Reporter to Kevin Durant of OKC Thunder: Do you think he (Curry) is underrated as a defender?
Russell Westbrook: Covers his
face and laughs while Durant is answering the question.
 |
| The Laugh |
When I saw Russel Westbrook of the OKC Thunder laugh at that
question, I knew his team was in trouble, despite being up in the Western
Conference Finals 3 games to 2. If the
laugh had not been directed at Steph Curry (2x NBA Most Valuable Player) and
his defending Champion Warriors, I might have understood Westbrook’s reaction,
although his action seemed condescending.
It suggested supreme confidence as Westbrook and his team
were in a great position to get to their 2nd NBA Finals, but to give
any type of extra motivation to an opponent, much less an NBA Champion, is never a good
thing. In addition, the Thunder haven't won an NBA Title and were known for
blowing 4th quarter leads, as well as coming undone in “moment of
truth’ games.
This incident reminded me of when my confidence was sky high in a much less significant yet intense battle – a 2 on 2 basketball
competition in the park. I was playing against my University of Vermont (UVM)
teammate Bill Brown and we were up 10 – 2, with the winning number being 11. We were both in our mid 20's.
Not only did I know we would win, but I started playfully
teasing Bill and his teammate; not with a laugh but with a taunting banter. As
a shooter in high school and college, I was beyond confident that I could score
one more point whenever I wanted. That 10 – 2 lead was part of the reason, as
it had been easy up to that point. As time progressed, the basket became
smaller and smaller.
They never reacted to my silliness and kept playing
hard. Bill started to heat up, hitting shot after shot on me and rarely missed
as they crept closer. He was a fierce
competitor and one of our college’s best shooters. I had plenty of quality
shots to end the game, but nothing was coming close and my teammate was equally
inept. When it became 10 – 10, our panic was obvious. Even though we played past 11 (winning team had to win by 2 points), the game was soon
over and we were on the losing end.
It’s a moment I’ve never forgotten.
It was a friendly game but I still feel the sting today. I learned from it though, as any subsequent competitions were void of any trash
talking, teasing or misguided comments (unless started first by an opponent), even when the
lead was a wide as this 2 on 2 competition had been.
Westbrook’s laugh probably served as motivation for Curry
and the Warriors, as not only did the Thunder lose two consecutive games after
Game 5, they were also the first team since the 1981 Philadelphia 76ers to lose
a series after being up 3-1 in a Conference Final.
To add fuel to the fire, Curry personally punished the
Thunder and Westbrook (as Bill did to me) by scoring 36 points in Game 7 of the
Western Conference Finals. The Thunder were up 13 points in the first half of that
last game, yet one could feel that it was only a matter of time before the Warriors
prevailed. Curry took their heart away that night, and the downfall may have
begun with that laugh.
I had seen Bill (a close friend for 34 years) dunk on a Division 1
opponent 6 inches taller than he was and shoot with a ferocious flare, so I
should have known better. Westbrook knew what Curry was capable of and he
should have known better. I’m sure he was tired of all the “media darling’
attention Curry receives, but it’s unwise to display anything that could
inspire a competitor. I doubt Russel Westbrook will ever have that type of
reaction again.
The moral of this story is simple. Finish the game, project,
sale, goal or whatever it may be that you are striving for. Don’t gloat, assume
or get comfortable at any point in the process until your task is done. Instead
of waltzing over that finish line, take that Usain Bolt approach and blast
through it!
That day was a blessing for me as I’ve rarely underestimated
an opponent since, whether it was a game of cards, a sales contest or a sports competition. It has not only served me well on the basketball court,
but the lessons have proven invaluable throughout my life.
Happy Gswede Sunday!
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