Have you ever been guilty of throwing a paper in a bin and yelling out the name ‘Kobe!’? I for sure know that I have! Fadeaway jumper, the lot!
With Kobe Bryant having retired this month, you’d be lying if you said he hasn’t had one of the best careers in the history of basketball, arguably in sport. From managing to stay at the LA Lakers for the entirety of his career [20 years, talk about job security!], to dropping 60 points in his last game! He has won multiple accolades – this is his legacy.
LEG-UH-SEE
Anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor
Example Kobe’s Legacy = the impact that he had on the game
What will they say about you when it’s all said and done?
Here are a couple steps which can lead you down the right path, whatever your goals are in basketball.
Knowing what you want with basketball?
The first step of achieving your goals in basketball is to know what basketball means to you.
Your goals may be to simply learn the game and have fun, to play basketball in University, or to play professionally. All of these goals are different; therefore meaning that the effort needed to be put in will also vary drastically. It’s not unusual for several players of similar ability to have very different goals, even if they are on the same team.
Only once you know what you are aiming for, can you make a purposeful path which leads to its achievement…
How much do you want it?
As this blog is for primarily addressing aspiring ballers, you will need to Eat, sleep and breathe it! Like with anything, you must truly love what you do [basketball in this instance] to be successful.
UNDERSTAND THAT IT WON’T BE EASY
Although it can be argued that basketball is an easier sport to get into, it’s important you know that there are thousands if not millions of others around the globe who share your dreams – aka competition!
In order to compete and be the very best a good work ethic is needed! In other words if it were that easy there would be no legacy such as Kobe’s – everyone would be on 30million a year, starting and five chips a piece – I think you get my point, life doesn’t work that way.
There will be things that you cannot control
I would strongly recommend that every player take heed to what I’m about to say. Whereas working very hard can help you achieve your goals, again just like in the real world, there are some things that you cannot control. Some things are very difficult to control, and now things are impossible to control. These things can include
- What players a team already has
- How a coach sees you as a player
- your height
- your current situation
My advice to every player is that you make a progressive plan on how you plan on tackling such factors, where possible, to find ways to work around these issues. Life is about the survival of the fittest (– and we all know that ball is life!). If your dreams are big enough and you’re optimistic you can learn to work with and overcome such adversity.
This is now what you call working smart!
The way to start – setting goals
Now you know what basketball is to you and the things beyond your control, you are on the path to making attainable goals.
There are many ways that one can go about achieving their goals; however here is one that I would suggest which makes it easier to monitor the short-term and long-term progress, this will keep you motivated to work consistently and effectively toward your goals. This means breaking down your end goal into smaller goals.
First step take a hard look in the mirror – know your situation
Although we all feed off the phrase ‘anything is possible’, it is not always possible forever. Believe it or not some achievements have best before dates (just like on the cap of milk). Now mind you I didn’t say expiry date for a reason – some unlikely things still go on in the game of basketball. Check out Pablo Prigioni being an NBA rookie aged 29. There may well be the potential to have done so in the past. For many goals, there can be time limits and/or other factors that can come into play which could affect the probability success.
Example: Being ruled ineligible to play in the NCAA, due to playing pro – forfeiting your amateur status.
Do your research
A lot of the time, it can be as easy as a having a conversation to find out what has happened to several people in similar positions to the ones that you are in. Even though their story may differ to yours, you can learn a lot from the decisions/mistakes of those who have walked similar paths before you. With this preparation you can make the most informed, least risky decisions, whilst knowing potential outcomes. Now who wouldn’t want that?
In closing
Kobe, worked VERY hard (you can actually read about his work ethic here) to get to where he is today. He had dreams and goals long before he was an NBA great; just like anybody else he also faced his own share of trying times. It was the actually his drive to overcome that adversity which led to his achievements which is his legacy.
Congratulations, you are officially closer to your goal already just by making a plan. To give yourself the best shot, it is vital that you remain motivated, as this is what sees you through the hard times of your endeavours and there will be some of those too.
What will your legacy be?
? REST IN PEACE Kobe Bryant, Gigi and all those onboard.
