Maybe you suffered an injury this season that kept you inactive for a while. Maybe you lost to several teams that you know you are better than. None of this matters at this point. In fact, the only thing that matters and will directly affect your postseason success is the way that you interpret these events (injuries, losses, illness, etc.).
Let’s take a look at two basketball players who suffered similar losses to opponents they “should have” beat. One player interprets this loss as a sign that they are not improving and that they are in a “funk”. The other player views this loss as the best thing that could happen to them. They learn a technical lesson from the games they loss, they use it as motivation, it helps them focus, and so on.
Kyrie Irving is a good example of this. He encountering a knee injury in June 2015 and had to get surgery. The Cavaliers lost in the 2015 NBA finals to the Golden State Warriors He said that the loss is the best thing that could have happened to him. Since then, he has dominated every opponent on each team in the NBA that he has to face.
Let’s look at two players who were sidelined with injuries for a few weeks/months during the season. One player interprets this injury as huge setback. They probably said something like, “I lost too much time, from my injury, and it’s holding me back, I will never be healthy again” and so on. Maybe they self-handicap and use this as an excuse for the rest of the season. Another player looks at the injury and “time off” as the best thing that happened to them. They say things like, “I really benefited from the time off, that was a well needed break, I got to fully recover and grow stronger, this injury allowed me to step back and add perspective to my career, I am a better player because of the injury”.
Whether the loss or the injury ACTUALLY is the best thing for you and your career is irrelevant. All that REALLY matters is how you interpret the situation. When I worked in different companies throughout my life, there was a common expression: Perception is 90% of Reality. Without a doubt this applies to basketball and all other sports as well. The way you perceive an event is 90% of reality.
If you believe a loss or an injury made you better or stronger, then it probably did or will. On the other hand, if you think a loss or an injury is going to hold you back or hurt your performance, then it probably will. Injuries, losses, and other “setbacks” are only negatives if you view them as such.
At this point in the season, you need to believe that everything that happened to you throughout the season and your career is the BEST thing that could have happened to you. Any injury or loss or sickness, is part of your unique training that will only make you stronger.
Mindset Tip for basketball players who are struggling with confidence from previous losses or injuries:
a. Make a long list of other basketball players who suffered losses and injuries during the season, who came back stronger and won their conference, state, or national titles.
b. Do some research if you have to, but I think you’ll find that you aren’t the only one in this situation.
c. Many others have comeback successfully, why not you?
d. Start interpreting “setbacks” as your own unique story and training that is making you stronger!
Let’s take a look at two basketball players who suffered similar losses to opponents they “should have” beat. One player interprets this loss as a sign that they are not improving and that they are in a “funk”. The other player views this loss as the best thing that could happen to them. They learn a technical lesson from the games they loss, they use it as motivation, it helps them focus, and so on.
Kyrie Irving is a good example of this. He encountering a knee injury in June 2015 and had to get surgery. The Cavaliers lost in the 2015 NBA finals to the Golden State Warriors He said that the loss is the best thing that could have happened to him. Since then, he has dominated every opponent on each team in the NBA that he has to face.
Let’s look at two players who were sidelined with injuries for a few weeks/months during the season. One player interprets this injury as huge setback. They probably said something like, “I lost too much time, from my injury, and it’s holding me back, I will never be healthy again” and so on. Maybe they self-handicap and use this as an excuse for the rest of the season. Another player looks at the injury and “time off” as the best thing that happened to them. They say things like, “I really benefited from the time off, that was a well needed break, I got to fully recover and grow stronger, this injury allowed me to step back and add perspective to my career, I am a better player because of the injury”.
Whether the loss or the injury ACTUALLY is the best thing for you and your career is irrelevant. All that REALLY matters is how you interpret the situation. When I worked in different companies throughout my life, there was a common expression: Perception is 90% of Reality. Without a doubt this applies to basketball and all other sports as well. The way you perceive an event is 90% of reality.
If you believe a loss or an injury made you better or stronger, then it probably did or will. On the other hand, if you think a loss or an injury is going to hold you back or hurt your performance, then it probably will. Injuries, losses, and other “setbacks” are only negatives if you view them as such.
At this point in the season, you need to believe that everything that happened to you throughout the season and your career is the BEST thing that could have happened to you. Any injury or loss or sickness, is part of your unique training that will only make you stronger.
Mindset Tip for basketball players who are struggling with confidence from previous losses or injuries:
a. Make a long list of other basketball players who suffered losses and injuries during the season, who came back stronger and won their conference, state, or national titles.
b. Do some research if you have to, but I think you’ll find that you aren’t the only one in this situation.
c. Many others have comeback successfully, why not you?
d. Start interpreting “setbacks” as your own unique story and training that is making you stronger!