Lebron James gave the people what they wanted, a last second shot that was heard around the world. Too often LJ has been criticized for not taking the last second shot. As a leader (and now MVP), he is expected to rise to the occasion and deliver clutch plays. The excuse that he is often double or triple teamed sounds lame. The excuse that the refs don’t call half the fouls as he gets hacked by opposing teams sounds equally lame. Despite awe inspiring dunks, relentless defense, and an elegant and effective 3 point shot, Lebron still needed to make a huge shot with time running out to silence the critics. As a fan, I beg to differ.
“The Shot” is what we expect out of Lebron and while it is an achievement, it pales in comparison to the spirit he brings to the game. For me “The Shot” occurred when Lebron brought the team down to Akron and accepted the MVP award with them, while he gave credit to his team, his high school teammates and coaches who helped him along the way. It is this gratitude and humble respect, that earned him the title “The King.” It is this approach to the game, this spirit, that makes us happy for Lebron that he made “The Shot.”
The old joke of a man asking for directions “how to get to Carnegie Hall….and being told Practice, Practice, Practice,” is more relevant than ever. Kids need to know that making “The Shot” is natural when you apply yourself and practice as much as Lebron has. It is not a stroke of luck, it is a progression earned by long hours in the gym.
Lebron has been a role model for kids for his entire career. He generously gives back to his hometown both financially and and with time. He demonstrates loyalty to his team and family, reminding us how important our relationships are. Most importantly, Lebron is putting in the hardwork required to develop his talent. We must remember and celebrate, that beyond his natural talent, Lebron is working hard for his success. Being great requires breaking the mold, I believe the mold has been broken.
As you venture out into the world of social media, bring your skills and talents with you. We all need to improve our ability to communicate. We have to look back at our comments and status updates and see what worked and what was taken the wrong way. We have to comment often and contribute to the efforts being made by other people, encouraging them to participate more. By improving our online social and professional activities, we impact the entire system and raise the quality of our conversation. Like Lebron, we have to practice, practice, practice. It will not get any easier, but we will get better.
Take a look at your online interactions and see what is working and what isn’t. If it is working, do it more. If it isn’t working, experiment and see what happens. Talk to people about what you are experiencing and see if other people have suggestions or ideas for you. A great place to see this in action is a FaceBook Fan Page. If you have a Fan Page for your business and participation is stagnant, look at your discussion groups and try some new questions. Keep the questions personal and relevant. It is not important for the questions to sell your business. You sell your business by keeping us engaged with you. What is important, is that you find the personal truth that makes your business important to us. This requires practice, experimentation and hard work, you too will make “The Shot.”
