Basketball : Life Lessons .

          I was blessed to have had the opportunity to study in N.St Mathew's Public School which focused a lot on the all round development of a child . Equal importance was given to extra curricular activities and throughout those schooling years we were occupied with a lot of those activities. Sports played a major role during those formative years . It all started in the eight standard . Till then Football was the major sport we played and a group of us had moved to Basketball . That transition was one of the major turning points in my life . Basketball gave me everything in life . 

Friendships - Bonding over Sports            

           Basketball was the major bonding factor. The best of the friends I had , played the game and more importantly they Loved the Game !If you observe , it's easy to find out a sportsperson in any group . They always stand out . The way they interact , the way they handle things are admirable . Such is the power of Sports. When you spend so much time on the court , you get to know a person in and out . You understand the importance of having a good relationship on the court and you do that off the court. 

NBA 

    The team I liked the most in early years was San Antonio Spurs . Tim Duncan was my favorite player . Over the years I have watched a lot of NBA Playoffs and never missed the opportunity to watch the Finals live . The high would continue for days . I could see that difference in my regular life . The love for the game would take me back into the past decades. I would watch all those great matches , discuss them with friends and cousins . The Game helped me to have great relationships in life . It was pure joy to discuss a great move or a buzzer beater finish . I derived inspiration from a lot of Players and Coaches . Jordan , the Black Mamba , Patrick Ewing , Reggie,  Hakeem , Shaq , Magic and Larry , James , Garnett , Nowitzki ,Paul Pierce , Pat Riley , Doc Rivers and Phil Jackson to name a few . And they had a major influence in my life . 

Celtics of KGP 

               I thank my stars , I was allotted Meghnad Saha Hall of Residence . A new hostel in my college . I had the opportunity to play under and being mentored by a strong individual. .The very first year we won a Silver Medal and we made a mark in the institute . I have seen very closely what it takes to build a great team . Our Captain , an individual with a burning desire to win made us all better players . From a one man team , we grew into a Unstoppable force and were named the 'Celtics of KGP' for the team game we played. It takes a lot to accommodate different views and make sacrifices for the greater good . Those were life lessons in leadership . I was also fortunate to lead the team in transition . It was a great experience . It made me a more responsible person . If the leader is the first person to be on court for an early morning practice , the team will follow line . It gave me a sense of accomplishment to lead such good players. Like from my seniors , I learnt a lot from my juniors. Time just flew . If I look back at my life , the only regret I have in my sporting life is not winning a Gold in the Interhalls. Injuries , important players getting fouled out at crucial moments didn't allow us to get to Gold on a number of occasions. But that's alright . It was a beautiful phase and I'll cherish those moments throughout my life. 

Kobe's Untimely Demise and Jordan's The Last dance 

              After college , Job life and later into Civil Services preparation , the time I spent on the court got down exponentially . I used to play a bit at the beginning , watch the highlights and the Finals series but gradually even that got down . One morning this year , in my college basketball whatsapp group , a senior messaged that Kobe and his daughter Gigi passed away in a flight crash . It was hard to believe at the beginning . All of us were shocked . I kept calling everyone who loved Kobe and informed them about the news . And they would call back a few hours after shock and we would discuss about his greatness . 24 and 8 . For a month it was all 24 and 8 . In the gym , I used to set the timer for 24/8 minutes , breaks while studying used to be after 24 minutes .Kobe had a great career and he had an even greater Celebration of Life . The Black Mamba lives on ! 

The Last Dance Series in Netflix and the lockdown period reignited my love for Basketball . I started watching basketball like never before . I must have watched all the major matches in last 2-3 decades in the initial months of the lockdown . I read a lot of different players , analyzed their stats , learnt about the struggles in their lives , how they overcome those obstacles . It was again a great phase in life . 

I was going through a rough patch in my life . Those months spent in reading about those players and watching those games brought back the lost fire . Motivation , Discipline , Sacrifices , failures . All these are important to achieve heights in life . I started analyzing my life , the mistakes I committed , the person I'm today and what needs to be done to become the person I aspire to be . Thanks to my Game , it has given me all the clarity I need . 

It's Okay to fail . 

     We are living in a society , where 99% is not good enough . We are putting our children under immense stress . Sports teaches us that it's alright to fail . It helps us to handle bigger failures in life . It will prepare us for even bigger battles in life . Failure is the stepping stone to success . We have to teach our children that . If you are not failing , it only means you are not trying hard enough . Fail . Fail better . Fail Differently . Learn from the mistakes and do not repeat them . Playing a sport will teach you all that .

Offense wins Games but Defense wins Championships ! 

           Any one who played a sport at a decent level would understand this . On a good day , when your shooting clicks you'll win matches for your team . But not all days are yours . Defense ! You can still make an impact with your defense . It's the same thing with life . Patience , Perseverance , integrity , Character . It takes a lot of effort to build them . But they are the defensive skills that will win you championships and make you victorious in life .  

Get back to Fundamentals 

           The last few seconds in closely fought games are very crucial . It all boils down to which side could hold their nerves for a longer time . You are playing a Game , you have one position left to win the game . That is where your fundamentals will come to your rescue . You don't take a shot a few meters away from the 3 pointer . You pass the ball to the player who is free or to the post who converts . And for your mind to act accordingly , you need to practice a lot . Practice the fundamentals . Battles are already won on a practice field . 

Prepare for the Worst 

            Your important player is fouled out or may be injured . It may be the case that you are having a bad day or you couldn't sleep the previous night before the match . Always be prepared for the worst . Practice for the worst case scenarios . The Game teaches you to strategize and plan for such situations . Likewise in life , always be prepared for the worst . When you do that , On your day you will do wonders. 

Hope 

    There is a dialogue in the movie Shawshank Redemption , "Remember , Hope is a good thing . May be the best of things and no good thing ever dies."  A Sport teaches you that . To have hope . Even after a bad game , you get up and rebuild yourself to face the next game . And I believe that's the most important thing in life . To have Hope . 

Thank You Basketball for everything you have taught me in my life .