Monday, November 10, 2008

Basketball as meditation

How does 67-year-old Knicks President of Basketball Ops Donnie Walsh deal with rebuilding a team that won 23 games last season?

According to an article in the Nov. 3 issue of New York magazine, "Walsh copes with the stress by meditating. He sits in the most comfortable chair in his new apartment on the Upper West Side, closes his eyes, and tunes out the world. Walsh has been taking a Zen vacation at least once a day for 25 years now."

Says Walsh:

"It clears my mind. I think too much, and if you're not thinking all the time, maybe you put yourself in a better position to make a decision. But if you want to see me meditate, watch me watch a basketball game. Meditation means focusing on one thing and that's what I do. I just watch. I really get into it. Watching is part of the reason I love the game, now that I can't play it."