This saying has been heard many different ways, in many different cultures, and has been told and demonstrated countless times in human history: Suffering builds the soul.
Through adversity, pain, and excruciating trials, the true character of an individual is revealed. When the times are tough, when the hurricane of big-time basketball comes around, are you going to be the steadfast tree standing tall in the storm, or are you going to fold like a shriveled leaf?
Throughout the NBA, many players and teams have proved to be the leaf, burning and crumpling under the heat of pressure. An example I point to is the 2006 Dallas Mavericks, who coughed up a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals to the Shaquille O'Neal and Dwayne Wade-led Miami Heat.
The Heat are not really remembered for winning that title. The Mavericks are remembered for losing that title, creating the shriveled leaf image that, to this day, they are still struggling to shed.
An example of the opposite has to be last year's Houston Rockets. Despite the mind-boggling injuries suffered by their two best players (Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady), the Rockets pushed on undaunted.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Jared Wright
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December 26th, 2009 by Jared Wright Leave a reply »
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