Winning The Title: On and Off The Court

                              

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks for their Championship title. It was a great series with plenty of suspense, uncertainties, and very big plays. In watching this entire series two words continue to come to mind: perseverance and sportsmanship.

Both are pertinent qualities on the court, but they have just as much meaning off the court. Neither team just showed up at the finals. Both teams had to persevere through personal and athletic setbacks and triumphs. Playing through fevers, media stories, and just the pressure of playing on the big stage could all be issues that would make some people give up. The players on both teams pushed through it all and never looked back; in fact it was evident on the court that they used it as fuel to keep going. We all will experience setbacks but its how you use those setbacks to keep going that’s ultimately important. If you never give up on trying then ultimately you will succeed.

While dealing with these setbacks, you are going to have some small defeats. Sportsmanship is more than just being able to shake someone’s hand after the game. It’s respecting your opponent’s abilities and skills. Those who have high levels of sportsmanship not only respect their opponents, in time of defeat or victory, they do what they can to learn from them. If your opponent has caused you to come up short, look at it as a challenge. Learn their skills, find out how they were able to come up victorious, and then use that to strengthen your game. Again, this isn’t just a court lesson, this is a life lesson. 

Living a Dream

Tuesday’s game proved to be interesting. My pick for the NBA Champions is not wavering; the Mavericks will take this all the way. The Heat played very aggressive ball, especially in the second half. The Mavs are going to have to really focus on their strengths. The Mavericks have been playing great ball all season long. They didn’t accidently emerge overnight. This team has a solid game plan, they just need to execute it and remember what got them to the Championship.


Dirk’s game was great. He was flawless from the free throw line, which is going to be pivotal in the upcoming games. I’m excited to see what he’s going to do over this series. The guy put up a solid 27 points and he’s only getting started.


My love for this game extends well past my playing years. I enjoy watching the game, talking about the game, and just sharing that love and respect for the game with those around me. My summer is definitely going to be busy but I will always make time for my family and basketball. Sometimes I get lucky and I’m able to combine the two. I play with my son and his friends. And the answer is yes, I do beat them and I remind them that I’m still the boss. It’s always a joy to spend that time with them. Working with the youth has always been a passion of mine and spending that time with my son is no exception.


That passion helped me develop various camp programs. I have a camp coming up in June and I’m really looking forward to it. To have the opportunity to help kids who are determined to improve is inspirational in itself. It’s not always about the level of talent that will carry someone, the amount of dedication and sacrifices have been proven to carry people far above talent. Having these camps gives me the opportunity to teach technique and skills, but most importantly it gives me the opportunity to condition the minds of the youth. Mental strength is more than half the battle when training. I enjoy every day of camp, but watching those kids leave that court with more knowledge, more skills, and more confidence than they entered is always rewarding. It reminds me why I’m #ALLIN.