Admissionado
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 9211
Location: Chicago, IL
Schools:Brown University, Harvard Business School
The Dallas Mavericks, and Business School
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02 Jun 2011, 21:45
Wow gang--anyone else watch that basketball game this evening? Any NBA fans out there? If not, that's okay. I'll make it suuuuper easy for anyone to understand. And as always trust me, the game's relevance will make sense shortly. : )
So for those of you who missed it, Lebron James and the Miami Heat were kicking some MAJOR butt, and they were up by 16 points in the final period of the game. I for one assumed that theyd win for sure! But what happened? Dallas came back, and won the game in the last 24 seconds. Down from a 16 point lead in the 4th, under the leadership of their star Dirk Nowitzki.
Now, what can we learn from all this? PLENTY. Here are three lessons from tonight's NBA game worth applying to, well, our applications.
1) Play to your strengths. Dallas called the same play not once, not twice, but THREE times in a row. Sure different players got the shot, but it was the pick and roll, time and time again. And of course, Dirk hit some HUGE buckets as always down the stretch. So play to your strengths folks. If you have an accounting background, dont pretend that you have the chops to be a management consultant. Talk about your technical prowess, your financial skills--play to your strengths.
2) Dont give up. What were the chances that Dallas would come back? SLIM folks. But they took their chances, they left it all on the court, and they GAVE IT A SHOT. You wont get into HBS if you dont try--if you arent scrappy and fighting for EVERY INCH of this thing, fighting for your interviews, visiting campuses, sending updates every few weeks, you wont pull the game out at the last minute. Never give up.
3) Dont let mistakes get you down. Did anyone else notice that shot that Jason Terry gave up to the Heat in the last minute? It was, well, gross. A MAJOR lapse in judgment on his part. But what did he do? He went back to the other side of the court, and did his part. You WILL make mistakes in your apps folks, and you will have red flags and challenges in your apps. Schools expect this--but you need to learn from them, admit them, and move on. By admitting your weaknesses, you show schools your maturity. So dont be afraid, be...honest.
Hope this helps guys, go Dallas, and good night.