Idan Ravin

To learn means you have to be willing to try and fail without concern for the consequences, until the new becomes the familiar and patterns are ingrained—at which point you start again, creating new variables to allow for new adaptations.

Love what you do, not the material gifts that come with it. And if you don’t, don’t fake it, just find something else that you love to do.

Talent and fireworks on a few random nights in December aren’t enough; succeeding in the NBA requires consistency over an extended period of time—eighty-two regular season games, six months, a daily grind.

Stamina matters, physical and mental, and it’s an important ingredient in the pursuit of greatness. Hard work doesn’t come with guarantees of success; it takes mental stamina for a player to have faith and persevere with focus even when he can’t see the finish line.

I teach them to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

But the only thing anyone can learn from my journey is that they’ll have to make their own way.

I want them to remember they play because they love the game, not for all the crap that comes with it. If they don’t, they’ll have a short career and then give way to somebody who cares more.

‘You won’t be getting paid for this,’ his agent reminded me. Too bad we weren’t on Skype so he could see me smile. Money was never my motivator. I loved what I did. Whatever came with it was just gravy.