Unknown territories of everyday life: Life and Basketball

I would like to start this post with this quote:

Not only is there more to life than basketball, there's a lot more to basketball than basketball. -Phil Jackson

Basketball has always been my favourite sport. From the first time I saw my cousin and my older brother play, I knew I wanted to do the same. I knew that I wanted to be on the court and have fun. So, in my fourth grade of primary school I joined a team. There are many things that I learned through basketball. I could never had expected that those 7 years of my life would have such an influence on me. I think basketball made me tougher, more competitive, taught me a lot about being on the team, about trust and about strong will, work ethics and effort. I never was a very good player, but I always loved the game.

Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals. -James Naismith

When you are on the court, you know what your goal is- to win the game by giving your best. The same is in life. You always strive to be the best version yourself, even when you face the bad days. The truth is, for some people, being the best seems like a piece of cake. However, we rarely admit to ourselves that the best players, both on court and in life, are those who have worked the hardest and invested themselves completely in what they chose to do.

Those people are ready for the action when no one is. Those are the people who have guts to step up, when everyone's afraid. They know that little things that we do are the ones that determine whether we'll succeed. What we sometimes do not realize is that sometimes, small things are bigger than big things.

I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing.

- Kareem Adbul-Jabbar

We are facing challenges constantly through our lives. In basketball, we can struggle with the other team's strong defense or offense, with our own personal flaws in dribbling, shooting, etc. Obstacles are there to teach us how to jump over them. Flaws are there to show us what can be improved. No one is perfect, and that is why we need to practice and improve ourselves along the way.

Everything negative – pressure, challenges – are all an opportunity for me to rise.-Kobe Bryant

Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.- Tim Duncan

My dad once told me that only fools are not afraid. Whenever you are about to have an important game, in life or basketball, it is normal to be afraid. It means that you have something to lose. However, fear should never stop us from fighting and making progress.

I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me . . . Failure always made me try harder next time.- Michael Jordan

Whenever you have potential, you have to bear in mind that there are envious people who will not be happy to see you progress. So, do not listen to the mean comments, and don't the let strong words, which are coming from people who do not wish you well, tackle your enthusiasm. You are who you want to be. You are always what you ch

oose to be.

Don’t let what other people think decide who you are.-Dennis Rodman

Bad days, both on the court and in life are inevitable. Michael Jordan says:

I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot…and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why… I succeed.

Whenever we face a failure, it is up to us whether we will step back and give up, or come back stronger and more determined to correct the wrong and achieve what we intended in the first place.

You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.-Larry Bird

In order to succeed you need to try your hardest. You will never make a shot unless you dare to shoot towards the basket. Everything is possible in basketball. Everything is possible in life. You can win everything and lose everything in the blink of an eye. Therefore, never give up! Whenever you hear that something cannot be done, try even harder. When you are read

y to work your hardest, you are ready to win.

Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.-Larry Bird

In order to be the best version of yourself, you need to trust yourself that you can be one. You can push yourself only when you have a goal in front of you towards which you can push.

This is one of my favourite quotes:

There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren't willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.- Michael Jordan

As individuals, we must work on improving our skills. But, in the end, even with the best individuals, the team can be bad. A team is more than a sum of players. While I was playing basketball in the States, on my basketball equipment we have printed "ONE HEARTBEAT", two words to symbolize the strength of the team. You need to work with your friends, join potentials, support each other and never leave anybody behind. That is how any team in real life must function in order to succeed.

I have noticed that some players became great ones, not because of their talent but because of their passion and effort. It seems that all you need in order to be great, both in basketball and life is a strong determination, commitment, devotion and above all, you have to love the game.

It is not about what is outside. It is about the inside. About the heart. It is about the will. In the end, it doesn't matter if you are an all star player, the MVP; it doesn't matter how much money you're making, what shoes you're wearing... it is about how much you love the game.