For Jan Jensen, assigning playing time involves more than tallying stats. She employs a simple-yet-sophisticated system, assessing performance and protecting what she calls a “special” culture in Iowa’s women’s basketball program.

Robert Horry, renowned for winning championships with three different teams throughout his 16-year NBA career, reveals a vastly different — and disappointing — experience during his stint with the Phoenix Suns. He describes their culture as so off-putting that, by his account, “If we’d have had cigars, they’d be smoking cigars, man.”