Life Lessons from Game 1 of NBA Finals

I get all the complaining. The Cavs should have won Game 1, and they likely feel really bad today. And, the GWS feel lucky and privileged today. I get, too, that people let LeBron down and the refs weren't much help.

But, I want to offer a different lens. All the media and television and pundits I saw counted the Cavs out. They didn't just say that they would lose. They said there was a grotesque mismatch, perhaps the worst in history. Read the columns again. They saw no hope, not a chance even for one game. The articles were demeaning.

Well, guess what? Not such a mismatch. And, one person came to play and he dug deep. And there's a lesson in there for all of us, especially educators. We can categorize kids and suggest they will not make it for any number of reasons, many not of their doing. It is not as if kids get to pick who will be there parents.

And, kids are often diminished to their face. "You can't do this. You will never succeed. You don't have the right stuff. Others will pass you buy. Your talent is limited. Your goals are too ambitious. You need to see the future as dimmer not rosier. You are overachieving. You need to plan within your capacities. You just can't and won't succeed."

Really? I beg to differ. The game last night suggests the power of the possible and the importance of digging deep and dreaming big. Sure there were mistakes but the pundits are eating crow today. The Cavs did step up and so did its leader and coach. Think about that. When you are written off, don't just go quietly. Never ever give up a belief in oneself, even when others are hammering it out of you.

That's the lesson here. Share the original stories and predictions with kids. Then look at what happened. Ask them how this could apply to them and be their educational map. For real. Step up. Let's say that again: Step up and don't let folks stomp you down.