Why Steve Kerr's "Moment" Could Work For You

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Steve Kerr prepared for (and then created) success with one simple thought -- could it work for you?

In 2003, Steve Kerr was the NBA's career leader in three-point accuracy. He was a smart player and always a guy who could perform under pressure. He'd won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and would collect two more as a San Antonio Spur.  Steve Kerr

But in this year, at 37, Kerr was old for basketball. Over the course of the '02-'03 season, he'd averaged just four points per game and had seen his playing time dwindle as younger, fresher legs assumed a bigger role on the court. Coming into Game 6 of the NBA Conference Semi-Finals series versus the Dallas Mavericks, Kerr had played just 13 minutes during the course of the preceding 17 games in the playoffs. It was fair to say he'd gone beyond warming the Spurs' bench; he was one with it.

It had been an ugly game, at least for San Antonio. Point guard Tony Parker was playing with the flu, Tim Duncan was having an atypical off night, and the Spurs had fallen behind by as many as 15 points in the third quarter. With 10:53 left in the game, they trailed by 13. At just under nine minutes, the tide shifted as the Spurs' Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson each hit three pointers. The score was 71-68, Dallas.

Kerr had been summoned off the bench earlier in the third quarter and of the whole evening, he'd later say, "I couldn't remember the last time I played." It was with 7:11 to go that he sunk his second three-pointer of the night. Then at the 6:28 mark, he drove in a third. And when there was 5:13 left on the clock, he made a fourth, effectively helping the Spurs put Dallas away for good. In the end, he'd played a total of 13 minutes, finishing with 12 points.

Game 6 was arguably the deciding factor that paved the way to the Spurs' NBA championship in the final series.

Interestingly, what became most memorable about that game for me was the interview with Kerr afterward. There was a frenzied line of questioning from the media, of course, with everyone wanting to know just how someone who'd been sitting for the entire playoff series and, to some extent, a good portion of the NBA season could still have the motivation to be prepared to play and execute so well.

It was a classic sports underdog tale, of course, only this one came with an interesting twist. Kerr didn't say he knew how to wear the pressure. He didn't say that a consummate veteran recalls past experience to get the job done. What he did was acknowledge that he was past his prime and that he'd decided to shift the way he prepared for success.

"I thought I could have a moment," he said.

It's years later, of course, but I tucked that line away for good after I heard it. I love the idea of re-framing your thinking so that you can get out of your own way and let your passion and skills take over. I love the idea of focusing on being ready for something good rather than the good itself.

But most of all, I love that you can have your moment on even the smallest of stages, when being your best shouldn't be possible. Who's to say, after all, that the moment of patience you manage to exhibit with your kids after a long day at work isn't on par with the shot that wins the big game? It's all about perspective, this having "a moment."

Are you ready for yours?

 

 

 

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