I came across a two nuggets this week:
UCLA Coach John Wooden won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years. During that period, his teams won 88 consecutive games. Here is a quote from him:
"I think it's the little things that really count. The first thing I would show our players at our first meeting was how to take a little extra time putting on their shoes and socks properly. The most important part of your equipment is your shoes and socks. You play on a hard floor. So you must have shoes that fit right. And you must not permit your socks to have wrinkles around the little toe--where you generally get blisters--or around the heels. It took just a few minutes, but I did show my players how I wanted them to do it. Hold up the sock, work it around the little toe area and the heel area so that there are no wrinkles. Smooth it out good. Then hold the sock up while you put the shoe on. And the shoe must be spread apart--not just pulled on the top laces. You tighten it up snugly by each eyelet. Then you tie it. And then you double-tie it so it won't come undone--because I don't want shoes coming untied during practice, or during the game. I don't want that to happen. I'm sure that once I started teaching that many years ago, it did cut down on blisters. It definitely helped. But that's just a little detail that coaches must take advantage of, because it's the little details that make the big things come about."
Then during one of the preseason games the commentators were talking about Mikal and how he has not missed a game in over 400 consecutive games and Mikal says he attributes it to stretching not only before games, but after games, too. Now of course, there is a lot of luck involved. Stretching doesn't help if you've been undercut, or twisted an ankle when someone steps on your foot, or tackled by by Embid. However, you do what is within your control.
Now I don't know what OG's and Mitch's routines are, but they certainly are more injury prone than the average guy. What if, Humor me here, WHAT IF, Mikal's supplemental value in coming to the Knicks is that some of his routines for body management infiltrate the Knicks culture to be more prepared to prevent injuries?
I know what you're going to say, these guys are professional, and have professional trainers, etc.
But you never know... Just maybe. A brother can dream. Stretch, OG, stretch!