Kobe Bryant recently visited Tuscaloosa to give an inspirational talk to Nick Saban and the Alabama football team. Saban said afterward that all the greats, including Bryant, talk about the drive, passion and dedication behind the scenes which allows greatness to shine with confidence during big moments and big games.
Bryant elaborated on how he loves the “process, loving the daily grind, putting the puzzle together.” He said this generation of players “seems to be concerned with the end result of things versus understanding, appreciating the journey to get there.” He says today’s players will push until they run into adversity. Then they will move on to something else. Saban added that everybody wants to be the beast but nobody wants to do what the beast has to do to be on top.
On a lessor note, frankly, the “process” is one of the things I enjoy about broadcasting. Sure, it’s fun to be on the radio and host a four hour sports talk show or do play-by-play of an exciting sporting event. But long hours of preparation and study are required ahead of time in order to pull off a smooth broadcast that seems fun and effortless on the air.
This is not an attempt to put broadcasters in the same light as Kobe Bryant or Nick Saban. But if you look up to someone who has achieved success in any field, chances are they logged a lot of tireless hours of work and dedication before you ever noticed their greatness.
Written by Craig Shemon
