Do you hold yourself accountable or do you make excuses?
How to make it happen instead of going through the motions
If you want IT, and at this point I’m already assuming you do, you’ve been told more times than you’ve wanted to hear that you have to work for IT. Just in case we’re not on the same page…IT? IT isn’t making your school team, or getting some more playing time or cracking the starting 5. IT is wanting to reach the next level. Being a standout player, playing in college, making it to the pros. The players who are going to reach this level aren’t just the ones who put in more work than others, they’re the ones who take accountability for everything they do and don’t make excuses when things don’t turn out as planned.
Don’t find excuses to make up for when you didn’t put in enough time on your own or didn’t step up to the occasion. You can make excuses out of anything; they also can make you feel better for the time being, but resting on these things rather than saying, “That wasn’t my best. I can and need to do better” are going to keep you stagnant, rather than progressing. If you fall into these kind of habits, you’re never going to get to where you want to be. Put in the extra work, step up when it’s time, and own up to it to be ready to adapt and excel in your next opportunity.
Common Excuses:
Size: I’m not big enough. I’m just as good and things would be easier if I were taller.
Situation: Coach doesn’t like me. I should be playing more minutes.
Team: I don’t like our system. So-and-so shoots too much.
Reality:
Size: A lot of guys handle business just fine no matter what size they are. From the NBA to major Division 1 schools, it’s possible, just find a way. (See how I’ve managed to do it at every level.) Don’t use your height as a crutch, don’t make it an excuse.
Situation: VERY rarely do coaches decide to “not like” someone. Let’s put playing the game aside. How’s your attitude? Your body language? Are you a good teammate? Do you listen while they’re instructing? Do you apply practice/game plans or are you the guy who forgets the action in the first drill/play? Do you make the hustle plays or simply get back on defense? There’s a lot of easy things to do that don’t make the stat sheet that coaches love to see.
Team: The ball will go to the open man. Don’t stand around. Run the floor. SET A SCREEN (it will open you up). Get some extras shots up after practice and knock them down in the game. Coming from someone who shoots (a lot), I definitely still look to get the ball to guys who are going to make shots for me. Don’t let being complacent be an excuse, be assertive, proactive.
Listen, I’m not attacking you. I find my fair share of excuses when I let myself down, but the more I mature and learn to take accountability and to focus on fixing things, the more I find myself not worrying about the problems and focus on doing things the right way.
Excuses I Find Myself Making:
Referees: “The refs won’t give me any calls going to the basket.”
My fingertips: I wasn’t following through, the ball was just coming off my fingertips wrong. (I shoot a lot before and after games and practice — so much that my fingertips crack like I’ve got a paper cut. It’s more painful than it sounds, trust me.)
Crowd Energy: “Nobody was at the game, there was no energy it was boring.”
Situation: “I’m not getting a chance because I’m an undersized guard from a small school.”
Reality
Referees: Referees are human too. Also, when you go to the basket a lot, they’re not going to call a foul every time you miss. Don’t allow them to get in your head that it affects your game. Finish at the rim, period.
My fingertips: If you shoot a lot, the cuts might be there. Deal with it, don’t like something so small affect your focus or muscle memory. Build calluses and move on.
Crowd Energy: You can’t let the magnitude of the game affect you at all, huge crowd or no crowd. Once the clock starts, they all count the same. Bring your own energy every day, from practice to scrimmage to playoffs. EX: I think Russell Westbrook would have a triple-double in a game with no fans. Let your own competitiveness drive you.
Situation: Don’t blame any lack of a resume from individual numbers to wins be your excuse. Find a way to stand out. If you deserve it, you will get your shot- they will find you if you give them a reason to.
How can you do a better job of taking accountability? Dig in. There was a point in my basketball career where I let enough of these outside factors/excuses get to me and allow me to wake up with the feeling, “Is it even worth it?” It was after my first season where I played in a lower level league in Germany, and wasn’t hearing the news I wanted to about next season. I didn’t get a job that season. I’ll admit, for awhile, I just felt sorry for myself, but I stayed in shape because I knew there was still a shot, but I was just going through the motions. My workouts suffered, I would just get in the gym for the sake of getting in the gym, with no direction. I can’t put a finger on what triggered it, but I dug in. I came to a realization where if something was going to happen, no one would care about my excuses or that I was upset I didn’t get what I wanted. I started to work like I need to be ready to leave the next day, proactively found some camps I could get to, worked to find some new representation that believed in me. After some time, an opportunity presented itself and now I’m in my second season with the team. I can honestly say that it would not have happened if I did not scrap my excuses and dig in, regardless if anyone knew about it or not.
If you’re looking for more guidance on specific drills to improve any aspect of your game, from shooting, passing and dribbling to rebounding, defending and conditioning, try out the Hustle app — it’s free!
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