“A Competitive Sports Distinction: Playing to Win vs. Playing Not to Lose”
As I write this post, I recognize the relevancy of my topic to the current Wisconsin and national basketball landscapes. The Milwaukee Bucks are playing in the 2021 NBA Finals, and holding a three-games-to-two series lead over the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks’ best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has been sensational; this despite suffering a potentially season-ending knee injury just three weeks ago. It’s been a hard-fought series against the Suns, and an uphill battle for the Bucks in their quest to secure the franchise’s first NBA title in over 50 years. Our family has enjoyed the playoffs ride. I feel as emotionally invested into the fate of this year’s Bucks as I have with any team in recent memory, including the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers, and the 2014-2015 University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team. The Bucks and Suns are closely matched opponents. Their respective players and coaching staffs have been preparing for this moment their entire lives. Time and again, we see that when talent meets talent, the defining characteristic of a champion comes down to a basic principle. It’s a question that athletes and coaches must ask themselves and one which will, ultimately, determine the legacy they leave behind:
“Do you want to go win this thing, or, are you good with just hoping to win it?”
For fans, few things can compare to the exhilaration of watching their favorite athletes and teams compete on a championship stage. Meteoric rises. Epic defeats. Defining moments. These are the major acts in the final production. Competition at its highest level brings out the best in sports superstars, and the memories they leave us with will last forever. So what’s the determining factor when it comes to seizing the moment? Preparation and coaching are both valuable parts of the equation, though the most critical measure of success for any athlete comes down to performance. Making history requires more than the perfect game plan. It takes unrelenting desire, and above all else, execution.
A winning mindset in sports begins when athletes take on the role of being the aggressors.
The most successful athletes and teams I’ve witnessed during my lifetime share some common attributes: composure in the clutch; the understanding of how to play with urgency; the capacity to put their opponents away down the stretch; the ability to set the bar high without playing down to the level of their competition; the willingness to hold themselves and their teammates accountable for their actions. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the rest of the Chicago Bulls during their title-winning seasons during the mid and late 1990s; Brett Favre, Reggie White, and the 1996-1997 Green Bay Packers; Derrick Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and the 1998 New York Yankees. These athletes and team were professionals in every sense of the word. Calculated. Efficient. Ruthless. They were some of the best of their generations, and their desire to win was evident to all who watched them.
It’s a bad feeling to lose when you know you could’ve done more.
The archives of sports history are filled with gut-wrenching losses. The Buffalo Bills vs. the Houston Oilers in the 1992 AFC Wild Card game. The Green Bay Packers vs. the Seattle Seahawks in the 2014 NFC Championship. Virginia vs. UMBC in the first round of the 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters. So what makes seemingly great competitors crumple? In many cases, it’s a matter of complacency. Athletes and teams get comfortable, and before they know it, their opponents sneak up on them. Consistency is essential to winning in sports, but there are runs, both good and bad, that happen along the way. Timing is everything. It doesn’t matter what the odds are, because if you give an opponent hope then crazy things can happen. As the adage goes: there’s a reason you play the game.
A winning frame of mind is just as important off the playing field as it is on it.
The “play to win” philosophy has plenty of real life applications. We aspire to accomplish our goals, but that doesn’t mean we always succeed. Like our favorite athletes, there are days when we have it and others when we don’t. Our approach sets the pace. The runs we go on are determined by the risks we take, calculated and reckless alike. The work isn’t always as easy, or, as glamorous as we might like it to be. What’s most important is that we keep our heads up and continue trying.
I’m finishing this post just under the wire. Tipoff for the Bucks and Game 6 is now only hours away. It’s an exciting time to be a basketball fan in Wisconsin! Hopefully these next few words won’t come back to bite me…but I have a good feeling about where this year’s Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy is headed. The Bucks are battle-tested. They’ve had to overcome adversity at every step of their playoffs season. They’ve shown not only what they’re capable of, but what they’re made of. The stage is set for a thrilling finish. It’s history in the making! Go Bucks!
- Todd
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