#BLOG 27
The NBA is the best drama series. The game of basketball itself is dramatic. March Madness, the NBA Playoffs, even the NBA Summer league has my attention. The game is fantastic. It’s fast-paced and aggressive, it’s practically poetry in motion. But, the story-lines are even better.
The NBA is basically the Keeping up with the Kardashians tailored for men. It has me hooked for 12 months of the year and I always find myself reading about trade rumors, listening to podcasts about the rookies playing in summer league and making predictions about the upcoming season.
As fans of the sport. We are lucky to watch players like LeBron, Steph, Durant, and Kyrie who are able to take over the fourth quarter and will their teams back to victory all on their own. Possession after possession they can seamlessly do whatever they want to on the court. They flick a switch and just elevate to another level with ease. Call it hero ball. It’s just innate in these guys. They have the confidence in their abilities to just ‘go ham’, full-throttle, and get a bucket at will. When the team needs to force a turnover, this guy comes through with a timely block.
When they are getting double-teamed, this guy still comes through with a big play.
They always seem to make the clutch shot in crunch time.
Every Time these clutch moments give me chills. As a kid growing up in Western Mass, I would go to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. At the Hall, they are a big open court and every half hour the lights go down and Sirius by The Alan Sirius Project would come on. I remember standing at mid-court with a ball in my left-hand, countdown from ten, and create a magical clutch moment in my head put up a shot for the win. It was electric.
Even when I play pick-up basketball with my friends or in an intramural game my mindset has to be, “I am the best player on the court.” I may not be the most talented or athletic, but I am going to work harder than you. I am going to bust my ass on defense and push the ball up court to make a play. It’s that competitive edge that drives me, it’s the intensity that makes me and the teammates around me better. I am not afraid to play hero ball and neither should you.
This mentality doesn’t just pertain to the NBA or a simple pick-up game, but in your daily work. That mentality of being confident in your skill-set and your ability to solve problems is crucial in every situation. When you walk into work you should expect that you will face a new problem every day. New challenges arise all the time. You might not have all the answers but you say to yourself, “I can do that.” No matter what it is, you do your research, gather your materials, and tackle the problem and get the job done. You want to be that person who people come to with their problems, because you are the person that delivers time and time again.
Why do you think these superstars get multi-million dollar max-deals? They are the unicorns of the league. They can pass, score, rebound, defend, and produce night after night. You want to be that person in your work, the jack-of-all trades, who add value to the company. Hero Ball is not cockiness, or hubris. Hero Ball is rational confidence in your abilities. The trust you put in yourself knowing you will get the job done. That doesn’t mean who should chuck up a half-court shot, or dazzle the crowd with a behind the back pass. Know your capabilities and execute. Sirius by the Alan Parsons Project comes on. The ball is in your court. It’s time to make a play.
– Jake Beman