Here are some notes from NBA games played on November 12, 2009. Much can be learned about success from listening to NBA players reacting to victory.
Focus, Maturity and Discipline
"We really did a good job focusing ourselves. They do what they do, and we try to stop it. We showed a lot of control, a lot of maturity. It was a very disciplined game for us."
--Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers' leader, after a 121-102 regular season win over the Phoenix Suns, who had brought a 7-1 record and four-game win streak into the Lakers' home arena.
Responsiblity and Accountability: Finishing Games and Being a Role Model
"It starts with me -- closing the games out. If I'm being lax, if I'm not being aggressive and putting pressure on the defense, the rest of the team is not going to do the same. I just tried to put as much pressure as we could offensively, tried to get as many stops as possible, and come out with a win. We had played so well for most of the game, you don't want to let a game like this get away."
--LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers' All-Star, on beating the Miami Heat, 111-104, in a regular season match-up.
Understanding History and the Importance of Legacies
LeBron James would like to see any NBA player who wears No. 23 to choose another number in homage to Michael Jordan, who also wore No. 23.
James said he plans to switch his number from 23 to 6 after this season.
"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon," James told TNT. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn't Michael Jordan first.
"He can't get the logo [Hall of Famer Jerry West's silhouette adorns the NBA's logo], and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."
"If you see 23, you think about Michael Jordan," James said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "You see game-winning shots, you think about Michael Jordan; you see guys fly through the air, you think about Michael Jordan; you see fly kicks, you think about Michael Jordan. He did so much, it has to be recognized, and not just by putting him in the Hall of Fame."
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers are two of the teams favored to go far in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Mental mindset and emotional resiliency will play a large role in the success of their teams and the success of the other contenders.
For more on mental mindset, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.
Excerpts from ESPN.com, November 13, 2009.
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