Now that we know who will be competing in this year’s NBA Finals, let’s take a moment to applaud all of the hard work, commitment, and heart required not just to make it to the big show but simply to compete at the highest level of any sport or profession.
How does a basketball player become elite? Obviously, certain physical traits contribute to success in this particular sport; basketball sages love to assert that “you can’t coach height.” Yet, plenty of big men and women have washed out of every league with little to no distinction. Ask any of the greats the source of their success on the court, and they all sound the same. In fact, the lessons hoops legends share apply in any area that benefits from coaching, practice, and commitment:
It is said that good things come to those who wait. I believe that good things come to those who work.
–Wilt Chamberlain
You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed. You’re not gonna succeed all the time and I know that.
–LeBron James
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.
–Michael Jordan
I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
–Larry Bird
In life, winning and losing will both happen. What is never acceptable is quitting.
–Magic Johnson
It’s not about the number of hours you practice, it’s about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice
–Kobe Bryant
You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.
–Jerry West
Every time you compete, try harder to improve on your last performance. Give nothing short of your very best effort.
–Elgin Baylor
Learn from the best in basketball on your path to earning your best test scores. The path to the top requires putting in extra effort, learning from your mistakes, working relentlessly, and never giving up. As a powerful Karl-Anthony Towns Gatorade ad exhorts, if you want to be the one and only and not just one of many, give that extra ounce.
Mike Bergin