If Life Was A Game Of Basketball

• You would get enough time before the game to practice your dribbles and hoops and free throws and three points.
• The practice is important. But you would realize that all that practice still does not prepare you for the big day.
• You would get enough time after the game to reflect upon the game you played and think about changes for the next one.
• You would be able to call for time-outs- some 20 second, some full timeouts.
• You would get a chance to regroup your thoughts, plan nw strategies, plan offense, defense and steals and fouls.
• A flagrant foul may end up ejecting you from the game on a bad day.
• A mistake of yours may end up penalizing the whole team in the form of a team foul, and the team would not take too kindly to it (unless they have planned for it together).
• As you go through the first quarter, you would realize that there are three more quarters to go.
• As you get tired, you would realize that you can call for substitutes.
• As you hit the paint, you would realize that you have only 3 seconds to get the ball in your hands, or leave the paint.
• You would know that there are 3 point games which are more difficult to get, but more exciting if you get them.
• You would know that there is a lot of happiness in the 2 point games where you dribble and you alley-hoop and you slam a one handed jammer.
• You would know that it’s not wise to keep playing for 3 pointers all your time.
• You would know that its ok to get fouled because you are getting a chance to put free throws in.
• You would know that you need to save some breath for the final quarter when the game really heats up.
• You would know that you can commit a technical foul even when you are not playing the game.
• You would know that life is not just one game, but a series of games, if you hope to win the championship. That its ok to lose every once in a while.
• You would know that knowing all this doesn’t stop you from hurting when you lose the game.
• You would know that even if you are Michael Jordan, you still need a team to win.
• You would know that if you change your team, you would need to give yourself time to understand your team-mates, and mould yourself into the new team. Or, mould the team around you (if you are a Michael Jordan).
• You would know that its OK to have bad days on the court.
• You would know that if you are brought down, medical help is close by.
• You would know that beyond the 15 odd playing team-members there are hundreds and thousands of spectators, who may seem like distractions at times, but they are also the reason why the game exists as THE game.
• You would know that the playmaker is as important as the shooter is as important as the defense guy.
• You would know that a triple double is rare. And its ok to have people who jus score, but don’t defend that well.

I can go on and on… but its late in the night. And the game must go on….