I've never read Malcom Gladwell's "Outliers", but I've read Bill Simmons reference it several times (and listened to the two of them on a few podcasts) and I get the basic concept of the book.
"Outliers: The Story of Success is a non-fiction book written by Malcolm Gladwell and published by Little, Brown and Company on November 18, 2008. In Outliers, Gladwell examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success. To support his thesis, he examines the causes of why the majority of Canadian ice hockey players are born in the first few months of the calendar year, how Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, and how two people with exceptional intelligence, Christopher Langan and J. Robert Oppenheimer, end up with such vastly different fortunes. Throughout the publication, Gladwell repeatedly mentions the "10,000-Hour Rule", claiming that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours.
From what I gather, one of the basic premises of the book is that a person's environment, the people they are surrounded by, the chances they are given... and dumb luck all have an influence on how successful they become. Bill Gates probably would have ended up being a smart guy regardless, but no way does he end up being the richest man in the world had he not been given access to a computer at the age of 13.
The concept is kinda common sense... but I gotta figure nowhere is there a better sports case study in the "Outliers" premise than watching Rajon Rondo right now. I'm watching him in the playoffs right now and it's just blowing my mind. He's evolved into a legitimate star player in 4 years. I gotta wonder how much of that has to do with being in the absolute PERFECT situation.
Leaving Kentucky he was a stubborn kid who clashed with his coach and was seen as somewhat of a failure in College. He had potential and he had obvious skill, but he shows up on a team that happens to be coached by a former 1 time allstar point guard (Doc Rivers)... where the GM happens to be another 1 time allstar point guard (Danny Ainge). He struggles in his rookie season for playing time as a 3rd string point guard behind Telfair and West. Then suddenly in his second season, the team brings in one of the greatest players of all time who just so happens to be arguably the most intense and focused player in the league (Kevin Garnett). KG changes the entire mentality of the team. Not only that, but they bring in possibly the most "professional" and obsessive "routine" guys in the league (Ray Allen) who becomes a mentor to Rondo immediately. I'm sure he picked up a few things from watching Pierce as well. "The Truth" is the kinda guy who gets stabbed 11 times and still shows up for training camp. I've seen the guy get his teeth knocked out multiple times and still come back to finish the game. Rondo basically had three unique superstars with unique personalities to observe up close. None of them are the type who giggle and dance prior to a game. They have their unique approaches to preparation and execution, but they all do anything possible to win and had carried teams on their own.
To top it off, they bring another veteran point guard who had lead multiple championship teams (Sam Cassell) to back up Rondo and act as another mentor throughout that season.
Celtics win the title... Rondo gets to immediately feel what it's like to be a part of a championship squad. The next year, just for kicks, Ainge brings in another former "star" point guard to back up Rondo (Marbury)... just in case Rondo hadn't learned enough. Thanks to some injuries, Rondo is forced to try to carry the team in the 09 playoffs... he does his best (nearly averaging a triple double) and learns what it's like to be "the man" on a good team.
I couldn't be more impressed with the ROndo I am seeing right now. In a few short years he's become the leader of a championship contender. He's consistently been the best player on the court and is unquestionably controlling this team right now. I'm not willing to say he's the "best point guard in the league" (DWill and CP3 are better), but he's definitely in the top 4 and is a legitimate star in this league. Does Rondo become this player had he spent the last 4 years on the Clippers? I seriously doubt it. In a thread a while back we joked that the 3 year arc of this team was a lot like Star Wars. Celtic Pride was dead (the jedi were all gone)... a young kid gets two jedi mentors KG and Ray/Obiwan and Yoda, Celtic Pride is revived and they blow up the death star (08 title). The 2nd act, the team struggles (the empire strikes back), but Luke/Rondo begin to fulfill their destiny. If this is the 3rd act, Luke becomes a full fledged jedi master/Rondo leads a reborn Celtic Pride into the next decade. lol
Topic: Rajon Rondo and "Outliers" (Read 966 times)