Some of the greatest basketball players of all time could have been even greater if they hadn’t been so afraid of looking like a “sissy.” Are you making the same kind of mistake?
Wilt Chamberlain made history by scoring 100 points in a single game. Shaquille O’Neal led the NBA in field goal percentage ten times. These two men are among the best of the best. But the two Hall of Famers stand out in another way, too; they are the only NBA players ever to miss more than 5,000 free throws! Imagine what they could have done if there had been a way for them to improve their accuracy.
And the sad thing is, there was a solution—shoot underhanded. And both men knew it.
Chamberlain did take some good advice and switched to throwing underhand for one season. That’s when he scored those 100 points in just one game, making 28 out of 32 free throws (87.5%). But then, even knowing what the so-called “granny shot” could do for him, he reverted to his old style and his accuracy over distance fell off a cliff again. O’Neal could never bring himself to shoot underhand in competition, declaring, “I’d rather shoot zero than shoot underhand.”
In his autobiography, Chamberlain wrote, “I felt silly, like a sissy, shooting underhanded. I know I was wrong. I know some of the best foul shooters in history shot that way. Even now, the best one in the NBA, Rick Barry, shoots underhanded. I just couldn’t do it.”
As good as he was, Wilt Chamberlain went to his grave, knowing he could have been better.
That’s not a problem Rick Barry has. He’s one of the few NBA players ever to shoot the “sissy” underhand shot consistently and his excellent free-throw record earned him a spot in the NBA Hall of Fame. As Barry is happy to explain, it’s just a better way to make a free throw, more natural to the body, and easier to control. So why aren’t most players willing to use the better technique?
It all comes down to a person’s threshold. As sociologist Mark Granovetter explains, “…thresholds are external. They’re about peer pressure. Your threshold is the number of people who have to do something before you join in.” In the case of Chamberlain and O’Neal, they had a high threshold when it came to shooting free throws. A lot of other NBA players would have had to make “granny” shots before they would follow suit. In contrast, Barry had a low threshold. His drive to be a better shooter outweighed his worries about looking like a “sissy” among his peers.
Your threshold can play a huge role in your business success. If you’re not unwilling to follow your better judgment and go against accepted norms, you may miss the opportunity to up your game.
We take norms and processes for granted within every industry and business and don’t even consider breaking them. Don’t get me wrong; some of these guidelines are important and good, but some aren’t. Sometimes, we need to lower our threshold, stop caring what others think, and do what we know will increase efficiency, opportunities, products, sales, and success! Unlock your greatness. Be a sissy.
Related content to “Unlock Your Greatness: Be a Sissy”:
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Unlock your greatness books: Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday | The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F* by Mark Manson