Losing Is Part Of The Game: Ask the Undisputed GOAT, King LeBron James!
Although painful, losing is a necessary part of the journey toward success; it helps us learn, grow, and improve.
LeBron James is the undisputed greatest N.B.A. player of all time. It's not even close. However, he has an "abysmal" 4-6 record in the finals. In many sports aficionados' eyes, this makes him a "loser" and takes him out of any "GOAT" conversation. They are WRONG!
Let me tell you why;
Wait, did I tell you about the first time I got my ass kicked in a fight?
No?
Well, here it goes…
SILK CITY
It was the mid-80s.
The era of scattered crack vials on school property, rumored killer clowns, and record-setting murder rates in the inner cities.
These facts did not stop parents from letting their kids play outside all day, as long as they made it home before the street lights came on.
Anyways, me…
I was living in Paterson, NJ, aka "Silk City," way down the hill in the jungle, deep, in the "Towers"-the place with the most incredible view of the Passaic River in the world!
Building 2.
Apt 3A.
Some call these building “the projects”
My asthma was terrible in those days, and I was always sick. When I wasn't in the hospital, I taught myself Karate, which I learned from the greatest Karate master on television-"Dolemite."
Self-taught, I gave myself a black belt in what I labeled "Signifying Monkey Karate"-don't judge me; this was the era before participation trophies, helicopter parenting, and before everything was a "microaggression" and "problematic"-in just two short months! What can I say? I was a natural at it!
I knew I wanted to put my style to the test, so I begged my mother to enroll me in Karate school. After about a month of nagging, we visited Eastern Fighting Arts (E.F.A.) in downtown Paterson, NJ, just a few minutes from where we lived. I was in love at first sight and joined on the spot.
I couldn't wait until the first class!
Day 1.
I walked in looking cleaner than the Board of Health. I smelled like Palmer's cocoa butter, and my waves were on 360-they were spinning, I mean spinning-had a pair of "Lee" jeans with a crease, a pair of Jordan 1s, with a crispy Izod Lacoste shirt-not a typo, that's what they were called back then!
I was handed my Gi to change into, but to my mofo surprise, it had a white belt! A mofo white belt!
W.T.F.!?!
I didn't say anything and went into the dressing room to change.
Quick change…
Returned to the gym floor with a crispy white Gi and matching crispy white belt! I like to coordinate, but not with a Mofo white belt! White belts are for chumps, so I thought back then.
After warming up, I stared at Master Jimenez and looked down at my white belt.
I looked up at Master Jimenez, made eye contact, and looked down at my white belt again.
I looked up at Master Jimenez, and he was talking to a student, so I said,
Master Jimenez looked up at me up and down like I was short because, um…I was short and said,
"April"
A small voice said,
"Yes, Sensei."
As I turned and looked, I saw a golden glow around the most beautiful-est 8-year-old girl I had ever seen. She had long hair, braided with beads, her "baby hair" gelled on the forehead, and a face shining like the Vaseline I know her mama put on her face.
The glow moved with her. Of course, the only time I saw a glow like that was in this movie called "The Last Dragon," but I knew it wasn't real-or, so I thought.
We get into our fighting stance, and let's say April had "the glow" for real and wasn't shy about it, and that's all I have to say about that.
Now back to GOAT James and some lessons I learned through life after taking my first ass-kicking.
EITHER YOU ARE IN THE GAME OR NOT: RESPECT THE PLAYERS, NOT THE COMMENTATORS!
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”-The Great Philosopher Mike Tyson.
GAME TAPE
If you want to be the best at the game, you got to watch the game tape. Watching game tape is an essential tool for coaches and players to analyze and improve their performance. It can be a valuable resource for any team or individual looking to succeed in their sport.
What is your “sport”?
Who are your coaches?
How much “game tape” is available?
How much have you “watched”?
GET IN THE GAME
The game tape is an excellent start, but at some point, you have to get in the game; life is about choices.
Indeed, in your head or on paper, you may be the most remarkable “player” ever, but you will never know how great you are until you test your skills against a worthy opponent.
In basketball, the best players on the planet are in the NBA. The player with the most game tape available for critique in the history of the NBA is GOAT James. While watching the game tape, millions of armchair coaches and players have opinions on how he SHOULD play the game. You hear/read things like, “he folded” and “he ain’t clutch,” all written from the sidelines. These commentators fail to acknowledge that no one on the planet has prepared for the moment we are watching more than LeBron James! Indeed, in contrast, most of us have never been the best nor played against the best-Skip Bayless, for example-but, that is another post for another time.
In short, no one has been “in the game” playing at that level of LeBron James more than LeBron James!
LOSING IS NECESSARY
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”- Michael Jordan- the 2nd, maybe 3rd best player in the history of the NBA.
Losing is an inherent part of achieving success in many endeavors. This is because losing allows us to learn from our mistakes and failures and improve ourselves. When we lose, we are forced to confront our weaknesses and limitations, which can motivate us to work harder and be more innovative to overcome them. Losing also helps us to develop resilience and perseverance as we learn to bounce back from setbacks and keep striving towards our goals.
In addition, losing can help us to develop a more realistic and nuanced understanding of our abilities and limitations, which can be valuable in setting and achieving future goals. By experiencing failure and loss, we can learn to be more realistic in our expectations and to plan and prepare more effectively for future challenges.
Losing is a necessary part of the journey toward success, as it helps us learn, grow, and improve. Without the opportunity to lose, it cannot be easy to appreciate and achieve success when it does come fully.
I lost that fight with April. I will never forget how it felt. It drove me to try to become the best at E.F.A. I did not achieve that, but my drive and commitment counted; there can only be one BEST, one #1, regardless of what you tell your kids with those participation trophies.
In LeBron James’ case, he “folded” in his finals appearance against the Dallas Mavericks, BUT since that appearance, he has been the star of the team that upset what was considered the greatest team in NBA history until they lost in the finals.
He also won the most demanding championship ever with the bubble chip! He has too many best and only stats to discuss here, but you can do all the deep diving here.
THE BEST TEAM WINS
"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." – Michael Jordan (yes, another MJ quote. This one is for those that forget MJ played on a team)
It is generally believed that the best team wins because they have a combination of skill, strategy, teamwork, and luck that allows them to outperform their opponents. A well-coached team with talented players who can work together effectively will typically have an advantage over a team that lacks these qualities. Additionally, a team that can execute its game plan and make good decisions under pressure is likelier to win than a team that struggles in these areas.
Indeed, everyone who “won” something was a team effort regardless if they were “alone” on the podium. They had coaches, parents, teachers, a country, etc., behind them. No one does it alone.
Finally, and most often not discussed enough, luck can also play a role in the outcome of a game, as unforeseen events or circumstances can impact the course of a contest.
Book Recommendation
“An all-new production of the phenomenal bestseller, now featuring exclusive new conversations with the authors!
For more than two decades, legendary trainer Tim Grover has taken the greats - Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds of relentless competitors in sports, business, and every walk of life - and made them greater. Now, for the first time, he reveals what it takes to achieve total mental and physical dominance, showing you how to be relentless and achieve whatever you desire.
Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable: keep going when everyone else is giving up, thrive under pressure, and never let your emotions weaken you. In “The Relentless 13”, he details the essential traits shared by the most intense competitors and achievers in sports, business, and all walks of life. Relentless shows you how to trust your instincts, get in the Zone, control and adapt to any situation, and find your opponent’s weakness and attack.
Grover gives you the same advice he gives his world-class clients - “don’t think” - and shows you that anything is possible. Packed with previously untold stories and unparalleled insight into the psyches of our time's most successful and accomplished athletes, Relentless shows you how even the best get better...and how you can too.
©2020 Relentless Publishing, LLC. “A Note from Tim Grover” ©2014 Relentless Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved