Bouncing Back From Failure
B.U.D.S. | Mamba Memories 01
In memory of one of my heroes, Kobe Bean Bryant. For the year 2024, I want to commemorate him by sharing some of my favourite Kobe stories, which personally inspired me during my trials and tribulations to dig deeper, work a little harder, and persevere in the pursuit of excellence.
Four years ago, we lost one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He inspired millions around the world with his insane work ethic. His drive and commitment to refining his craft sparked a philosophy and lasting legacy, Mamba Mentality - a relentless pursuit of becoming the best version of oneself.
I was born in 1991, I missed the golden age of the NBA and don’t have many memories of watching His Airness, Michael Jordan. But I was lucky enough to witness the second coming of MJ, and that was Kobe Bean Bryant. Who else could inspire an entire generation to shout out his name while skillfully tossing the trash into the bin or launching some laundry into the hamper? KOBE!
Kobe’s career both peaked and nearly collapsed from 2000 to 2010, aligning with my coming of age; from a scrawny preteen to a young man in university, I faced my fair share of ups and downs. Kobe was always a source of inspiration.
Although my basketball career never took off, I applied the mamba mentality to academics and education. What started as a competitive advantage in the examination hall eventually morphed into a personal philosophy which helped me become the man, husband, father and professional I am today.
With that said, please enjoy the first edition of Mamba Memories.
The Redeem Team
On the world stage, the early to mid-2000s were the dark ages for USA Basketball. The once-invincible Americans were embarrassed in multiple tournaments. A 5th place finish in the 2002 FIBA Championships. A huge upset in the semi-finals to Argentina in the 2004 Olympics. The final blow came from Greece in the semi-finals of the 2006 FIBA Championships. After three major tournaments in a row, the Davids of the world had slain Goliath marking a new era; the legacy of the Dream Team was over.
“Legends aren’t defined by their successes;
They’re defined by how they bounce back from their failures.”
- Chris Bosh, on Kobe Bryant.
To get back to the mountaintop, USA Basketball recruited Kobe Bryant for the 2008 Olympics. I remember closely following Team USA’s road to redemption as they prepared for the games in Beijing. It was well documented that the team had found their alpha dog in Kobe. His work ethic and commitment were on display, and the rest of the team followed his lead on their way to the gold medal.
To help capture the significance of Kobe’s impact on the team, teammate Chris Bosh gave an excellent tribute to Kobe during his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech.
“It was 2008, the Redeem Team was formed. We were in Vegas for the start of training camp and we’re getting ready for the Olympics in Beijing. I wanted to establish myself as a young leader on the team by waking up bright and early [on] day one. So the goal was to be the first one at breakfast. I set my alarm, I make sure I’m up by sunrise, I get out of bed, I put on my gear and I head downstairs…but when I get there, Kobe is already there with ice packs on his knees, drenched in sweat.”
“It took me a minute to figure it out, but this guy was not only awake before me, he had already worked out. He had just played in the Finals days earlier, meanwhile I've been off for months and I was still exhausted. What he did that day was incomprehensible to me...that dedication he had only days after falling short of an NBA championship, that taught me something I have never forgotten: legends aren’t defined by their successes, they are defined by how they bounce back from their failures.”
Fail Forward
In modern society, we are conditioned to avoid failure at all costs. It’s drilled into our malleable minds from a young age as we progress through our industrial educational system. By the time we reach adulthood, failure is forbidden and we’re conditioned to think that winning is the only prize worth pursuing.
However, the lesson I draw from Kobe is that failure is essential. Don’t let the fear of failure paralyze you from taking action. And more importantly, those times when you do fail, epically, publicly, shamefully, always remember to get back up and try again.
Regardless of win or lose, the process is what matters most. I don’t think if Kobe had won the 2008 Championship, that situation would have been any different. He would still have been at breakfast, drenched in sweat, with ice packs on his knees. Because true winners understand that failure is just part of the game. In the end, we all lose more than we win, we all miss more shots than we make.
All that matters is we learn from the loss, move on, and have the courage to show up, and do the work. Over and over and over again.
Thanks for reading. Much love.
SG
Hey everyone, Shawn here. If you, or anyone you know, is on medications and are interested in safely and effectively tapering off their medicine, please feel free to reach out to me by clicking on this link. As a deprescribing pharmacist, I specialize in building custom taper plans and protocols to help individuals come off medicines for mental health, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. You can book a complimentary consultation and get in touch by clicking on this link.
Build. Understand. Discipline. Stillness. “B.U.D.S” is written by Dr. Shawn Gill - a pharmacist and Father of two boys. During the day, he works as a deprescribing pharmacist, helping patients get off drugs, safely and effectively. At night, he writes this newsletter. B.U.D.S is a community that's focused on inspiring individuals to take account of their health and wellness, as well as reverse the over-pharmaceuticalization of our everyday lives. If you’d like to support this mission, please subscribe below. Much love.