Reflections on LeBron's Homecoming

I was more than a little concerned about "my people" in Ohio and their response to LeBron's return...it went about as I thought and glad to hear there weren't any injuries! BUT after going on-line to check the score at halftime, I ended up with a leadership lesson! (OK...so I had to come up with something to take the place of the pit in my gut from the Heat DESTROYING my Cavs!!)

We often ask what the difference is in certain athletes...some seem to respond to the pressure, while others cave...some rise to the top while others, even those with AMAZING talent fall short. It is the same in business...church...life! Think about the hype for yesterday's game...unless you know nothing about sports, you have probably heard that LeBron DITCHED the Cavs for the Miami Heat...AND he downright embarrassed his HOMETOWN in the process. SO...this game...his first game back to Cleveland/Akron area was a HUGE game. There was a TON of build up...A LOT of emotion. Even LeBron admitted that he had A LOT of different feelings heading into the game. AND his former teammates did too...

BUT...what were the results? How did they respond to the pressure?

The great-ones somehow block out the distractions at game-time...they go to "that place" mentally...the one that allows them to separate themselves from the distraction and emotion...they let it feed them...BUT not to the point of "over-performing." LeBron did that last night...He played at the top of his game...he was being insulted...slandered...SCREAMED at...much less his own personal emotions of being "back home." YET he responded with his best game of the year.

MEANWHILE..his former teammates caved under the emotion...they allowed the emotion of the day to overtake them and they did "overplay." So much so that they got DESTROYED! Hence the difference between the great and the good...there are REALLY good players on the Cavs or they wouldn't be in the NBA...BUT the biggest part of GREATNESS is MENTAL TOUGHNESS.

Lessons learned here for all of us...how mentally tough our we within our own context? How much do we allow "outside" or even INSIDE distractions run our emotions and allow that to affect our living out life? Good things to think about...and definitely better than reflecting on the game and that LeBron was wearing the wrong uniform last night!!