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There is only one way …
…to play basketball: HARD!
A legendary basketball shirt says, “There is only one way to play basketball: HARD!” This is more than understandable. Why are there still so many professional basketball players that just don’t get it?
January on planet Earth: the so-called “dog days” in the NBA. There is just less excitement in the world’s best basketball league as the old year ends and the new is about to begin. The freshness of the first weeks is over, more and more players are getting injured and the away games to Milwaukee, Minnesota and Chicago feel like trips to Antarctica. On top of this, the main goal – the playoffs – is still far away. Of course, some teams are still winning, but the level of commitment is a bit lower; the season has a lot of games left and the guys are just resting their legs.
A whole different story is going on in the NCAA. Teams are playing for the best possible spot within their conferences to get a good seat for the conference tournaments. The NCAA season is short, so each game is much more important than in the NBA. Crazy college fans and a culture of total commitment (thanks to even crazier coaches) can be seen on the courts of any university – not so much within the NBA.
Passion is a given, one of the most important things in sports, even in life and still some people just don’t get it, whether during the NBA draft, the signing of a new player, or choosing your team at pickup games. No talent is required for passion and yet much can be achieved with the feeling itself. Nobody has to be able to shoot, play defense or rebound to be passionate about basketball: You just have to want it.
Passion leads to commitment; it just gets you over the hump to go even harder. Passion causes fear … in your opponent. Each of us knows a basketball player like this: The guy who always goes 100 percent, from practice to the game’s deciding moments. He runs every fast break, dives for every ball and drives to the basket at full speed. Nobody really wants to play a guy like this, because it means hard work and pain. He also requires that you play 100 percent at all times. You’d rather play a talented but less intense guy and take a break from time to time. You’d rather have that passionate guy on your team than on the opposition.
Even teams can be like this: teams that play as one unit, who talk on the court, see themselves as one unit and take responsibility for their teammates. These are also teams that you don’t really want to play, because they will be there all the time, never stopping and helping out each other. These are the teams that win.
If you bring together passion and talent, something great emerges: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman, the Chicago Bulls, even Dirk Nowitzki. This list would not exist without talent and unlimited commitment.
This brings up the question: “Why are there still some teams and players that are not like that and are fine with less than 100 percent when they step on the court? Why are they even stepping on the court or playground when they won’t do ANYTHING to win a game or at least improve themselves?
Can you answer these questions (send them in to crew@5ivemag.com)? I can’t…
