The Potential of One

One of the all-time great players in the history of professional basketball was Bob Cousy, a guard for the Boston Celtics in the years when this team began dominating the sport much in the way the New York Yankees did in baseball for many years. The time Cousy came into prominence was when professional basketball - at least compared to how things are today - was very stilted. There were lots of bounce passes, traditional one-on-one coverage and no slam-dunks. While a number of the players were quite talented, their style of play lacked the flamboyance that so many of us take for granted today. The reason for this was simple: the players were not trained or coached to be flashy.




It was Cousy, in the span of several seconds one game, who changed the trajectory of the entire sport. Dribbling down the court, he passed the ball to a teammate behind his back. Other than players on the Harlem Globetrotters, who did that? The answer: no one. But Cousy kept doing it and fans reacted with great excitement. It was not long before other players began replicating Cousy's style of play. The result was what we see today in players at the professional level as well as among youngsters in simple pick-up games.


In professional communication, perhaps the equivalent of the behind-the-back pass can be associated with Edward Bernays. It was this icon in the world of public relations who initiated the concept of mass manipulation, swaying public opinion via staged events or activities designed to appeal to people's emotions. Whether it was generating support for World War I or encouraging women to smoke in public, Bernays' vision of  taping into people's sense of horror, pride, patriotism, etc. has gone on to become a cornerstone of public outreach efforts in today's world of advertising, marketing, and team building. Cousy and Bernays are reminders of how one person, regardless of their area of expertise, can have a significant impact on our society.