Stars Misaligned...




Photo inset courtesy of link

 
Just a few seconds away,  down and trailing, there's one dribbling, stalling and running away along him is what we've been chasing for four years. We tried not to give up the chase but when I look up the score board, the clock is ticking to its end and then the deafening sound of the buzzer to my ears, finally its over. We almost had it, we came up short, almost but not quite.The sound could have been different if you are on the other side of the court, in the winning end.


So I stood up, the first one to walk towards the middle of the court and congratulate the eventual winners. That's the recently concluded finals game of our company sports event. Another year, yet another upset and disappointing loss.


This would be my third finals appearance in 4 years alongside with my good of mine friend Jayson, the most for any employee in the company. Some would be their second year in a row, some would be their first. As what they say in basketball it's a game of streaks, unfortunately we are in the loosing streak and our woes continues.


I don’t like to loose. I don’t even like to write about loosing. But we’ve all been through it—to loose in a game doesn’t turn around no matter what we do. We charge it as experience, a learning one. In fact we all learn more in loosing than winning.


If I were to recall how our team started this year, I kicked it off by scouting the best players from the last season. I recruited by far which I and most considered the best players from last year along with enlisting few good role players. So talent wise, we have depth in all positions. Now all eyes is in our team and expectations are high, as if we already won the elusive and coveted championship.


With the team I assembled, I was however a bit skeptical and apprehensive on the thought of how could a team with full of talents and ego would jell as a team, cohesiveness and dynamics wise it's a big question mark. For one, how would I manage the minutes of who plays more or who plays less. I also thought of a rotation policy that divides each player with equal minutes, but as a player I know for a fact that it's difficult to establish a game get your bearings in sync with limited minutes. I myself had to make some sacrifices. Though I've been physically preparing myself all year long after the last championship loss, joining practices, joined other leagues, played every opportunity I had and modesty aside, I felt improved, even more faster if so to speak. I'm a blur when it comes to fast breaks or open court and I still have my decent perimeter shooting skills but I gave the opportunity to others who deserves the spot, those who possess nerves of steel under pressure, one who can perform in crunch times. I was never really exposed to the competitive level of this sport.


So I just embraced the role of being a team manager.

In this photo, Top left to right : Sonskie, Jogz, Vic, Jayson, Erwin, Mike, Macio, Noel, Clarence and Me
                          2nd row left to right :Albert, Enoch, and Carlo
                          Bottom left to right : Derick and Reid

 
But its not all me, possessing such talent creates a dangerous mentality. At times, if you think highly of yourself you tend to ignore criticisms. We became confident or complacent. Oh yeah, I have all the stars in the team, and we have the best player, there no way we're gonna loose this. But how many stars do you need in winning a championship? All 15 players? What I left unchecked..

Character.


It seems loosing has become our habit( worst, its always in the finals game), which I then remember the quote that says "Watch your habits, for they become a character". They say one’s true character comes out during tough times and adversities, during the final game it seem the stars were not aligned that day. (It's day time, so I literally mean star players not cosmic stars.) Most were unable to perform their "A" game, both offensively and defensively, we lacked intensity and worst our emotions were left unchecked, emotions that blurred our ability and capacity to think or act logically, it dearly cost us the game. After the lost, there this a sudden realization “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link".

Yes we won games, reached the finals but again eluded by the championship which then a quote from one of the greatest coaches in the NBA rang a bell in my thoughts "Talent wins games, but team work wins championships." He quoted it recently to the newly formed Team "Miami Heat". And that very well applies to our team.

A brilliant insight! one might say that he has Micheal Jordan and Kobe Bryant to rack up rings for him. But hey, these guys did not won championships without individuals who sacrificed personal glory for the common goal, a championship. Will MJ won his titles without Scottie Pippen? which arguably if I may say is one the best if not the best all around players of the game? Did he won his last 3 rings without Dennis Rodman, who shattered the records in rebounds in a single season. Same goes with Kobe having Shaq and Pau. Kareem Adbul-JabbaR(all time NBA leading scorer) once said "One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. Same as MJ and Kobe he won championships by playing alongside with great team players.

Photo : SIS Basketball 1st Runner-up Trophy

And have you ever wonder why these people are able to sustain their runs for the title? Again its not all about talent., which brings me to another quote from another basketball great, coach John Wooden said "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there".


Again it's character.

Despite all this we all remain as buddies and If I were to choose who would be my team next year, it will be the same cast. Win or lose I'll live with the faith that someday altogether we'll bag the championship trophy.


And to my MBT team mates, remember what coach Bong taught us ?


T - Together
E - Everybody
A - Achieves
M - More

And to my Team mates, I encourage you to watch sport inspired movies, "Coach Carter" and "Glory Road" These reels teaches us to become competitors and winners both on and off the court.


Till then,  see you next season.....