“It’s not a failure; it’s steps to success.” – Milwaukee Bucks star player Giannis Antetokounmpo
On Wednesday, April 26th, there were four playoff games played in the NBA. In two of the games, the series were closed out including the Miami Heat’s shocking upset of the Milwaukee Bucks. But the most significant thing which took place in the NBA that night did not happen on court, but rather in a postgame press conference.
Following the team’s 128-126 overtime loss, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm asked Bucks star player Giannis Antetokounmpo if he thought the season was a failure. Rather than taking the question personally and becoming defensive, Giannis proceeded to give a masterclass on the subjects of failure and success. He said, “It’s not a failure; it’s steps to success… There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful. Some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn. Some days it’s not your turn. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Some other dude is going to win.”
His thought-provoking response generated an insightful conversation from the TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley. First, watch the video below. It is worth your time. Then I will provide five inspirational lessons from Giannis Antetokounmpo’s comments on failure and steps to success.
5 Inspirational Lessons From Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Comments On Failure vs. Steps To Success
Failure is actually an opportunity to capture valuable data which helps you take steps toward success.
Giannis said, “It’s not a failure; it’s steps to success.” What Giannis reminds us of is that failure is not final. Failure is actually an opportunity to capture valuable data which helps you take steps toward success. If you properly evaluate your experience, you can learn from it and continue moving towards your desired goals.
Even the very best in our industry must take steps toward success.
He noted, “Michael Jordan played fifteen years, won six championships. The other nine years was he a failure?” Take comfort. If Michael Jorden failed, I am very confident you and I will as well.
“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
In Job 1:21, Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (ESV). Giannis would agree. He explained, “There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful. Some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn. Some days it’s not your turn. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Some other dude is going to win.”
Taking steps towards success is an opportunity for personal growth and a chance to get better.
You do not have to be defined by failure. In fact, Giannis also teaches us that taking steps towards success is an opportunity for personal growth and a chance to get better. He said, “We’re going to come back next year. Try to build good habits. Try to play better. Not have a 10-day stretch where we play bad basketball.”
Steps toward success gives us perspective.
Finally, steps toward success gives us perspective. Giannis concluded, “Fifty years, from 1971 to 2021 we didn’t win a championship. Was it 50 years of failure? No it was not.”
For more leadership lessons Giannis Antetokounmpo, click 8 Life-Changing Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Historic Game 4 Block Shot from the Bucks’s championship season
The following are additional insights on the subject of failure I gleaned from the TNT panel discussion:
As Ernie pointed out, thoughts on failure makes us think, makes us process, and are certainly worthy of discussion. As their conversation unfolded, there were a variety of viewpoints based upon various backgrounds, experiences, and expectations.
First, four-time NBA champion O’Neal delivered a bottom-line, clinical analysis of failure. Shaq said, “Failure is defined as ‘a lack of success or an inability to meet expectation.’ When you’re the best player in the world, you’re expected to win it every year.” Shaq grew up in a military family so his perspective was the mission was either achieved or not. It was a success or a failure. He felt, “Is the (Bucks) season a failure? Yes. Are you (Giannis) a failure.*##*#*# no. You’re the best player in the world.”
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Kenny followed with viewpoints similar to that of Giannis. He noted, “Most people don’t have the ability to singularly change the outcome… There’s step to the process. Sometimes losing is part of the process. And when you lose, sometimes you win because you gain valuable knowledge. And sometimes when you win, you actually hurt yourself because you think you’re doing things correctly.”
Barkley then applied the learnings of success and failure to average people like you and me. He encouraged all of us by saying, “You can be the best trash man and be a wonderful person. I admire teachers. They’re the hardest working people in the world. They’re successful… If you’re a trash man, be the best trash man. If you’re a secretary, be the best secretary.”
Then as only he can do, Barkley processed the subjects of success and failure through the lens of his career. He concluded, “If you have all your eggs, your self-esteem, your pride, all balled up into a stupid ball, you’re just a fool or an idiot… This notion that I’m not successful because I didn’t win a couple of more games, that’s crazy.”
What is one thing you learned about the relationship between success and failure from this discourse?
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