Sports and athlets are a source of incredible messages and a continuous positive teaching which are applicable to several aspects of anyone’s life.
Today I bring to you two examples: NIKE’s growth as the underdog supplier of basketball shoes, to become the market leader. Secondly, the Muggsy Bogues Story.
Regarding the first one, you can enjoy watching the film AIR. Featuring actors such as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, you will get to know the vision, the mission, the self-discovery, the tenacity, business intrinsic and the game changing moments. At that time, NIKE was famous for supplying running shoes, but afterwards it consolidates a leading position in the basketball sportswear industry, propelled with its star product line AIR. How did that happen? Knowing the competitors, finding the right approach, involving a young athlete’s promising career, finding new channels of funding and legal frameworks. This growth led to the Converse company; the most demanded basketball sportswear company at the time, was acquired by NIKE in 2003.
If you did not have the chance to watch the film, you can at least read the ten NIKE rules established at that time:
The second story David & Goliath: Muggsy Bogues.
There are no small roles, only small actors. Konstantin Stanislavsky
Tyrone Curtis Bogues was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1965, and despite his short stature was a player in four NBA teams for fourteen seasons: with the Washington Bullets, the Charlotte Hornets, the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors. He then worked as coach at the WNBA after his retirement from the courts.
His teammates and the fans called him Muggsy and he was the shortest player in the history of the NBA, with only 1.60m in height and 62kg in weight.
In high school, he played for the team with some of the players who would also become NBA players in the future. At the University of North Carolina, he played for the team for four years, where he achieved statistics that correspond to much taller players.
It was in 1987, when he started playing for the Washington Bullets and showed his great talent. During the first season, one of his teammates was the tallest player in history, Manute Bol, with an astonishing 2.31 meters. The duo was famous for their photos of one next to the other. They featured on the covers of numerous magazines (see image).
In 1988 he went on to play with the Hornets, where he became an exceptional passer and ball stealer. He was one of the fastest players on the court. During the 10 years he was in the team, the Hornets became one of the most popular NBA teams.
In the 1997-1998 season, he joined the Golden State Warriors, where he played two seasons before joining the Toronto Raptors and announcing his retirement.
Muggsy Bogues is the living example that there are no limits for someone who decides to fulfill his dream despite having everything against him. In his case, the remarkable disadvantage in terms of height compensated with a devilish speed, precise passes, and unlikely steals that made the fans vibrate.
This player adored by the spectators, showed how a small player that has a great mentality, can take him to the top.
Muggsy Bogues inspiration for Daily life
Those things that are difficult, are what makes it attractive to try to achieve them. There is no value learning in what we have at hand.
Reference from the book Zen - 305
