Just like with anything else in life, in basketball you have to say “yes” to the opportunities that come along.
Because ultimately, opportunities multiply as they are seized.
Watching the movie “Yes Man” is not enough although that may help a little. Okay, where am I going with this? I’m listening to a lot of self-help talk lately.
The more I listen to it and the more I tune in into the process the more I realize that in order to be successful and achieve great results you need somebody else. You need leverage. You need to surround yourself with the right people. Some NBA players had the great fortune of being at the right place at the right time.
They may have been seen by a scout or have been coached by a great coach or had great parents or had great friends who always pushed them and encouraged them. For the majority of basketball players that’s not the case. It certainly wasn’t the case with me. I didn’t have that.
I know for Pistol Maravich it was his father. For you, it might be something completely different. If you don’t have the “right” people by you you need to seek them out. You need to find these people. They will be your mastermind.
You really can’t do it alone. No man can achieve great success in life or in any endeavor without the help of others. Here are some take away lessons for you:
1.) When a friend calls you and tells you for this new exposure camp that is really good. He knows somebody there or thinks it might be good to improve your game and take it to the next level. What do you say? Yes!
2.) When your father tells you you should practice more, instead of ignoring him, you say, “YES!”
3.) When your coach is organizing extra activities that are not mandatory and might be difficult, whatever that is, you say…YESSS!
You get that point,
Become a “yes man”. You never know who you are going to meet or be introduced to. In case you still haven’t figured it out, most of the famous and successful people got to be what they are, as a result of a phone call, or someone meeting someone or somebody being introduced to somebody.
That’s all there is to it. It’s not what you know that counts but who you know. It is the case with basketball contacts, it is the case with business contacts and with everything else.
Get out of your home. Go out. Meet people. Practice. Meet coaches, agents, scouts. Use the internet for “marketing yourself”. Send your game video. Send emails. Opportunities are boundless you just don’t see it.
I know a guy from Italy who started playing professional soccer a result of doing his “homework” (research) on the internet. Instead of wasting time on Facebook, surfing pointlessly he decided to be productive. Your time is limited. Take action. NOW!