There’s 30 seconds on the shot clock; your team players are covered except for you. People are out of their seats, cheering from their stands, and you are separated from the basket by one man. The ball is now in your hands, what do you do?
Sometimes we get so caught up with the person in front of us, that we lose site our goal, which is behind the person. However, its people like Kobe Bryant that reminds us that our eyes should be fixated not on the person but the goal above our heads.
On March 8th, The Lakers, in a heated game against The Raptors, came out victorious at Staples Center–beating the Raptors in overtime with a final score of 118-116. The Lakers in the beginning were trailing behind for almost the entire game; and many people feared that The Lakers would never win. However, it was not until the All-star guard, Kobe Bryant, came around and converted everyone into believers.
Kobe Bryant in the 4th Quarter, with 4.4 seconds on the clock, nailed a 3 pointer that tied The Lakers into overtime; he was double teamed by two guys! But that wasn’t even enough for him. In overtime, when The Lakers were tied with The Raptors, with 10.6 seconds to go on the clock, Kobe Bryant charged (with ball in hand) through FOUR defenders and delivered a phenomenal two-handed dunk over Demar DeRozan (Lead Point Guard of The Raptors) to give The Lakers the lead which ultimately won them the game.
Kobe Bryant (with 41pts and 12 assists) with the help of his teammates–Steve Nash‘s 3-pointer to tie during OT; Dwight Howard‘s 13 rebounds to keep them in the game–did the impossible. However, it was Kobe’s ability to “Play The Game” that ultimately won him the game–to look past his defenders (his obstacles) and go for the goal, without hesitation, in extreme situations. This is what makes him the MVP that he is today.
To Play the Game (and not the Man) is something that applies to all of us in everyday life: at work, school, and even in relationships. When we focus all of our attention to the obstacles that is right in front of us, we lose sight of what’s important or what’s behind it: The End Goal. Either we are too timid to go after the Goal, or we get distracted of things in front us that we end up losing; and in all cases it is the latter. Kobe Bryant is one of those few players, that don’t get into personal fights with the opposing team, and still have the final say.
So the lesson here today is to always “Play the Game; and not the Man (or Woman)!” In everything that you do! When you do, you will never lose sight of your Goals; and you will never lose sight of your Dreams! #playthegame
