THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 4: FEBRURAY 14 | SPORTS
Exploring mentality: What’s the “it” factor in the NBA? QUINN NEWHOUSE SPORTS EDITOR Throughout sports history, the concept of an inhuman trait that the highest echelon of competitors are born with and their destiny to succeed, to thrive, to compete, to win at all cost has captured the minds of coaches, players and psychologists alike. It’s not a physical trait, nor mental. It’s unquantifiable, intangible, yet able to be seen without told. Often imitated, never developed or duplicated. For this phenomena, we have one simple name that can fit the definition: the “it” factor. As Brhett McCabe, sports psychologist describes it on his blog, “High-achievers who embody the “it” factor understand what they want and are ready to do what it takes in competition to get there. They keep their expectations down but the demands on their process high, always scrutinizing the situation to see how they can make the process work better for them. Each game, match, or event is a learning environment.” For me, when I watch a game or a specific player, it’s pretty easy to notice who truly has this specific gene and who
doesn’t. It’s rare, but when you see it, you know it. It’s something that can always set a player apart. For example, I strongly believe that Kobe Bryant was the essence of the “it” factor for me. He even coined his own term for it: “The Mamba Mentality.” Bryant once famously said himself, “Mamba mentality is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform. Without studying, preparation and practice, you’re leaving the outcome to fate. I don’t do fate.” The results of Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” clearly speak for themselves. Bryant retired a 5-time NBA champion, an 18-time all-star and 11x All-NBA First Team. But spotting talent and spotting the “it” factor is never as easy as finding it in a player like Kobe, or LeBron, or Jordan. The term “diamond in the rough” is frequently used for a player with raw skill and untamed talent. For a cast of reasons, that talent is frequently overlooked To make the NBA, you obviously have to be
Kobe Bryant has eight buzzer-beaters in his career, which is good for second of all time. Many people view his clutch and leadership intangibles as unreplicated in the sport. GRAPHIC BY VISH GONDESI
special. But even making the NBA doesn’t guarantee a player has an “it” factor to their game. There’s a few ways I personally can spot the “it” factor in players vs. the average NBA player. Early in their career, it’s usually harder to spot compared to a veteran player. A young player who I already see with this trait is Evan Mobley on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite being a 20-year-old rookie, he plays as a leader of a dominant, high-scoring Cavs team, climbing his way to the top of many Rookie Of The Year projection boards and surprising many who called him a “bad pick” (being taken third in last year’s draft). He plays defense at a high level, and contributes heavily on the offensive end. In a few years time, I can see him as one of the top players in the league. The thing that I find so intriguing about Mobley is his ability to bounce back from bad games and bad possessions remarkably fast. It’s clear when you watch him play that his mentality is years ahead of the mentality that most of his rookie peers seem to have. Mainly, one of the biggest tell-tale signs in spotting the “it” factor is a player’s attitude to approaching the lows rather than the highs of the game of basketball. It’s easy for a player to be ecstatic after a win, but do losses truly bother them? No one likes losing, but is this player determined with every power in themselves to turn the team around and be a leader? In my eyes, how players handle loss-
es and poor situations early in their career for me is the best indicator of whether a player truly has the “it” factor in them. To me, the skill gap between players in the NBA is a lot smaller than people would like to think. Sure, some, if not almost all of them are natural-born, superathletes, but by the time a player’s names is even being mentioned by an NBA scout or coach, they usually have up to 12 years of experience already. Because of this, however, it’s a lot more level of a playing field compared to the skill gap between the NCAA and High School. The one truly defining factor that separates a good NBA player from the great is the mentality.
Next time you watch an NBA game, take a look at who is the leader on the court, who is the one in contol, never wavering their composure or their focus. The guy who isn’t afraid to miss shots and wants the ball in his hands. The guy who isn’t afraid to lose because he knows he gave it his all. To me, that’s what the true “it” factor is. To me, that’s the “it” factor that separates the good from the great, and the great from the legendary.
Kobe Bryant (pictured above) coined the term “Mamba Mentality” to describe his elite work ethic and dedication. Photo courtesy of Keith Allison via CC BY-SA 3.0
Checking in with men’s wrestling coaches Sean Cruz, Steve Cox and Kayla Wheeler ZACHARY HILDEBRANT STAFF WRITER The wrestling coaches are passionate about wrestling, there is no doubt about it. “Wrestling is a great sport,” head coach Sean Cruz said. “Not only does it teach you discipline, but it teaches you how to be very responsible on and off the mat.” He sees how the sport transcends off of the mat and into athletes’ lives. “It teaches you how to manage being a student and an athlete at the same time, because that’s what I had learned when I wrestled for
Huron,” he said. Cruz is the head coach of Boy’s Wrestling along with assistant coaches Kayla Wheeler and Steve Cox. Due to COVID-19, Cruz says that the team “was left with maybe like eight kids to start out with, and then we just downsized to six. So pretty much this whole year is about rebuilding the team.” Many of the wrestlers are new to the sport and a lot of them are wrestlers who missed one or two seasons because of COVID-19. “They’re sticking to it,” Wheeler said. “They’re asking questions. So I’m just watching them grow and have
a passion and a love for it. And watching that continue to expand.” Seeing each wrestler improve has been a highlight for the coaches. “It’s a really fun sport and you get to learn how to defend yourself at the same time,” Cruz said. And the team is looking for new wrestlers for next season already. “If someone’s interested, they definitely should try it out,” Wheeler said. “You know, it doesn’t hurt to try. Because you know, with some Huron wrestling is always looking for new members, says kids, it’ll surprise them how coach Kayla Wheeler. JEWEL STORRS much they actually love the sport.”
