If the Odds of Getting an NBA Job are so Low, Why Even Try?

Getting a job in the NBA

'I tried really hard and I still failed. Why even try?'

Here's why you try... because the joy is found in trying.

Throw yourself into it- and hold it loosely. That's the paradox.

Over time, enough things don't go well to where the failure muscle builds up. When you're young, you just want to be successful. So when something doesn't work or you get some critics, you're devastated.

As you get older, you know that it's part of it. That you're in the game. That's what comes with it.

Rabbi Joel (via the Robcast)

A question I often get is, “If the odds of getting an NBA are so low, why even try?”

It’s a fair question. And one I think each individual should count the cost of. It’s not as easy as a Yes, you definitely should! Or a No, you definitely should not!

But it is a question of counting what is important to you. Time, family, finances, location, etc are all to be taken into consideration. Because you are always going to have to make sacrifices, no matter what direction you choose in life. And by making sacrifices, that still doesn’t guarantee you get to achieve your dreams on the other end.

But making sacrifices does always allow you to grow, to learn, to become more disciplined, and to grow closer to being the person you want to be. As I always share, it’s about the journey, enjoying the journey, enjoying the people you meet along the way. Nothing at the end of the journey is guaranteed. But becoming the person you want to be and building rich relationships along the way are things that are in your control.

I had my own extreme ups and downs within my basketball journey and working in the NBA. Sleeping on couches as an Intern and making it to the other end is a fun story to tell. Not having money for lunch and dinner when the team is on the road is not quite as fun of story. Getting hired to an NBA team is a dream come true. Working around the clock 7 days a week and missing holidays, weddings, and milestones is not a dream come true.

Even while working in the NBA, some people I worked with would tell me to get out as soon as possible. But then, other I worked with would tell me that they pinched themselves that they got to work in hoops. You’re always going to hear varying opinions and thoughts on the direction you should take.

But my thought is… if it’s your dream, go chase it. The chase itself is worth it. So long as you’re becoming the person you want to be.