How do you hold a star athlete accountable? We asked those who have tried (and failed)

Editor’s note: This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering leadership, personal development and performance through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here.

It was after midnight on Halloween, and Ja Morant, the star of the Memphis Grizzlies, was frustrated. He stood before a group of reporters in the locker room. One asked what had gone wrong in a home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Morant pointed elsewhere.

Advertisement

“Go ask the coaching staff,” he said, before repeating: “Go ask them. They had a whole spiel in here.”

The “spiel,” in this case, was a rebuke from first-year Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who had called out Morant’s effort and leadership in front of the whole team. Morant responded with a terse interview that lasted 55 seconds. The incident led to a one-game suspension for Morant, weeks of consternation in Memphis and a widening of questions about Morant’s future and his own views of the organization and its leadership.

Still, the narrative is familiar: A head coach and a star player clash, leaving bruised egos and a fraught atmosphere. And even with much to sort out, the confrontations underscore one of the eternal questions of coaching: What is the best way to hold a player accountable?

If anything, sports locker rooms remain one of the last workplaces where harsh, unfiltered criticism remains a common motivational tactic. Gregg Popovich, the legendary former coach of the San Antonio Spurs, said he preferred “brutal, between-the-eyes honesty.” José Mourinho, one of the most successful soccer managers of all time, preached the virtues of “confrontation leadership,” routinely calling out his stars. And former NFL coach Bruce Arians used a direct, ruthless philosophy while leading two franchises to the Super Bowl, including a championship in Tampa Bay.

“For me, it’s like, ‘Hey, my door’s always open, man. Come on in,'” Arians said. “But you might not get the answer you’re looking for.