As it's apparently evident, I don't write posts about sports. That's not the purpose of why I established this blog. However, whenever the occasion deems it noteworthy to mention a sports team or to mention about a particular sport, then I'll do so. Anytime I can draw some points and apply it to practical living in everyday life, I'll definitely take advantage of it. Today is one of those occasions. Anyone that keeps up-to-date with sports knows that the University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team defeated Drexel University 88-44 to become the first men's basketball team to win 2000 all-time career victories. Kentucky's record over 107 seasons is 2000-635-1. Defending national champion North Carolina Tarheels is a close second with 1992 victories and the University of Kansas is third with 1980 victories. That's a great accomplishment dating back from the UK's first game with the Lexington YMCA with a a 11-10 victory on February 18, 1903. The UK team that accomplished 2000 wins this year did so with first year coach John Calipari and his spectacular freshmen class which includes John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, Jon Hood as well as the more experienced players consisting of Patrick Patterson, Ramone Harris, DeAndre Liggins, Darius Miller, and Perry Stevenson. If UK continues progressing like they have in the first twelves games of this basketball season, then I'll feature periodic posts about this team trying to expound upon some important qualities that this team possesses to practical living.
This was definitely a special moment at hand. There were many fans on hand such as former radio announcer Ralph Hacker, former UK head basketball coach Joe B. Hall, former Coach Adolf Rupp's son, former players Kenny "Sky" Walker Jamal Mashburn, to name a few. Also Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear was at hand to watch the game and the after-game festivities. According to Owensboro's
Messenger-Inquirer, streamers showered the court moments after the final buzzer while players donned black T-shirts commemorating the occasion. The crowd was getting wild. "I saw stuff flying, we were just trying to enjoy ourselves," forward Josh Harrellson said. Kentucky had it's most dominant performance this season when it played Drexel last night. DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson scored 18 points apiece. Freshmen John Wall had 16 points and and seven assists. Following the game both Adolf Rupp's son and Joe B. Hall payed tribute to UK's 2000th win.
For weeks coach John Calipari had been downplaying Kentucky's pursuit of 2000 wins, saying his team needed to focus on improving, not making history. Calipari admitted it's pretty good when you can do both. "We weren't a part of many of those 2000 wins (but) we had a job to do and that was drag us across the line before that other blue team got there," referring to North Carolina as he was standing on the confetti-strewn floor at Rupp Arena. "This is a special program for this program and the state." Kentucky's rich and storied tradition began with Adolf Rupp when he was hired in 1930. As a coach, he won an NIT (precursor to the present NCAA tournament, and four national championships. On January 18, 1969, Kentucky won 1000 games beating SEC foe Tennessee on the road with the score of 69-66. Almost 41 years later on December 21, 2009, Kentucky won its 2000th game. Rupp was the all-time leading coach in the number of victories at UK with 875 wins from 1930-72. He was forced into retirement. He was in his 70's at that time. He was known for wearing brown suits while coaching. He had built a solid winning tradition at Kentucky which lasted for years to come. Since Rupp's departure, Kentucky's head coaches have been Joe B. Hall (1972-85), Eddie Sutton (1985-89), Rick Pitino (1989-97), Orlando G. "Tubby" Smith (1997-07), Bill Gillespie (2007-09), and current coach John Calipari (April 1, 2009 - present).
Kentucky overall has won seven NCAA champions in 1948-49, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, and 1998. Joe B. Hall won a national championship in 1978, Rick Pitino won a championship in 1996 and Tubby Smith won a championship in 1998. Kentucky has also won two NIT championships in 1946 and 1976. Kentucky has been to the final four numerous times. Kentucky has had quite a roster of noted players such as Ralph Beard, Cotton Nash, Cliff Hagan, Dan Issel, Pat Riley, Jack Givens, Sam Bowie, Melvin Turpin, Kevin Grevey, Kyle Macy, Kenny Walker, Rex Chapman, Winston Bennett, Jamal Mashburn, Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker, and Jodie Meeks, to name a few. I couldn't begin to scratch the surface in naming all their names. Dan Issel stands as the all-time leading scorer with 2138 points in three seasons at UK back in the sixties. During that time freshmen were ineligible to play.
There are numerous reasons for the 2000 victories Kentucky has won in 107 seasons. Some of the reasons are due to a strong work ethic, talented players, great coaches, the motivation to win because of UK's winning tradition etc. I want to briefly emphasize the other reason for UK's 2000 victories: teamwork. Kentucky over the years has played together as a team. When a sports team plays together as a team, you will win games. Teamwork is crucial. One of the daunting challenges Coach Calipari has had this season as the new head coach is trying to coach freshmen all-Americans such as John Wall, Eric Blesdoe, Daniel Orton, and DeMarcus Cousins for example. When a team consists of high school all-Americans, it can be very difficult to coach them. Many players that were great in their game such as scoring, rebounding, assists, etc. many times tend to think of their game in terms of their individual stats. They have a tendency to think of scoring "x" number of points in a game or "x" number of rebounds or assists. The individual sometimes has precedence over the team as a whole. That's one of the challenges that Calipari has had to deal with. So far this team is improving and meshing well together with each passing game. Calipari emphasizes the importance of team play. Instead of thinking in terms of individual performance, a player must think in terms of playing as a team. Basketball players must be willing to play unselfishly if they have a desire to win national championships. You don't win national championships by playing one-on-one the entire game. You don't win championships by individually trying to score the most points in a game. The players must play together as a team and pass the ball to one another. It's all about teamwork and making plays that will make your team better, regardless of your individual stats. That's one of the daunting challenges many college coaches have when they have high school All-American sports stars. It's very easy to think in terms of individual play instead of teamwork. You won't win very many games against top-ranked opponents unless your team knows how to play unselfish basketball and work together as a team. There's no other way around it.
That same principle of teamwork goes with other areas in life such as the workplace, organizations, churches, etc. Everybody that works for a business must understand that everybody has a certain role to fulfill and that everybody must work together as a team if that business is to thrive and prosper. Everybody can't think just in terms of self. Everybody must think in terms of how they can profit the business in which they work in. Our churches need members that think in terms of working together as a team when it comes to propagating the gospel as well as fulfill God's will for that local church. I've heard preachers say over the years that most of the work that's accomplished at church is accomplished by approximately 20% of the members. That's a crying shame. Everybody must learn to work together as a team. When you work together as a team, you become strong and it's very difficult to defeat a group of people that work together as a team. When a group of individuals don't work together and think only in terms of self, then little will be accomplished. Also, that group of individuals will be weak as well. However, when the church bands together and the members are willing to work together for the cause of Christ, Satan won't be able to defeat them. Teamwork is crucial. Teamwork not only applies to a sports team, but it also applies to any type of organization you're affiliated with in everyday life.
The University of Louisville and the University of Florida battle it out in the Sugar Bowl on January 2, 2013.
Russ Smith #2 of the Louisville Cardinals shoots over Erving Walker #11 of the Florida Gators of the first half in the 2012 West Regional Final in the NCAA basketball tournament. The game was played in Phoenix, Arizona. 
