“Baller Blues”

Crossroads.

”It’s as though I am suspended in time & space, stuck at a fork-in-the-road and it’s time to decide. Is THIS what being in the middle of nowhere feels like?”

Some questions are worth contemplation - as for the others? You’ll drive yourself mad before noon trying to grasp the complexities.

Your brain is constantly stuck between, “You didn’t do anything wrong,” but it still didn’t work out in your favor. “You gave it your all,” but it just couldn’t seem to last.

It’s as sensitive a subject as suddenly being unwilling - and nearly unable - to watch any sport that involves a ball or a net without being overcome by an unrelenting confusion and rage. “What did I do wrong?!”… The answer is intangible and you can‘t seem to stop pondering it. But, there is no “answer,” kid. You’ve just got a case of the Baller Blues.

Timeout?

Yes, that’s right, it’s one of those several times in your journey that basketball has somehow broken your heart… yet again. You‘ve been here before but just can’t shake the negativity. But first, think back to some of the hardship you encountered thus far. What about, “that time in 7th-grade when I took my first ass whoopin’ on the court,” or, “that one time so-and-so embarrassed me in JUCO,” but you bounced back, right?

Just like that orange sphere of energy I love so much.

But isn’t “answering-the-call” when your opponent goes on a run what the game is all about? Stopping the bleeding. Managing yourself to the big wins from the small wins. Isn’t THAT why we love to play?

For that exuberayting rush I get from a comeback win. For the satisfying joy I get from a well-organized training, practice & game strategy. In basketball, don’t we all ultimately love the challenges deep down? But damn, does it hurt when things aren't going right on the court, huh? I feel you, but listen, we can prepare ourselves to handle them ”Baller Blues” like it’s crowd-chatter.

Now, I call them the “Baller Blues“ because immersive storytelling goes a long way. Notably, my all-time favorite player

Kobe ”Bean“ Bryant once referred to basketball as a “mythical” thing. My advice: if you ever find yourself at DisneyLand, it wouldn’t hurt to get on a ride. As much as it is a battle and a world class tier of competition, the game is also my dreamworld. Just play along.

Basketball is its own universe and we (the players, the fans, the critics, etc.) get caught up in it because it’s just that - an alternate world that helps teach and represent infinite real-world, invaluable experiences.

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The baller blues occur when the lights are off. It’s an honest, lonely introspection that at one point or another, we all are faced with overcoming or being consumed by. Self-doubt, confusion, uncertainty and constant questioning characterize the search to answer the question, “If I can really do it all, will it be worth it?”

Basketball broken-heartedness at its finest - we’ve all been there. What to do now? Well, the game teaches us perspective. What do you do when you are in a rut and need to produce? How do we approach snapping the opponents’ run and building a momentum of our own? What is it going to take for us to overcome this (often self-inflicted) SLUMP and get back on track?

Well;

1) You take one foot. 2) Put it in front of the other. Repeat. 3) Keep walking your journey confidently. Cling to your process and focus the best of your energies toward it. MIND YOUR BUSINESS DAILY, never turn a blind eye to the current state of affairs - in other words, ”keep a pulse on the game" to supplement your personal growth and then keep growin', dude.

But MOST importantly, dear reader, remember that NONE of this defines you! You’re in the driver’s seat, not just in the game, but in LIFE. The world of basketball is merely an opportunity to exercise the belief in yourself that you CAN impose your will and control your destiny. It‘s a long journey through-and-through, and if you don’t love every part of it now, you wont love it at all.

Conquer.