Basketball — One of the Best Metaphors for Life
Understanding the Game Beyond the Court
Basketball is one of the most popular sports across the globe. James Naismith first brought us the game with a ball and peach baskets in 1891. If he were still alive to see what it has evolved into, I can guarantee that he would be shocked. As a sport that is cost-friendly and does not require a lot of equipment to start playing, it is evident how it grew in popularity all across the globe. The NBA is one of the most profitable sports leagues in the world and features a diverse talent pool with athletes from all around the world.
I can argue all day on why I feel that basketball is the best sport, and I have millions of people who would also agree with me. From my years playing in school, to the hours I spend watching games every week, I can’t seem to get enough of the sport. Even during the off-season, I’m constantly thinking about the draft, summer league, and counting down the days until the preseason. Although I do spend a large chunk of my time focused on the sport, I do believe that basketball does provide a lot of life lessons. Whether that’s metaphorically or literally, we all have something we can learn from the sport.
1. The best of the best fail 50% of the time
We can debate all day on who the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) is, whether that be Michael Jordan, LeBron James, or anyone else. But what you can’t debate, is that even the best of the best miss about 50% of the shots they take. LeBron’s career field goal percentage is 50.4%, and Jordan’s isn’t far behind at 49.7%. These two men are the epitome of greatness, and no one can deny their dominance during their respective eras. However, even they know that they can expect to miss about half of the shots that they take.
In life, failure is often looked down upon. Your business fails and you’re beyond embarrassed, you fail a class in school and it’s the end of the world. Since we were young, we’ve been taught to avoid failure like the plague. However, our schools, parents, and teachers failed to realize that sometimes failure is one of the best things that can happen to us. Failure will show you what works and what doesn’t, and teaches you lessons that no classroom could ever do. It’s very important to remember that failure is simply a part of life, and these athletes show it best. Jordan, LeBron, and every other athlete out there have plenty of failures and misses that they can wish they could take back. However, if these players were so afraid of failing, then we would’ve never got Jordan’s “last shot”, or LeBron’s “block”. Looking back to us, we shouldn’t be afraid to embark on that new business venture or try something new. We might fail, but as Jordan said, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed”.
2. It’s Not Over Until the Clock Hits 0
There are 48 minutes in an NBA game, which translates to 2880 seconds. This may seem like a large amount of time, but as many NBA fans can attest, an entire game can change in a matter of a few seconds. Crazy comeback stories come to mind when thinking back to recent memory.
In the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, Texas A&M was down 12 points against Northern Iowa with 44 seconds left in the game. Any rational person would have assumed that Texas A&M was going to lay down and take the inevitable loss, right? Well, no. With just 44 seconds remaining in the game, the Aggies went on a huge scoring run to tie the game and eventually win 92–88 in overtime. Also in 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers found themselves down 3–1 to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA finals. Although no team had ever come back from 3–1 in the finals before, LeBron James and the Cavaliers refused to quit and fought back to win the series in 7 games.
These were just two out of many examples that I could have used to show that everything can change within a matter of seconds. In life, there are going to be many instances where we feel down on our luck, and just want to quit. But, had Texas A&M and the Cavaliers had that mentality, then we wouldn’t have witnessed two of the greatest comebacks in basketball history.
3. Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard
In basketball, it is evident that your height will either give you a strong advantage, or disadvantage on the court. The average height for a Canadian Male is 5 ft 9 inch, compared to the average NBA player height of 6 ft 7 inch. However, there are plenty of “short” players that remained competitive in the NBA where their taller counterparts have failed.
Fred VanVleet, standing at 6 ft 0, has gone from undrafted to NBA Champion, being one of our most important players in that 2019 finals series against the Golden State Warriors. Kemba Walker, also standing at 6 ft 0 is a 4x All-Star and is one of the better scoring guards in the league, averaging 20 points for his career. Even Steph Curry, the greatest shooter in NBA history dropped to 7th overall in the 2009 draft due to concerns over his “short” and skinny build.
Am I saying that centres and forwards don’t have to work hard to succeed in the NBA? Absolutely not! Once you come into the NBA, you have to work hard to refine your skills and talents to stay relevant, if you don’t then someone else will. In life, we don’t get to choose the cards that are dealt to us. However, with the right work ethic and mindset, you can beat any odds and become the person that you want to become.
4. Basketball Develops Character
I have always believed that the most impactful learning does not come from a classroom. A classroom may be good for regurgitating useless facts that you’ll never need again, but the basketball court is where character is built. When you’re on the court, your teammates are all that matters. When you lace up your shoes, you are now working together as one collective unit with one goal, getting the ball into the hoop more than the other team. Can one person accomplish this goal alone? While a lot of ball-hogs may argue that they can, 99% of the time, this won’t go well for them. A sense of respect, and comradery is built with your teammates, and this ability to collaborate and work together will stay with you long after you finish hooping.
In the age of social media, we have become accustomed to seeing the highlights. The flashy dunks, the half-court 3’s being drained like layups, and the behind-the-back no-look passes. Although our timelines may be flooded with these highlights, we are rarely exposed to the countless hours athletes put into their craft behind the scenes. We don’t see the boring, repetitive, and monotonous drills that have allowed these athletes to develop into the players that they are. To become great at anything, you have to dedicate time to your craft, and put in hours of work when no one’s watching. It takes grit to continue doing the same thing over and over and over again. Grit doesn’t necessarily come naturally; it is a skill that can be developed and strengthened with continuous practice, training, and discipline. Grit is important in all aspects of life, whether that be to excel in school, grow strong relationships, or build a meaningful career.
Closing Thoughts:
These lessons are not exhaustive, and there is so much more that we can learn from this beautiful game. James Naismith may have just imagined his game as getting a ball into a peach basket, but in today’s society, that game symbolizes so much more.
