Fox Sports college football commentator Joel Klatt once said, “Greatness is playing great when greatness is required… Being a great player is you are great when that is the minimal amount required to succeed.” During the United States mens basketball team’s gold medal winning effort on Saturday, August 10th, we witnessed greatness in the form of Steph Curry.
Curry’s Performance
With the USA leading France by a score of 82-79, Curry went on an epic run. He would hit four 3-pointers over the next 2 minutes and 15 seconds leading to a 98-87 victory. It was such an iconic performance the greatest stars in the game were celebrating and in awe. To watch highlights from Curry’s historic game, click the image below.
Curry’s Analysis
Afterwards, Curry said of his performance, “Coach (Steve Kerr) reminded me, at a certain point, early, the game will come to you if you allow it. And even if I was missing shots, just stay engaged. And that kind of fed into being locked in for these last two games, because the game called for me to get shots up, and knock them down. … you just stay confident, stay present, and don’t get rattled by the moment.”
Curry’s 4 Leadership Lessons
From Curry’s words, we learn four lessons about elite performance in high-pressure situations.
1. Opportunities Come To Those Who Don’t Quit
The character Rocky Balboa famously said, “It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Even if Curry was missing shots, he stayed engaged knowing he would eventually get his opportunities.
2. “Stay Confident”
NorthStar Church pastor Mike Linch recently said, “Self-doubt kills athletes and our mission for God. Self-doubt is a silent killer.” Leadership is challenging. It puts up a fight. Pain and discouragement are constant unwelcome guests on the leadership journey.
A leader must stay confident. The best way to do this is to trust your memory. If you have done something once, you have the capacity to do it again. Steph Curry had hit countless high-pressure shots in his career. The Olympics would be no different.
The picture below showing his final 3-pointer of the game captured the confidence of Curry like no other. Notice the wide-open Kevin Durant (arguably one of the four best shooters in NBA history) and LeBron James (arguably one of the two best players in NBA history) to his left. But Curry still took a very difficult shot over two much-larger defenders. That’s confidence.
3. “Stay Present”
High-achievers are not easily distracted. They are focused. Be where your feet are. Staying in-the-moment helps you execute. Which leads to my next point.
4. “Don’t Get Rattled By The Moment”
So why did Curry not get rattled in such a high-pressure moment and execute at such a high level?
When astronaut Mike Massimino was about to board the Space Shuttle for his first spaceflight, he was understandably nervous. But as he wrote on page 61 of his excellent book A NASA Astronaut’s Guide To Achieving The Impossible, “Once I got inside the space shuttle, I was fine. I was well trained. I knew what to do. I had confidence in the spaceship and in the dedicated team of people who were supporting us. The countdown progressed, and all was well again.”
I thought about Massimino’s words as I watched Curry’s performance. While in the game, Curry was well trained, knew what to do, had confidence in himself and his teammates, and then executed to perfection as the clock counted down.
Conclusion
Steph Curry did not quit, stayed confident and present, and did not get rattled by the moment. You and I will never be able to shoot a basketball like Curry. But we can learn these four lessons and implement them in our own leadership.
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