Pyramid Tribute: Friendship, Scott Duncan (Asst. Coach - UCLA)
Scott Duncan is no stranger when it
comes to 'X's and O's' and coaching college basketball, having
patrolled the sidelines for three decades. Duncan came to Los
Angeles in the spring of 2007 after spending seven years at Pac-10
rival Oregon.
While in Eugene, Duncan enjoyed a successful run. The Ducks
won three Pac-10 titles and flew all the way to the Elite Eight
twice during his time on the bench. Widely recognized as
an excellent basketball mind and top recruiter, Hoop Scoop recently
named Duncan as the eighth best assistant coach in the
country.
A winner at every stop along the way, Division One teams of which Duncan has been part of the staff have advanced to the postseason 17 out of the past 23 seasons.
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The friendships that are made between you and your teammates
are a very unique bond. Chances are you will never again have the
opportunity to experience all the highs and lows of a season
with a group of people like those you call
“teammates.” Coach Wooden points to camaraderie
and respect as the two most important qualities in good
friendship.
Coaches often mention the word “chemistry” when
discussing the difference between teams that have reached their
potential and those that do not. During our run to the Final
Four at UCLA in 2008, there was undoubtedly a tremendous
camaraderie amongst our team. We had very talented players in
Love, Westbrook, Collison, Mbah a Moute and Shipp just to name a
few. But in order for that team to have success, the respect
for one another was vital. Due to their camaraderie and
mutual respect, they would listen to each other both on and off the
court. There was a willingness to give to others and be more
unselfish and that translated into the way they approached the game
and performed. All of the players on that team remain close
friends, even now that they have gone their separate ways.
The bonds made amongst teammates that respect one another are
for life. The most enjoyable things for me to have
experienced over the last 30+ years of coaching, plus four
years of playing, are all of the friendships that have
developed from the different teams of which I've been a part.
Some of my college teammates are still my very best friends
today.
There are many perks to being an athlete, but none are better
than the friendships you make. One of the things seen at
Coach Wooden’s Memorial was the contingent of players from
all of the different teams that played for him... and how their
friendships remain as strong as ever.
- Scott Duncan
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