Lazy and selfish basketball, there’s nothing I hate more. Whether you are playing professional, college, high school, or even pick-up ball, never conform to the norms that others set.
If you are playing basketball, pick-up ball in particular, you will always have games where people get lazy and don’t try too hard or don’t even play defense at all. Never let them stray you away from the goals you set. If you want to be the best you can be, complacency and laziness will never do you any good.
Be the person who changes the tempo of the game. When you are in a scrimmage or game, dive for those loose balls, hustle for the offensive boards, and put in your full effort.
‘That guy’ is the one to stop you from reaching your goals. ‘That guy’ is not always a person you are playing with, but it could also be an alter ego within you telling you that ‘you can do this later’ or ‘I’m tired, let’s do something else’.
He’s the one who says that you can’t make the NBA, or play in college, or make the varsity basketball team. ‘That guy’ is an idiot. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You decide your own fate and how far you can go in this sport.
Playing the game of basketball at a high level is a privilege. Sure, you can have natural born talent or height that give you an edge, but that is never enough. The hard work you put in during, not only games or practices, but also shoot-around and scrimmages, will be the deciding factor. You will encounter ‘that guy’ every so often in your life, but you can’t let him bring you down.
Don’t be the guy who lets others’ laziness rub off on you,
Never be the guy to say that certain feats are unreachable,
and most of all,
Never ever be the guy who lets others decide how good you can become.
