On Fire – My Basketball Perspective

Swish.

Bank.

Fake, up and under.

Post fadeaway.

Unstoppable.

Every serious basketball player, be it in the streets, in the amateur league, and especially the professional league, has experienced being dominant in the court. Spectators have many terms – being on fire, being in the zone, red hot, shooting streak, etc.

It is that feeling when you can do no wrong, and no one can bother you. It is that feeling when one whispers to himself, “Damn, I’m Jordan / Kobe / Olajuwon!!! !@#$ nothing can stop me!”

I wish I could always feel that emotion, and be in that state of being. It’s as if my mind and my body fuses together to amplify the focus. No distractions. No humor. Just the right moves at the right time.

Paradoxically, everything in my perspective becomes slow, including the defender’s reactions and even the movement of the ball. Yet I know these things happen real fast, given that basketball is a fast-paced sport.

Physically, my body heats up. It feels so light and it itches to move and do it blazingly fast. I don’t feel tired. I don’t feel out of breath. I feel in control.

I feel that I’m the master, and opponents are mere cones waiting to be exploited.

Being on fire, amplified with momentum, is very contagious. Teammates read each other with utmost precision; the correct pass at the most opportune moment. Nothing can stop us!

I just wish that I can always enter that zone. Perhaps that’s when practice and conditioning comes in – correct practice habits embedding muscle memory, and intense conditioning allowing the body to be at peak position.

Perhaps the reason why my basketball idols, Kobe, Olajuwon and Jordan are considered great basketball players. They can enter the zone the most frequently, and thus dominating the opposition.

Razor-sharp, laser-like focus. This is one of the best emotions that I want to feel frequently in my lifetime.

I’m on fire.