May 28, 2010

What we can learn from Artest – Goat to Hero

Last night, in Game 5 of the Lakers vs. Suns, Ron Artest made a heroic shot with no time on the clock to win the game.  I was fortunate to be at the game and see this exciting play in person.

Before that shot, Artest was the goat.  He had a horrible game.  With about 57 seconds left on the clock he made a bad decision in taking a shot and was booed by the crowd.  Phil Jackson, the Lakers coach, who rarely criticizes players during games, spoke to Artest during a time out about his decision.

Artest did not get discouraged however.  He did not stop believing in himself and he did not hang his head.   Instead he focused on the next play and made what he said was the biggest play of his career.

The lesson here is that we all make mistakes.  We all embarrass ourselves by our poor decisions at one time or another. But it’s the winners that never stop believing and always focus on the next play.

If you missed this shot check it out on YouTube here:  [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xax1FRfHV40&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]