I SPENT 25 years in the NBA—nine as a player and 16 as a coach. Many people have asked me, “What’s your key to winning?” It’s very simple. The great players do things that others won’t. They have a high tolerance for pain. They push longer, lift harder, and just hang in there. They work twice as hard because they want it more.
Here’s the secret:
MATTHEW 7:13–14 (NLV)
13 Go in through the narrow door. The door is wide and the road is easy that leads to hell. Many people are going through that door.
14 But the door is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life that lasts forever. Few people are finding it.
A lot of people look for shortcuts. But if you want to be successful, you’ve got to be willing to pay the price. Greatness will be hard and painful. Many times I got out of bed thinking, “There’s no way I’m getting through
practice today.”
My college days at Seton Hall were a rude awakening for me. I felt like a fish out of water. When I was growing up, my dad and my high school coach never yelled or cursed. But in college, my coach called me all kinds of names. It was hard for me to take. Do you know why? Because I hadn’t been tested yet.
Trying to intimidate David, Goliath said, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? . . . Come here, . . . and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” (1 Sam. 17:43–44 NIV).
David didn’t flinch. He shot back, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty . . . . This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands” (vv. 45–46 NIV).
Where did David get that resolve? Before he ever fought Goliath, he fought lions and bears. If you try to fight Goliath before fighting lions and bears, you’re going to get your head knocked off. Often we want to skip those early battles. But that’s where we learn to stand and not run. Those battles prepare us for what’s ahead.
God often puts us in positions that are not comfortable. But never underestimate the seasons in your life when you go through the fire.
My time at Seton Hall turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. God can use what-ever you’re experiencing and turn it around for your good. My college days prepared me for the NBA. When I finally stepped onto an NBA court, a coach could yell at me, and I could still function and produce at a high level.
You’re going to face “Goliaths” throughout your life. When you learn to beat them, doors will open for you. But you have to go down the narrow road when nobody is watching and do the hard work. What’s done in secret will come to light if you do it God’s way.
When I started coaching, I wanted to be head coach so bad, but it didn’t happen right away. Frustration can kick in because you think you’re ready and you wonder, “When’s it going to happen?”
In my coaching journey, I learned to keep my mouth shut and serve. At first, I tried to make it happen. But I discovered that if you want to get to the top, you serve your way there. When I began to serve my coaches, God gave me favor, and I didn’t have to fight for positions.
At times things don’t go your way. It can be a blow, and you don’t understand why it happened. But remember that when you serve Christ as your Savior, you’re on the winning team—you’ll always win in the end. So don’t hesitate or second-guess yourself when the ball is in your hand. Just let it rip!
Author
Adrian Griffin
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