Do you remember the Dominique Wilkins, Mookie Blaylock, and Lenny Wilkins era of the Atlanta Hawks? If so, you may also recall that Pete Babcock was the General Manager of the Hawks from 1990-2003. I have been privileged enough to network with Pete over the past several weeks, and want to share some of the interesting things I have learned from him.
Before entering the NBA, Babcock was a high school basketball coach in Phoenix, AZ, following his playing career at Arizona State. Babcock desperately wanted to be involved with the NBA, but was not sure of the best way to enter the profession. Interestingly, Babcock spent an entire season, while still coaching in high school, building a file on each NBA team in the league. When the season ended, Babcock wrote each NBA team and attached a copy of his scouting report for that team. Further, Babcock volunteered his scouting services for free to whichever team would take him. The New Orleans Jazz were the only team that accepted his offer. From there, Babcock networked with others, notably Jack McCloskey, and eventually worked his way up to becoming the General Manager of the Clippers and later the Hawks.
Some of the most interesting things I have learned from him concern player evaluation and family. Some of you may have seen the movie Moneyball. One of the key premises of the movie hinges on the ability of a professional sports organization to use empirical, or statistical, analysis to draft and acquire players. I asked Babcock what his thoughts were on making decisions solely based on numbers. I loved his response. Babcock argued that numbers are important and certainly must be considered. However, there are many other qualitative aspects that statistics cannot encompass.
As an example, suppose you have a center who averages 25 points/game and 10 rebounds/game on a team with another dominant big man (i.e., power forward). While these statistics are useful for a aspiring team to acknowledge, a qualitative analyst may ask questions about that team's chemistry and the impact of having another dominant forward/center on the same team. In other words, just because a player produces impeccable numbers on a given team, it does not necessarily mean that player's statistics will be held constant on another team with different chemistry and personnel. Thus, from chatting with Babcock, I learned that a mixed approach seems most effective.
Babcock's dedication to player development truly impressed me. Yes, the primary goal of a general manager is to field winning teams, but Babcock knew that family and investment were significant as well. When becoming acquainted with Babcock, I loved hearing about his team's "field trips" to various sites and monuments on road trips. When the team traveled to cities with notable landmarks, Babcock often arranged for the team to visit these places as an educational and bonding experience. For example, when the team played in Washington, D.C., Babcock was able to connect with the Secretary of Defense, who personally gave the team a tour of the entire Pentagon! When the team was in Denver, the team arranged a field trip to the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker (aka NORAD bunker) near Colorado Springs. If you are not familiar with this bunker, it is a command center that is located inside a mountain and supposed to be able to withstand a nuclear explosion. Can you imagine being able to take a field trip there? Babcock remarked that players, such as Nazr Mohammed, later came and told him that the field trip to the bunker was one of their favorite experiences with the franchise.
There's a lot more I could say about Pete Babcock, but I hope I have given you some perspective on him. After meeting with him, I will notably remember his path to success in the NBA. In today's world, where jobs seem scarce and even more competitive, I learned that if you have a passion for a career in a particular area, live your passion. Sure, employers may pose barriers and may decline upon first encounter, but Babcock showed me ways to market myself and my abilities - through volunteering, hard work, and perseverance. Remember, only 1 NBA team allowed Babcock to serve as a volunteer scout, and that's all it took to help Babcock network and eventually become a general manager!
Before entering the NBA, Babcock was a high school basketball coach in Phoenix, AZ, following his playing career at Arizona State. Babcock desperately wanted to be involved with the NBA, but was not sure of the best way to enter the profession. Interestingly, Babcock spent an entire season, while still coaching in high school, building a file on each NBA team in the league. When the season ended, Babcock wrote each NBA team and attached a copy of his scouting report for that team. Further, Babcock volunteered his scouting services for free to whichever team would take him. The New Orleans Jazz were the only team that accepted his offer. From there, Babcock networked with others, notably Jack McCloskey, and eventually worked his way up to becoming the General Manager of the Clippers and later the Hawks.
Some of the most interesting things I have learned from him concern player evaluation and family. Some of you may have seen the movie Moneyball. One of the key premises of the movie hinges on the ability of a professional sports organization to use empirical, or statistical, analysis to draft and acquire players. I asked Babcock what his thoughts were on making decisions solely based on numbers. I loved his response. Babcock argued that numbers are important and certainly must be considered. However, there are many other qualitative aspects that statistics cannot encompass.
As an example, suppose you have a center who averages 25 points/game and 10 rebounds/game on a team with another dominant big man (i.e., power forward). While these statistics are useful for a aspiring team to acknowledge, a qualitative analyst may ask questions about that team's chemistry and the impact of having another dominant forward/center on the same team. In other words, just because a player produces impeccable numbers on a given team, it does not necessarily mean that player's statistics will be held constant on another team with different chemistry and personnel. Thus, from chatting with Babcock, I learned that a mixed approach seems most effective.
Babcock's dedication to player development truly impressed me. Yes, the primary goal of a general manager is to field winning teams, but Babcock knew that family and investment were significant as well. When becoming acquainted with Babcock, I loved hearing about his team's "field trips" to various sites and monuments on road trips. When the team traveled to cities with notable landmarks, Babcock often arranged for the team to visit these places as an educational and bonding experience. For example, when the team played in Washington, D.C., Babcock was able to connect with the Secretary of Defense, who personally gave the team a tour of the entire Pentagon! When the team was in Denver, the team arranged a field trip to the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker (aka NORAD bunker) near Colorado Springs. If you are not familiar with this bunker, it is a command center that is located inside a mountain and supposed to be able to withstand a nuclear explosion. Can you imagine being able to take a field trip there? Babcock remarked that players, such as Nazr Mohammed, later came and told him that the field trip to the bunker was one of their favorite experiences with the franchise.
There's a lot more I could say about Pete Babcock, but I hope I have given you some perspective on him. After meeting with him, I will notably remember his path to success in the NBA. In today's world, where jobs seem scarce and even more competitive, I learned that if you have a passion for a career in a particular area, live your passion. Sure, employers may pose barriers and may decline upon first encounter, but Babcock showed me ways to market myself and my abilities - through volunteering, hard work, and perseverance. Remember, only 1 NBA team allowed Babcock to serve as a volunteer scout, and that's all it took to help Babcock network and eventually become a general manager!
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