I hate the Miami Heat.
I know, I don’t get it. ”It’s a new age, KD”. ”Talent should be able to go wherever it wants, KD”. ”Free Agent Nation, KD”. ”You’re getting old, KD”.
Save it Alice. I’m going to feel the way I feel.
It wasn’t so much the fact that Lebron and Wade got together and decided where they wanted to play. It was the way the transition was handled. Lebron holds a TV show called “The Decision“, and breaks Cleveland’s heart on national TV with a sports drink cooler in the background. The big two (plus caddie Chris Bosh, but that’s another post) rise up out of a stage flexing the guns and proceed to say they’re going to win 7 championships.
“Aren’t you getting near the time when you have to have your Prostate checked, KD?” ”That’s called confidence and swagger, KD – don’t you want that in great talent?”.
Flash forward to my Thursday, which also happened to be Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The Heat are up 1-0 in the series against the Dallas Mavericks and looking to basically lock the series by going up 2-0. They’re feeling a lot like I did late last week, when we closed a great search on behalf of a client.
Like my search, Thursday/Game 2 started out great for the Heat. They go up by 15 points (88-73), and like me and my team, they start high fiving and celebrating.
Thursday ended the same for Lebron, Wade and KD. The Mavericks went on an incredible run to close the game and knock off the Heat. My firm got notice the candidate we thought we had closed wasn’t going to work out. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in both cases.
The common thread – a lot of celebrating when it seemed obvious to all that the outcome was going be positive. Lebron and Wade started shooting long jump shots instead of driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line. KD stopped closing the candidate and the client on all fronts.
KD’s celebratory reaction to a “closed” search = Lebron and Wade high fiving in front of the Mavericks bench right before it all went to hell for the Heat.
Games aren’t over until the final horn sounds. Searches aren’t over until the candidate has reported to their first day of work.
I hate the Miami Heat. I just wish I wasn’t so much like them today.
Awesome post KD. Humility is a great virtue even if you are the best talent around. Go Mavs.
Nice.
Two differences between you and the Heat:
1) You are man enough to admit you celebrated too soon. Wade/LeBron are denying it.
2) We *like* you.
Go Mavs.
To quote Jason Seiden, didn’t you both just “Fail Spectacularly”? I don’t think the Heat (and you) will ever make those mistakes again.
Go Heat!