A Real Story for Every Young Athlete Chasing Greatness
I’ve been around the game for a long time. I’ve watched from the sidelines, coached from the bench, trained in the trenches, and played on the biggest stages you can imagine. Stadiums packed with 80,000+ fans, cheering and booing, all eyes on every move. I’ve gone head-to-head with some of the greatest athletes in the world. And through it all, I’ve learned something that every young athlete needs to hear.
Greatness is never just about talent…It’s about hunger. It’s about purpose. It’s about how bad you really want it when the lights go off and it’s just you and the work!
I hear it all the time. At the AAU level and on my own club teams, young players say they want to play college basketball. They speak it with passion! The dream is real. But when I watch how they prepare…how they train, how they focus, how they respond to adversity…only a small few truly back those words with action…Maybe 1%
The difference isn’t in who has the most followers or the smoothest highlight reel. The difference is in who’s willing to sacrifice. Who shows up when it’s inconvenient. Who puts the phone down and gets in the gym. Who chooses discipline when no one’s watching…There is a gap between talking about it and being about it.
Too many young athletes get caught in the fantasy. They see the celebrations, the viral clips, the gear drops, and think that’s the journey. But what they don’t see and what doesn’t always get posted is the grind behind it all. The 5:30 am early morning workouts. The missed parties. The failures that crush your spirit. The soreness, the doubt, the silence…That’s the reality. That’s what separates the ones who dream from the ones who do.
Because the truth is, you will be tested. There will be moments when your back is against the wall. When the shots aren’t falling. When your name isn’t getting called. When you’re wondering if any of it is worth it. In those moments, you’ll look in the mirror and ask yourself one question…How bad do I want it?
If your reason is weak, if it’s not built on something deeper than likes, trophies, or recognition, you won’t make it. You won’t outlast the grind. And when you step on the court against someone who does want it more, it will be obvious...You can’t fake discipline. You can’t fake heart. You can’t fake the extra miles.
The ones who rise are the ones who were willing to do more. They stayed focused. They did the extra work. They made the sacrifices. And when the moment came, they didn’t flinch. They didn’t fold…They were ready.
So now it’s your moment. Not just to dream, but to decide…How bad do you want it?
Because when the lights are on and the game is tight, and you’re standing across from someone who outworked you every day, the truth will show….The real ones always do…Will you?