James Harden’s Moment of Excellence
“I’ve been let in on a dirty little secret: winning changes nothing. Now that I’ve won a slam, I know something that very few people on earth are permitted to know. A win doesn’t feel as good as a loss feels bad, and the good feeling doesn’t last as long as the bad. Not even close.” - Andre Agassi
I'll be the first to admit I have been largely indifferent about James Harden's basketball career. That is, until the 76ers' overtime win Sunday in Game 4 of their semifinals series with the Boston Celtics. No, it wasn't because Harden hit the game-winning shot in the final seconds of play. It was because of what the above picture represents.
The concept of how elite performers define success has fascinated me in recent years. More specifically, how their perception of success evolves as they rack up the career accomplishments they always believed would fulfill them. Andre Agassi wrote how "winning changes nothing" in his autobiography Open, and Kevin Durant "learned much hadn't changed" after winning an NBA championship . If the major career accomlishments don't matter, what does? That's why I believe many top athletes achieve more success and fulfillment when they focus on the "pursuit of excellence", an idea of focusing on daily goals instead of results, and ultimatley creating achievements in conjunction with thier athletic pursuits that give their journey's true meaning.
Enter James Harden on Sunday, and why his performance hit me in such an emotional way.
Two months ago, James Harden spoke to Michigan State shooting survivor John Hao by facetime, sharing words of encouragement, gifts, and an offer to bring Hao to a future 76ers game when he got out of the hospital. Last Sunday was that day.
With Harden's good luck charm in Hao in the stands, Harden showed out with a game-high 42 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer late in overtime to seal the win and even the series. But when I are talk about Harden's moment of excellence, the in-game performance merely acted as a prelude to his true heroics. It was the magnificent moments captured on-court directly after game , and the scene in the locker room between Hao and Harden are what it's all about.
Great job James Harden on creating such a wonderful moment for this young man and his family, showing how special sports can be, and reminding us what truly matters in life.
