The Greats Get Nervous Too, But Master The Mind

Writer Jackie MacMillan is a writer who has covered the NBA for years. She was a young reporter when Michael Jordan came into the league, and she got a courtside view of his growth into one of the greatest athletes who ever lived.

One of Jordan's most famous moments was the shot that he hit against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989 in the 5th and deciding game of their playoff series. She said that before that game, she was able to talk to MJ. It was a big game for the Bulls and for his career. She remembers him talking about how nervous he was leading up to the game, and how he was handling the nerves:

"He was nervous Don't think that Michael Jordan wasn't ever nervous. All the great ones are. Now, once the game starts, those nerves disappear immediately. But in the days leading up to it, talk to all of the greats - Jerry West, Bird, Russell, Magic - all of them will tell you that nerves are normal and managing those nerves and transforming them into positive energy separates the greatest players from the average players. I remember talking to Jordan and his knee was jangling, jangling, jangling at the locker room, talking back forth between positive self-talk and a little bit of just nerves."

I think we look at athletes like Michael Jordan and admire their competitive spirit and their seemingly calm and confident appearance in the biggest moments. Its good to hear that they have the same thoughts, fears, and nervous feelings that we all get. We just all have to figure out how to channel our emotions and energy in a way that will benefit us.

Lebron James has a commercial with Kaiser where he says, "The mind is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger it becomes. While the greats mastered the body, the greatest mastered the mind."