Lebron James keeps moving on in the NBA playoffs. Someday he won’t. But right now he keeps upping his game, getting the job done in all phases, and his Cleveland Cavaliers team rallies behind him in their collective pursuit of greatness.
He came into the league right out of high school. He was a phenom, but you couldn’t classify him as “great” yet. Those early years he proved a lot and honed his skills. He got better. The Cavs went to the championship. They didn’t win the trophy.
Moving to the Miami Heat, he got his first championship rings and then he returned home to raise the city of Cleveland to new sports heights, going to the championship in 2015 where they lost in the finals, then winning it in 2016.
Somehow, James keeps getting better. How does he do it?
If you’ve watched him, you know he has a body that is almost beyond belief, muscled out, tall, built like he could take anybody out on the football field, fast, and he has the ability to sky. Seemingly, he does it all. But that still doesn’t make him great.
The sign of greatness is staying fresh and relevant. You don’t just win the big one once. You keep heading back. You find new ways to develop and refine what you do.
You see this in writers, movie producers and successful CEO’s. The term “reinvent yourself” is a cliché, but to stay on top of your “A” game year after year requires reinvention.
This year, I read something about Lebron and his off-season workouts. He is 6’8” and played last year at 270 lbs. This year, he is reported to be down to 250 lbs, perhaps a bit more. He is faster, quicker (two different things) and able to accomplish more acrobatic moves on the court because of it. He is greater than last year.
He stayed fresh and relevant. He knew if he wanted the Cavs to get back to the championship this year, he had to refine his game somehow. He prepared himself and acted. The results show.
Think about Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Nolan Ryan. What did they do in their respective sports? Over the years, they stayed fresh and relevant. Hence, greatness.
The sign of long-term greatness in almost any creative endeavor means hitting new criteria and improving. Woody Allen, Stephen King, The Beatles, Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Ted Williams. There’s a list for you.
How about Steve Martin, David Bowie, Steven Spielberg, The Rolling Stones? Do they ring your bell?
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele started their comedy show “Key and Peele” back in 2012. They are tremendously talented and the show was off-the-charts funny, charting new ground on race-based humor. I couldn’t get enough of it.
The next year they were decent. The following year I stopped watching. Not funny anymore. I hated to turn them off, but their stuff was repetitive, boring and not worth watching to me.
Now, Peele recently came out with a spoof horror movie, “Get Out,” which in an offbeat way introduces some fresh and relevant thematic material. I loved it. It was a different movie, and kept me engaged the full length.
I don’t know if you could call it a “great” movie, but it was very good. If he can keep it up, maintain fresh and relevant material for years, he will ascend the ladder of comedic movie greatness. Like so many other things, time will tell.
Keep it fresh. Stay on top of things. Be relevant. Pull that off in your field, and you get the “Greatness” mantle.
He came into the league right out of high school. He was a phenom, but you couldn’t classify him as “great” yet. Those early years he proved a lot and honed his skills. He got better. The Cavs went to the championship. They didn’t win the trophy.
Moving to the Miami Heat, he got his first championship rings and then he returned home to raise the city of Cleveland to new sports heights, going to the championship in 2015 where they lost in the finals, then winning it in 2016.
Somehow, James keeps getting better. How does he do it?
If you’ve watched him, you know he has a body that is almost beyond belief, muscled out, tall, built like he could take anybody out on the football field, fast, and he has the ability to sky. Seemingly, he does it all. But that still doesn’t make him great.
The sign of greatness is staying fresh and relevant. You don’t just win the big one once. You keep heading back. You find new ways to develop and refine what you do.
You see this in writers, movie producers and successful CEO’s. The term “reinvent yourself” is a cliché, but to stay on top of your “A” game year after year requires reinvention.
This year, I read something about Lebron and his off-season workouts. He is 6’8” and played last year at 270 lbs. This year, he is reported to be down to 250 lbs, perhaps a bit more. He is faster, quicker (two different things) and able to accomplish more acrobatic moves on the court because of it. He is greater than last year.
He stayed fresh and relevant. He knew if he wanted the Cavs to get back to the championship this year, he had to refine his game somehow. He prepared himself and acted. The results show.
Think about Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Nolan Ryan. What did they do in their respective sports? Over the years, they stayed fresh and relevant. Hence, greatness.
The sign of long-term greatness in almost any creative endeavor means hitting new criteria and improving. Woody Allen, Stephen King, The Beatles, Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Ted Williams. There’s a list for you.
How about Steve Martin, David Bowie, Steven Spielberg, The Rolling Stones? Do they ring your bell?
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele started their comedy show “Key and Peele” back in 2012. They are tremendously talented and the show was off-the-charts funny, charting new ground on race-based humor. I couldn’t get enough of it.
The next year they were decent. The following year I stopped watching. Not funny anymore. I hated to turn them off, but their stuff was repetitive, boring and not worth watching to me.
Now, Peele recently came out with a spoof horror movie, “Get Out,” which in an offbeat way introduces some fresh and relevant thematic material. I loved it. It was a different movie, and kept me engaged the full length.
I don’t know if you could call it a “great” movie, but it was very good. If he can keep it up, maintain fresh and relevant material for years, he will ascend the ladder of comedic movie greatness. Like so many other things, time will tell.
Keep it fresh. Stay on top of things. Be relevant. Pull that off in your field, and you get the “Greatness” mantle.