good-teams-become-great-ones-when-the-members-trust-each-other-enough/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [A person really doesn't become whole, until he becomes a part of something that's bigger than himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-valvano/a-person-really-doesn-t-become-whole-until-he-becomes-a-part-of/) [Jim Valvano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-valvano/) > [Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/figure-out-how-to-climb-it-go-through-it-or-work-around-it/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. 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They communicate with each other and they sacrifice personal glory for a common goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-debusschere/the-best-teams-have-chemistry-they-communicate-with-each-other-and/) [Dave DeBusschere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-debusschere/) > [To stay in one time zone and play in a great conference - a great all-around conference, but, specifically, a great basketball conference -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-boeheim/to-stay-in-one-time-zone-and-play-in-a-great-conference-a-great-all/) [Jim Boeheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-boeheim/) > [A player who makes a team great is better than a great player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/a-player-who-makes-a-team-great-is-better-than-a-great-player/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball doesn't build character it reveals it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-naismith/basketball-doesn-t-build-character-it-reveals-it/) [James Naismith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-naismith/) > [Every season is a journey. Every journey is a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/every-season-is-a-journey-every-journey-is-a-lifetime/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) ## More by Don Meyer > [Every day you teach attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/every-day-you-teach-attitude/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Proper prior planning prevents pitiful poor performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/proper-prior-planning-prevents-pitiful-poor-performance/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [It doesn't matter where you coach, it matters why you coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-coach-it-matters-why-you-coach/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones-you-don-t-get/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [You never realize the value of coaching until your children play for a coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/you-never-realize-the-value-of-coaching-until-your-children-play-for/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Discover your gift, develop your gift and then give it away every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/discover-your-gift-develop-your-gift-and-then-give-it-away-every-day/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [When the legs go, the heart and the head follow quickly behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/when-the-legs-go-the-heart-and-the-head-follow-quickly-behind/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Your program must have an overriding purpose which is clearly visible and which teaches lessons beyond winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/your-program-must-have-an-overriding-purpose-which-is-clearly-visible/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [If you are a good team, your offense is born on the defensive end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/if-you-are-a-good-team-your-offense-is-born-on-the-defensive-end/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Habits are critical for players. They cannot think and play well at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/habits-are-critical-for-players-they-cannot-think-and-play-well-at/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [When I go in for heart surgery, I want a full-time surgeon. 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So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Play off your great player... great teams have a go-to player and they play off of him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Don Meyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-have-a-go-to-player-and-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-have-a-go-to-player-and-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/don-meyer-7312_basketball_play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-h_2094848.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Play off your great player... great teams have a go-to player and they play off of him.” — Don Meyer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Don Meyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Play off your great player... great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-have-a-go-to-player-and-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/play-off-your-great-player-great-teams-have-a-go-to-player-and-they/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```