The Pitfalls of being a Top Dog
The NBA Playoffs Season is now in the crossroads where boys get separated from men, where lapdogs are weaned away from the Top Dogs. And the Top Dogs? They carry the burden and all the pent up pressures on their shoulders as their team fights tooth and nail towards the final post season games.
When Giannis Antetokounmpo, the ‘Greek Freak’ leader went from hero to villain overnight. When the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA’s #1 ranked team during the regular season, were unceremoniously yanked out of the playoffs by via the cinderella run of the surprising Miami Heats, Giannis had to bear the brunt for all the blame of the losses. From fame to shame, that’s how quick Top Dogs can change overnight. Lebron James of the LA Lakers is very much in that same boat. As the Lakers’ Top Dog, whenever the Lakers fumble, all the blame gets heaped on him. Regardless, it's a win-win thing. If you win, you're up there at the top of the totem pole. If you lose, you'll still be there at the helm, that's guaranteed.
At hindsight, we could argue that being a Top Dog is tough. Yes indeed. But if we relegate ourselves to be just one of those mediocre team members, are you not wasting all the potentials in your wheelhouse? It all boils down to risks. And absolutely, taking risks is a tough call but what’s in store for us when we take risks? It’s the enormous rewards you will reap once you get to the apex, the very zenith of your journey. When it’s payback time, you will be reaping mind-boggling rewards.
Just yesterday after a whole day’s work, I was going through youtube flicks when I stumbled across the mansion-like Florida Paradise of Udonis Haslem, the Miami Heat’s veteran mainstay the past 17 NBA Seasons. And when I got a glimpse of his mansion, it was just jaw-dropping but what does this tell us? Reaping rewards is a given if you go through the rigors of risk in life.
Dilemma is, if we end up as fence-sitters, waiting for the bandwagon to get filled before we hop on it. As one of my quotable quotes goes: ‘Never allow waiting to become a habit. Live your dreams. Take risks. Life is happening now.
And what did Boxing Great Muhammad Ali say? ‘He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish in life.
In two contrite words, who defines your very own fait accompli. It’s you dude.
