There comes a time in every basketball player’s life when they lose. It may be just one game, it may be a tournament, or it may be several games in a row. When you lose, you have two choices: you can either feel sorry for yourself, treat the other team poorly and blame your teammates – or you can win with dignity. There’s a special art to sportsmanship that some players are more skilled at than others. It may be time before your basketball season truly begins to work on your sportsmanship.
Sportsmanship is always working as a team.
We often think of sportsmanship as treating your opponents kindly before, after and during the game. It is, but it’s just as equally important to treat your teammates with respect at all times. You should never blame anyone on your team for a loss. Instead, you should lift up your teammates, inspire them to learn from your loss, and forget being angry with them over it.
Sportsmanship is accepting the ref’s calls.
We constantly watch NBA players moan and groan about calls during a game. Sportsmanship is truly the opposite of this. There will always be calls in a game that you’re unhappy with, and we’re not saying you need to agree with every call. Instead, you need to show respect to the referee during the entire game, regardless of whether or not you agree with him. Don’t argue with him, don’t get a technical because of the call. Instead, play your best game and let your coach worry about the calls.
Sportsmanship is playing fair against your opponents.
This goes beyond simply being cordial to your opponents during the game. Sportsmanship is never playing dirty during a game. You should play an honest game of basketball against every other team you meet. You should acknowledge a good move by the other team, and learn from it. Understand that there will be teams that are better than you, and teams that are worse than you. Treat them all like you would want your team to be treated.
As athletes, we often overlook sportsmanship. But the reality is that having great sportsmanship can often separate the champions from the rest of the pack. Consider taking some time in the next few weeks to work on your sportsmanship.