Three Lessons for Any Athlete

Someone was nice enough to send me a YouTube clip of my final shot the other day.  Thankfully, it went in and our team won the game at the buzzer.  Viewing it led me to think a bit of my thought process during those final few seconds and why exactly, I think, the shot actually went in.  Here are a few things that came to mind.  They might help some young ballers out there.

1)  I have shot, more or less, the exact same shot, hundreds, probably thousands, of times.  Dribble hard left, absorb the contact of the defender and shoot with a slight fade.  I actually sent the link to my brother and another friend of mine who I used to work out with daily and jokingly said that they have seen that shot hundreds of times before.  It is no exaggeration.

2)  I was very, very relaxed.  There were a few times during the game when I got frustrated, but for the most part, I was pretty relaxed during the entire contest.  The game was tied at 70, so the worst that could happen would be us going to overtime if I missed.  Therefore, there was no reason to be anxious.  Actually, there never is, because there are certainly worse things than losing a game.

Anyhow, in order to make difficult shots, actually any shots,  it is essential to simply relax and let things flow.  The moment you try to make the shot, you miss it.  The days you want to win too much, you lose.  But when you just play, good things happen…most of the time.

3)  Oddly enough, it was better for me that my defender met me at half court.  I would have probably have had a more difficult time if he waited for me or kept moving back because I like absorbing the contact and creating space for the jump shot. Probably because of all the hundreds of times I played my brother and my good friends in one-on-one.  Thought that was interesting…at least to me.

The three things I just mentioned are all quite simple, but it is interesting to note that they each point to three realities that are essential for any athlete to apply.  First, practice a lot in order to prepare for great game moments. Second, relax and just play.  Don’t think.  Just respond.  Third, play to your strengths.  If you can really embrace and apply those three things, you, as an athlete, are bound to perform quite well.