Dillon Boucher was so sure he'd made the 2000 Olympic team that his wife had already booked her flights. But when they announced the squad in alphabetical order — by the third one he knew he hadn’t been selected.
What Dillon did next is the definition of commitment.
He quit his job, started a coaching business so he could keep a ball in his hands all day, and trained until his fingertips split open.
By his own admission, pursuing basketball full-time back then was “absolutely madness.”
Dillon made the Tall Blacks the following year and went on to become one of our greatest ever.
In this conversation the unlikely legend unpacks how someone with no natural athleticism built a career at the top: the coach whose belief changed everything, why every loose ball is critical, the difference between consequences and punishment, and why the willingness to do hard things is the most underrated strategic advantage there is - on the court, in the boardroom, and at home.
Whether you're leading a team, raising kids, or wondering if you're good enough for the room you're in, this one's for you.
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A huge thanks to Celebrity Speakers for supporting this episode. If you want to book Dillon Boucher for a keynote and leave your audience hungry for more, visit celebrityspeakers.co.nz.
Hunger & Heart is brought to you by the Crusaders Leadership Programme™. Whether you're coaching under-5s or a professional team, we all want the same thing: to build cultures of trust, get the best out of our people, and grow players into leaders.
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