If you know the tune, sing it with me…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
The players are ready
And everyone’s yelling, the atmosphere’s clear
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

It’s hap-happiest season of all
With the sound of the dribble, the shriek of the whistle
The baskets will fall
It’s the hap-happiest season of all

Ahhhhh, the NBA Playoffs are in full swing here in the United States. For those of you that may not follow or aren’t keen to read about sports, I promise I’m not a sports writer and there’s something here for you; please keep reading. 

Last Sunday, Boston Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum scored 51 points, the MOST points scored by one player in a Game 7 in NBA history. The Celtics went on to beat the Philadelphia 76ers and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

As the pundits say, “everything was falling” for Tatum last Sunday afternoon. He could have shot blindfolded and those shots would have been nothing but net to the bottom of the basket. It was his day and he was nearly flawless.

But rewind just three days prior, to Game 6 in Philadelphia, where Tatum couldn’t buy a basket in the first three quarters of the game. He made one shot, in three quarters, in 14 attempts. The Sixers looked like they were headed toward victory and the Celtics looked like they were headed to summer vacation. 

But that’s the thing about confidence. That’s the thing about knowing who you are and what you can accomplish. That’s the thing about believing in yourself and your abilities and capabilities. You just have to keep shooting; eventually, skill, talent, hard work, practice, and belief in yourself take you over the top. You have to remember who you are, and why you’re here and believe you’re on the right path.

I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Tatum to keep shooting when nothing was falling, but he kept on and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, winning the game and forcing Game 7 back in Boston.

When the courtside reporter asked Jayson at the end of the game how he kept going, he was soft-spoken and quite humbly said “I’m one of the best basketball players in the world…” 

For Tatum, he never lost confidence in himself, he never lost confidence in his shot; he might have questioned if it was his night or if he was going to be able to pull it together. But he never lost confidence in himself. 

There are days when you may question the direction you are headed. You may question if you’re making the right shot choices. Don’t lose confidence in yourself. Take stock of your skills, talent, hard work, experience, and belief in your abilities. They will take you over the top.

Sometimes the shots fall and sometimes they don’t. You just keep shooting. 

**Disclosure – This is probably the last time I will speak favorably about the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum for the next two months. As of this writing, the Eastern Conference Finals are underway and from here on out, it’s
ALL MIAMI, ALL THE TIME. Let’s go HEAT!**