Yes, I made the decision to playing basketball.
But I also think basketball chose me.
You're probably asking, "What does that even mean? Are you really good at basketball, and do you even care for it?"
Not even close.
As a foreign kid who grew up in city streets playing soccer and riding his bike, I never had much of a connection with sports. As most people already know, the one and ONLY sport the vast majority of people play in South America is soccer. Futbol, as we all call it, is one of the greatest pastimes in Colombia. From Radamel Falcao to Carlos 'El Pibe' Valderrama, we know greatness in soccer. We even witnessed the importance of soccer in Colombia through the most recent World Cup in Brazil, where Colombia was always one of the most dominant teams on the grass.
But ever since I was little, I knew I was different.
I couldn't sit down and watch soccer. I didn't even like PLAYING soccer.
And overseas there was a more physical, hard-nosed type of sport you played with your hands. Where titans would clash, and anyone could be a hero.
So did I pick basketball, or did basketball somehow pick me?
What does it even mean for a sport to pick you? Does it mean that somehow you just have this natural talent at it? That it requires less work for you to be great than most?
I guess you could say that is one of the ways sports pick you. My experience, however, is a bit different. I think that basketball chose me in the same way anything I apply myself to does. I use the lessons basketball has taught me in one way or another.
I know it takes teamwork to get something done well. You can't always do things by yourself, no matter how smart you are. Someone will always have a different perspective on a subject, and we have to learn to grow and better ourselves through others.
I know that to get good at something, like shooting a basketball, I need two major things: determination and drive.
Do you want to get good at shooting free throws? Do you REALLY want to do it, or do you just WISH you could shoot better free throws? The difference between some people is that there's people out there that APPLY themselves, and they go and shoot a thousand free throws a week. Guess who's shooting them in their sleep at their next game: The driven, disciplined kid or the kid who drank soda and played video games all week? Who's going to have more stamina during that game? Who's going to get the nod to start due to their diligence and drive?
The old saying everyone knows: Hard work beats talent. Not sometimes, Always.
The clock is winding down, how did YOU prepare today?
