Athletes need confidence like celebrities need Ozempic. Like Ozempic, confidence has been taking over the market. Whether it’s LeBron James slam scoring forty points while forty years old or Steph Curry raining down threes, confidence is on full display. In essence, confidence and excellence go hand in hand. Confidence is not just a mindset, but also what you make of it. If you’re willing to take a risk, confidence can be a weight loss drug or a tattoo of SZA at the Super Bowl under your armpit. Although it may seem like every shot goes in for athletes like Angel Reese and Nika Mühl, every layup, three point shot, or buzzer beater is nothing without confidence. Sports are nothing without confidence.
Some may ask, “Derrick, why do you love confidence so much?” I am trying (struggling) not to be appalled because I do not just love confidence — I need confidence. We all need confidence, especially if you play sports.
Before I found confidence, I was struggling with self-image problems, indigestion, and, most notably, anxiety. It was a dark time, so dark some may compare it to the five-year gap between CTRL and SOS or when Anthony Davis was traded to the Mavs. I was lacking confidence when I needed it the most. Before basketball games and cross-country meets, I was fighting an internal war. I was more worried about how people perceived my appearance and actions on the court rather than my performance.
Naturally, this reflected on how I performed on the court. I airballed wide-open layups, never spoke in class, received dead last in the 100 meter, and ran an eight-and-a-half minute mile. I felt like D’Angelo Russel in a Lakers jersey.
My discovery of confidence was cinematic. I had gotten last place in the 100 meter sprint and had the 200 meter race next. I kept telling my teammates I would get last again. Suddenly, the clouds split and something had changed in the air. Jesus Christ descended onto the track in the form of my peer Alex Watanabe. He explained that, “If you don’t believe in yourself, you will fail.” This made me realize in order to succeed I must believe in myself. Confidence saved me.
The results were extraordinary. After I first started taking confidence, I started to do better in basketball. When I shot the ball, it hit the rim many times as if it would not fall, but it went in. My literature teacher could hear words I spoke in class more than 25% of the time. Most shocking of all, when I put one leg in front of the other quickly, I started to run. This was truly revolutionary.
Don’t just listen to me; try confidence yourself. Disclaimer: confidence is not a one-way street to success. Confidence is a journey with many trials and extreme public embarrassment. Unlike Copper Flagg, confidence is not a one and done. If you still don’t believe me, believe the world’s greatest athletes. Micheal Jordan once said, “Confidence comes from my preparation. Becoming a champion takes resolve and courage, but remaining champion takes consistency and humility.”`
