Tenacious, determined, or delusional?

Working in the NBA

On The Tim Ferris Podcast, Todd McFarlane shared, “Did I get over 300 rejections? Yes. Is that tenacious? Is that determination?  Or is that delusion?”

“There’s a fine line.  People give me too much credit for 300. The reason I was able to assimilate that many rejections was because I was in college. I didn’t care about rejections, I had 4 years.” 

“Everyone who responded gave me a little bit of feedback to adjust. That gave me fuel. And then I would resend to everyone with the corrections.” 

***

When I tell my story, I tell a story of being rejected or not responded to 18 times before landing an NBA internship.

300 seems unimaginable. But I likely would have made it there if needed.

But I do think Todd brings up a necessary piece. Is it tenacity? Determination? Or delusion?

In reality, it can be each. And it can be each in a different season of life. 

For you to get an NBA internship, I would say tenacity, determination, and a bit of delusion are all required. 

There’s a limited amount of opportunities so if you’re going to get one, you’ve got to go after it.  You have to believe in yourself, even if no one else does. 

But I think another important thing Todd brings up is that this all happened while he was in college. There are seasons of life where you can afford to be a bit delusional.  And there are seasons of life where you need to pay the bills. Or care for your family. Nothing is wrong or right or better about any of the seasons. But understanding which one you are in is key. 

I’ve seen interns take opportunities only to realize it doesn’t jive with their long-term hopes and dreams outside of basketball.  I’ve seen interns take opportunities only to realize it wasn’t a financially viable option long-term (there’s a lot of money in hoops… but your piece of the pie is likely going to be very very small for many years). 

This isn’t to say you can’t get an internship if you’ve already graduated college. Many of you do. But, I would recommend getting started while you’re in college. Start to receive the rejections. Start to refine your process, your resume, your skill set, your interviewing abilities.  And then when it’s time to push your chips in, you’re ready. 

***

Recommended Books by Tim Ferris: Tools of the Titans & Tribe of Mentors