Donald J. Trump is to politics what Larry Bird was to basketball.
When Bird played at my Alma Mater, he was regarded at the greatest white guy to ever play the game, his teammates were average in skills but good team players.
Bird was the master of the pivot. The key to pivoting is to keep one foot stationary and on the ground while staying on the move with the other foot in preparing to pass the ball or take a shot against the defender. The opposing team was geared to defend against Larry. There would often be more than one player defending against the Bird. Everything revolved around Larry either taking the shot or passing the ball to a teammate, who had an open shot, because all the defenders were drawn to Larry.
Larry had the skills to make his average teammates look better than they actually were, even great at times. He had the keen eye to always see the opening to shoot or to pass the ball (often while looking in another direction) to a teammate for an easy bucket.
The key for a great player is to stay on the move; he does not remain stationary, flat footed, or lean back on his heels. The ploy is to
fake the defender, often several times, before passing or shooting. Good players have one dominant foot off which they pivot. Larry was a double threat, because he could skillfully pivot off either foot, making it extremely difficult to defend against him.
A number of conservative commentators including Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter are concerned over the “compromising comments” made by the President at the televised bi-partisan meeting concerning comprehensive immigration reform.
From the beginning, I noticed a pattern in Trump’s playing the game of politics, especially during the primaries and general election. He would make statements that indicated a softening of some of his hardline positions only to come back within a week or so standing as firm at ever if not stronger than before.
Republicans were concerned that he would get his pivot foot off the ground, that is travel in basketball terms. The ground symbolizes Trump’s basic message. His foes thought they had thrown him off message. Neither Republicans or Democrats or the media knew when he was faking. He had phenomenal success in outmaneuvering everyone with his many fakes, then sinking his jump shot, usually for a three pointer. With so many unpredictable moves Trump’s opponents would become exhausted. He was faster than any of them.
Remember, the President is often speaking strategically (faking), which is part of the art of the deal. Watch the Trumpster as he sinks a three pointer in any upcoming immigration deal, like he did with the tax cut.
Now you know why Coach Bobby Knight liked Trump so well and encouraged him to run before he even announced his candidacy for the presidency. Knight, who scouted the some of the greatest that ever-played college basketball, knew a winner when he saw him. Much of coaching is successful recruiting.
Knight was a factor in recruiting Trump to get in the political arena. Knight missed out with Larry Bird, losing him to Indiana State. But he backed the right man for the Presidency. There has never been any player who dominated the game like Bird; in my life-time there has never been a President who has been as dominate as Trump.
