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When asked, “What made Michael Jordan so great?” lots of basketball fans may think “practice,” “dedication,” “teamwork,” “great coaching,” “luck” or something else. When Michael Jordan answers that question about himself, he give a surprising answer.
A very surprising answer.
In a really cool Nike commercial, TV viewers hear the voice of Michael Jordan talking about pivotal moments across his career. Pivotal moments he could not conquer. Instead, he suffered crushing defeat. But those defeats taught him something crucial.
In his own words:
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Ironic, isn’t it? Arguably, the greatest basketball player in the game claimed that failure is what made him great. The Apostle Paul knew something about this sort of irony. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-12, he talked about life and victory coming through despair and defeat.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Now, go make the most of your failures.
Resource’s Origin:
“Failure” Commercial by Nike.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Athlete
Basketball
Defeat
Endurance
Failure
Lesson
Lose
Sports
Success
Victory
Win
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
