N.B.A. Edition – Lessons from Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Bosh
Since the N.B.A. playoffs are happening right now and because I literally control all content decisions, I thought it would be fun to publish the first sports edition of The Tail. Plus, as someone who wakes up every morning wishing that he was a professional athlete, I think valuable lessons can be learned by following their habits.
If you’re a first-time reader, then welcome to the team! Every Friday, you’ll receive 3-5 highly curated pieces of content from people who I consider experts on a variety of topics. The concept for this newsletter was inspired by the following quote from author/gambler/businessman Jonathan Bales: “So much of finding success, in my opinion, is being able to identify and tail the right people.” The Tail turns this statement into action.
Here’s the content for the week:
1. Kevin Durant and (Possibly) the Greatest Basketball Team of All Time – Sam Anderson
2. The Rise of Devin Booker – Michael Wilbon
3. Chris Bosh on The Bill Simmons Podcast
Kevin Durant and (Possibly) the Greatest Basketball Team of All Time (Article)
After the Brooklyn Nets’ epic game seven loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, Anderson’s NYT article has aged fast. However, the main point of the article remains intact: Kevin Durant is an incredible basketball player and his ability to believe in something greater than himself has significantly contributed to his success.
Belief in Something Greater
“Durant wondered out loud, for instance, why he has devoted his entire life to basketball. Why does he wake up every morning when he doesn’t want to and force himself through all those compulsive never-ending drills? What makes him want to grind his every waking moment down into muscle memory, grind it so deep that the rest of us will watch him play, and say: Oh, it’s easy for that guy? Durant thinks about these kinds of questions a lot. “It’s got to be deeper.” Durant said. “It’s got to be a different connection.””
I’m not here to make a religious statement. A belief in something greater than yourself can come in many forms. However, in Durant’s case, the belief that God is watching over every basketball court he’s on is deeply integrated into his world view. In press conferences, Durant often downplays the importance of this connection by providing the stock answers of “I love the game” and “I want to be the greatest.” However, Durant’s conversation with Anderson clearly suggests otherwise. Durant derives energy from his connection to a greater power in order to consistently perform the tedious daily tasks required to be a premier athlete.
The Rise of Devin Booker (Article)
Now that the Phoenix Suns are winning playoff basketball games again, I enjoyed revisiting Michael Wilbon’s profile piece on emerging star Devin Booker. We often stereotype superstar athletes by referring to them as being ultra-competitive or freakishly athletic. However, Devin Booker’s ability to soak in new information like a sponge stands out as his key differentiating trait.
Be a Sponge
“As a kid, he grabbed onto advice wherever he could get it. Hearing for the thousandth time that he's an "old soul" produces a smile instead of an eye roll. He's constantly ready to hear another old story, has an eye for vintage 1950s cars and revels in listening to "my vets."”
I love the fact that Booker relishes being called an “old soul”. Instead of viewing older Hall of Famers as obsolete from today’s game, Booker grabs onto important lessons from their stories. Booker’s head coach, Monty Williams, said that he “saw right away that Devin listens and that he wants to be coached.”
Chris Bosh on The Bill Simmons Podcast (Podcast)
I really enjoyed Bill Simmons’ recent conversation with former Miami Heat star Chris Bosh. The same insight could be used for both Durant and Booker, but Bosh’s quote about being obsessed with basketball stood out to me.
Become Obsessed
“I was a maniac man. I was obsessed, it was another level. I looked at games like they were movies. I dissected them in so many different ways.”
I love this quote by Bosh so much. When I was a competitive tennis player, I felt the slightest inkling of this level of obsession, and it was a deeply motivating sensation. At a later point in the interview, Bosh says that when he watches basketball games today, he can’t even focus on big men because he gets too technical with their fundamentals. Bosh’s passion for his craft is extremely apparent and this obsessive attitude clearly helped separate him from talented peers during his playing days.
That’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed the change of pace with the sports content. If there are other industries that you would like to see covered in The Tail, then please let me know in the feedback survey below!
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Thanks for reading and see you next Friday,
Parker