The Art of Winning

David Andersen takes us back in to his basketball journey and the ingredients behind championship success.

When the proverbial, and literal, lights are at their brightest, David Andersen is unmoved. Picture the Final Four of the Euroleague, one of the grandest of stages and the pinnacle of European basketball. A frenzied atmosphere fills the stadium, and the noise is deafening. Barrel-chested men, hairs bristling, chant furious slogans, baying for blood.

It is a literal colosseum.

“The truth is to keep your emotions in check,” Andersen tells The Pick and Roll, “so you’re not overly nervous.” 

On this stage, it’s either flight or fight. The scrutiny on the court feels amplified to preposterous, unbearable levels. Yet, he remains relaxed.

“For me, it was like I kind of had that I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude,” he says. That sentiment does not mean he does not care about the game - far from it. Instead, it’s a mantra that defines his laser-like focus in the moment, and how a broad worldview has helped him to gain perspective, elevating his game to new heights.

It’s an attitude that has followed him across every single stop across a trophy-laden European sojourn, a dream-come-true stint in the NBA, and a triumphant return back home in Australia as well. 

That journey began when a young Andersen signed with Italian club Virtus Bologna, where he would join forces with the likes of Manu Ginóbili, Marko Jaric, Antoine Rigaudeau, Alessandro Frosini, Rashard Griffith, and Matjaž Smodiš. That team was coached by the legendary Ettore Messina.

“He was very demanding,” says Andersen. “We used to bump heads a lot.”

According to Andersen, Messina, the former San Antonio Spurs assistant, who would also coach Andersen later at CSKA Moscow, was intense, and a tough taskmaster. And yet funnily enough, during the biggest of games, Messina would exude a calm demeanour. Instead of ratcheting up the intensity, his delivery would soften, and he would urge his team to pause and take in the moment.

Guys, this is a big stage. Everyone wants to be where you guys are. Go out and enjoy it.

It is the same principle that enabled Andersen to perform at his best. He would rock up to games in a relaxed state. In the lead up to the game, he could be found either reading a book, or playing sudoku. A few of his teammates, who were wound up from nervous energy, would exclaim at his calm.

Dave! What are you doing? It’s the biggest game of the season and you’re reading a book?!

Andersen would seem perplexed, almost bemused by the hyper-intensity of his teammates - steely-eyed and focused, a picture of pregame nerves and excitement.

He did not need to hype himself up to be able to perform at his best. At its most intense, Andersen would excel and play at his peak, culminating in some of his biggest performances in the Final Four of the EuroLeague.

“I felt comfortable in that kind of scenario,” he says.

Any way you parse it, Andersen has been a winner.

His trophy cabinet is absurd. He’s a three-time Euroleague winner. He’s won league titles in Italy (three times), Russia (four times), Spain and France. He then returned to Australia and won two titles with the NBL’s Melbourne United. And that tally doesn’t even include the Cup competition triumphs.

His individual accolades include All-EuroLeague First Team honours (2005) as well as Finals MVPs in Italy and Turkey across league and Cup competitions.

I ask Andersen what the secret is, when it comes to winning so consistently. If anyone should know, it’s him.