Preparation and opportunity meet
Game 6 of the 1997 NBA finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz is remembered for Steve Kerr’s clutch shot which gave the Bulls an 88-86 lead, with five seconds to go. The significance of this shot relates to how Kerr perceives it, and how it opened opportunities for him in the future. Kerr described himself as someone who feared failure, and he never wanted to be the person who missed the last shot of the game. During the timeout to discuss the plan, it was decided the ball was going to Michael Jordan. What was also discussed in this moment was that Jordan will look to draw in the opposition’s double team, before passing the ball to Kerr to shoot. He had watched Jordan take many big shots and not always been successful, and it never stopped him from trying again or fearing failure. Kerr said to Jordan during the game 6 timeout that he’d be ready for the scenario they had envisioned, and ready he was. He attributed part of this to meditation exercises which kept him in the right frame of mind. He also believes the title winning shot which gave him more confidence and status was a factor in obtaining the prestigious TNT broadcasting job after retirement. Following this shot, he went on to win 3 more NBA titles as a player and another 3 so far as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
My appreciation of this story is around being in the right mind frame and honing your skills, so that when your big moment comes you are prepared for it like Steve Kerr was. We know meditation wasn’t the only thing that prepared him for this moment, as he would have practiced to become a good shooter. However for someone who was a worrier, he mentioned how much the mindfulness training helped him. Michael Jordan also trusted his teammate in this moment, a decision which essentially won them the title. For someone who was expected to take the last shot again, working with his team to achieve success is a lesson we can all apply to various aspects of our lives.
We may not always know when our shot is coming, but with the right mindset and preparation, we have a good chance of seizing the moment.