For example, in the course of a basketball game, many analogies can
be made to what transpires in a person's life.
The ups and downs, the challenges, the adversities and what it
takes to meet them head on.
The dynamics in the game of basketball
very much correspond to what takes place in life.
As in basketball, so in life:
1. Learn and master the fundamentals of the game.
Before you can play the game of basketball you must learn the
basics or fundamentals - how to play the game, how to pass, to
dribble, run the court and shoot the ball. You have to develop the
necessary skills to play at an acceptable level.
Lesson: In life you must also
learn the basics. You must establish what it (life) is, what it
means to you and want you from it. You must then develop the
requisite
skills and strategies for attaining it.
2. Be prepared both mentally and physically.
Elite athletes know that you can't function optimally or
win games if you're not prepared both mentally and physically. You
must be in great physical shape to withstand a long, grueling and
demanding basketball season. Equally important, you must have mental
fitness. Mental fitness includes a positive, willing and winning
mindset. One without the other will not win games.
Lesson: Being prepared
mentally and physically
is equally essential in life.
3. Be unselfish and a team player.
Basketball is a team sport, which means it requires
contribution and co-operation from every member in order to play
well and win. Everyone must focus, work together and fulfill their
individual roles for the common good of the team.
As great of a player that Michael Jordan was, he did not win any
championships until he learned to involve his teammates by trusting
them and distributing the ball.
In one of the highest scoring games
of his career, where he scored 63 points and set a playoff game
record, his team lost to the Boston Celtics. In a sport where
individual greatness is in large part measured by winning a
championship ring, personal glory does not get the job done.
Lesson: So it is with life. Contribute, co-operate and
share.
4. Be alert and aware. Anticipate the play.
The greatest players in basketball have all been credited for
having extraordinary court vision and awareness. Larry Bird, Magic
Johnson, Michael Jordan, and other great players knew exactly where
everyone was on the court, the other players' tendencies, and which plays
would work against the different teams. The ability to anticipate
and be ready for a play made them active, rather than reactive,
players in a game. It's one of the factors that separates the great
players from good players.
Lesson: Being conscious and
aware in life sets the stage for achievement.
5. If the plays aren't working, re-adjust the game plan.
Every great basketball player knows that when your plays aren't working you have to adjust, and then adjust some more. The
varying strengths and styles of different opponents require
different tactics. You have to be able to withstand and respond to
whichever attacks an opponent uses on you.
Lesson: Life presents us with
many challenges for which we must adjust our game plan.
6. Never give up on the play. Persevere.
Another characteristic common to the brilliance of Larry, Magic and Michael was that they never gave up on a play.
When they
missed shots they would be the ones to retrieve their own rebounds,
dive for loose balls, outwit defenders, and make every last second
count (many times it did). They were willing to do the small things
that the statistics didn't reflect. Many a dagger was thrust into
an opponent's heart when the outcome of the game seemed a foregone
conclusion. Why? Because they never gave up. Not on the play, not on
the game, not on themselves!
Lesson:
Persevere. Never, ever, ever give
up.
7. Win more games than you lose, but accept both victory and
defeat graciously.
No matter what sport you play, you can't win every game. In
a 7 game championship series, two evenly matched teams often win
only one more game than they've lost. It takes blood, sweat and
tears to win a championship. If you give it everything you've got,
no matter what the outcome, you can walk away with your head held
high. Learn what it takes to win and come back and try again. Larry,
Magic and Michael before they won, lost many, many games and
championships. They had to learn to accept defeat before they
understood what it took to win.
Lesson: So it is with life.
Everything will not always go your way. There will be both
losses and wins. If you give everything your best shot and
learn the lessons along the way, you will come out a
winner.
"A winner is someone who
recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off
to develop them into skills, and uses these skills
to accomplish his goals."
Larry
Bird
"Ask not
what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can
do for your teammates."
Magic Johnson
"I've failed over and
over and over again in my life and that is why I
succeed."
As
I mentioned in the article on 
