“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life”— Muhammad Ali

The world mourns one of the greatest sportsmen ever to have lived. People around the world woke up to the news of Muhammad’s passing.

Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74. The former world heavyweight boxing champion died at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted there on Thursday for a respiratory illness. Muhammad Ali had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease. But Ali has never relinquished his mental toughness.

“He has a strong mental ability and I think that’s important with Parkinson’s,” said Rasheda Ali. One of Ali’s seven daughters.

The sports world is filled with showmen and great athletes, but perhaps never were they better combined than in the young man who began life as Cassius Clay and became a worldwide phenomenon as Muhammad Ali.

The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome was where Muhammad Ali won his gold medal, thus making him the world’s first three-time heavyweight boxing champion.

Despite the fact that his last fight was in 1981, Ali’s name still resonates in the world of sports. He has athletic ability, charisma and a well-built reputation that has become a potent mixture to ensure that this legacy-lifestyle brand continues.

Muhammad Ali has several character traits that all of us can leverage in our basketball mental game every day:

Have a clear game plan – Ali was a showman. He usually called his opponents names and did a lot of trash talk to unsettle his opponents. This usually touched a few raw nerves and made his opponents react in the ring overpowered by their emotions than sticking to their game plan. On the other handed Ali was spinning his web around them and before pinning them down. He had even instigated his opponents with verbal jibes during the matches draining them of their mental balance. As part of the plan, Ali prepared meticulously and extensively.
Here, the key learning is to have a clear plan as it is easy to control the direction of the flow when there is a well thought plan. His rivalry with Frazier and his fights with Liston and Foreman are fine illustrations of his planning ability.

Have a clear vision and a strong individual perspective – The most surprising thing about Ali is that though he had very little formal education and he could not read, he had strong perspectives that people listened to because it made so much sense. He ensured that he also stood his ground with great conviction. This is why it is difficult to restrict his identity to just being the greatest boxer of all time by his ring achievements alone.

Have no fear – He was a fearless pioneer and a trendsetter who was never afraid to challenge the status quo or take an unpopular stand. He did not choose to comfortably settle for what would be just easy and popular. He had no fear of taking the spotlight and speaking his mind. From being a proud gold medalist to throwing the same into Ohio River choosing self-respect over success, to his stance on Vietnam War losing his boxing license and passport, being labeled anti-national and as a villain, Ali had seen it all. Through all this he showed a never retreat, never surrender attitude. With age he was not forgotten but was better understood, respected and loved. That is the hallmark of greatness.

The best way to test your basketball mental toughness and basketball your mental game in basketball is to be in negative situations and with equally tough people. Don’t duck them. Get muddy. Get sweaty. Fight on. Like the Champ.

Rest In Peace

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