Most coaches are upset when a basketball player misses a free-throw. But this situation was different, and coach Dave Rohlman made sure his player knew that this time he was expected to miss the shots. "You realize you're going to miss them, don't you?" Rohlman said. Darius McNeal nodded his head. He understood, and missed the free-throws by a mile! What was going on?

It was a lesson in sportsmanship.

Here's another account of this amazing, unusual story of sportsmanship... no, it's not so much sportsmanship as it is selflessness.  Sportsmanship would be playing the game sincerely and to the best of one's ability within the rules and spirit of the game without gloating over a win or doing anything unreasonable to harm another, nor getting unreasonably upset.

Despite winning this particular game

It hasn't been the greatest season for the team, but they have stuck together through a lot of adversity.

"We maybe don't have the best basketball players in the world but they go to class and take care of business," (Milwaukee coach) Womack said. "We have a losing record but there's life lessons going on, good ones."

None so good, though, as the moment a team and a player decided there were more important things than winning and having good stats.

I loved the comment DeKalb coach Rohlman later made:

"This is something our kids will hold for a lifetime.  They may not remember our record 20 years from now, but they'll remember what happened in that gym that night."

As we live and work and interact with others, what can we do to develop a sensitivity to what's most important?  To live out our personal Purpose, Vision(s), and Mission(s) in alignment with our core Values?