Winning mentality from best NBA players' interviews

Reporter: "You showed great performance in game 3. Did the game 2 that you lost have you have more competitiveness and does that affect your mindset?"
Nikola Jokic: "No, I am not motivated by losing the game. It does not motivate me. No."

 

 

I enjoy watching NBA players post-game interview with press. In my opinion, the interviews are more interesting than actual games. You can see why they are world best players, especially their mentality and mindset. It helps me have winning mentality. Surprisingly, it even helps me have a reliable mentality. 

 

I am sharing some of great interviews that can think about what mentality you need to be a winner. Why does watching interview and taking a glimpse of their mentality help? I have two hypotheses why it can help you. 1) you might not know the winning mentality because you haven't seen before. Hence, it is good to see them. 2) You need to keep exposing yourself to things that you want to have. 

 

I will summarize for people who feel lazy to Youtube and watch one by one. After watching many interviews, particularly playoff season interviews, I found a few common mindsets in them.

 

- I believe in myself

- I believe in my teammates

- I know what I am capable of

- The mentality is so important. You need it as a professional player shooting the ball in front of millions of people.

- I am only focusing on winning the next game. (for example, after losing three games in playoff season)

 

All of these might look like cliché. 'Oh you are talking like that because you are NBA player. You hypocrite' But if you realize most of them come from the interviews when they lost, you can see they mean it (at least that's what I believe)

 

A few recommended interviews

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1. D'Angelo Russell's interview.

After the game 4 against Denver Nuggets at the 2024 playoff first round.

 

Reporter: "The coach was very outspoken about how much he still believed in you did that help you"

 

D'Angelo: "uh if you could speak to that I mean I appreciate that but I believe in myself simple as that um more than anybody so I mean I don't need that"

 

Let me give you more context.

His performance in the first three games was not very good. And you have to know that there are tens of millions of people watching you. And the whole city, in this case LA even, is expecting something from you. Think about the amount of pressure on you. It is not just expectation from your dad, mom, and sister. and you lost three games straight.  A team needs four wins to close the round and go to the semi-final. This is the mindset that we need.

 

It was a stunning interview that he said I don't need that. Your belief in me is not needed because I believe in myself. But yeah if you do, I appreciate it. It is a different reaction when someone says "I believe in you."  Usually, you feel like "okay, yeah I have to believe in myself more. I can do better!" or something like that. 

 

https://youtu.be/yO3bsHwpdeU?t=167

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2. LeBron James's interview

After winning 2020 NBA championship.

 

Lebron: "Now, I know that what I have been doing is correct. The way of training, and etc."

 

It is hard to tell what you are doing is correct to success before you make some accomplishment because there is no feedback. What if you were doing wrong training? how are you going to tell? Anyway, you are working hard. But working hard does not mean you are doing things in the right way.

 

Why is this interview interesting? because even one of great of all time player in the history also had doubts about his everyday training and practice. He might ask questions like "Am I doing right.."

If you are asking yourself the same questions, then yes it is the question even GOAT asked himself.

 

 

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I have a lot more but couldn't find which interview it was. More interviews will be added continuously.