Growing the next Larry Bird

I'm making a plan.....
When I look at my baby boy, I see what can be... I see hopes and dreams... I see so many paths and possibilities waiting to decide the character of my son.... In short, I see opportunity.  I don't know if every father sees this in his son when he watches him play, but it is a rush of emotion and thoughts when I do.  What do I want for him?... To grow up and become someone that inspires others. Frankly,  I want to grow the next Larry Bird.  Now saying that doesn't mean that my 401K is going to be spent on a crazy European adventure any time soon.  I'm not talking about making a millionaire basketball stud.   No, what I mean by that is I want my son to have the traits that made a seemingly ordinary looking fellow with feathered hair gain the nickname "Larry Legend".  So after watching the Bird vs. Magic series once again, I wanted to list 5 of the things that I strive to impart to my son that I feel Larry best embodied.
1. Always assume things are going your way-  When Larry was down, he didn't ever switch his game up and start to play defensively.  He was always on the attack, always looking to drive the nail in the coffin and go home a winner. Always stay optimistic!
2. Surprise people by giving more than they think you have- I'm not meaning dollars here folks, I mean guts.  As an adult, the majority of things that we do are in a team oriented environment.  When your group knows that you have done what was expected of you, and then even maybe picked up a little slack from a team mate (colleague) it will rarely go unnoticed.  You might not get immediate praise from your group, but that will stick in their mind and guess who they will look to when the chips are down... #33
3. Make those around you better-  Larry was on a good team, but he made them all better.  Being able to inspire those around you to step their game up to the next level is pretty key.  Helping others to reach their potential will never be forgotten, and you will always be the cornerstone to a championship team.
4. Be able to admit you had an off night-  Sometimes even the Legend had a bad night.  He took a much different approach than what seems to be en vogue now.  He took full responsibility for not only himself, but his team.  He understood that being a leader meant being responsible for those around you.
5. Have laser focus-  Without having that insane focus he showed night after night, Bird couldn't have sunk such clutch game winning shots.  He was able to really understand what was important, tune everything else out, and complete the task in front of him.
     These 5 things are so important in life as well as basketball, that I wouldn't be doing my job as a father if I didn't introduce my son to these traits.  I struggle with these myself, so I will have to concentrate on becoming a better man to lead by example while he's growing up.
Oh yeah, I also can't wait to show him how to drain 3's while the defense is all over you..