The Shot

“How did you do that Daddy?!” yelled my sons after I made yet another shot off of my head from the basketball spinning trickery.

“I’m going to film you to show Mommy”, my oldest boy said, picking up my iPhone.

So I kept shooting and mugging for the camera.

You know, the normal shots:

• Spin ball, bounce off head, into the basket
• Spin ball on multiple fingers, bank shot from the side
• Spin ball, turn around jumper from half-court

the usual…

From the reactions of my 12 and 13 year olds this was not normal.

And I’d forgotten how fun it was, as well as how hard I’d worked on this when I was young.

It has been way too long since I showed anyone these old basketball tricks, but it was what I was known for in high school.

I worked on them when I was 15-17 years old and mostly did them to freak people out, since I got to the point where I could make them about half of the time.

I could beat anyone at H-O-R-S-E if it were a matter of most creative shots.

What was really neat to me was to see the reactions of my children.

And then my wife who watched the videos later.

And then all of social media as people have found these videos.

In reality, its funny, silly, wacky…but it’s also what made me unique as a player during my high school years, since I used to do those tricks before games while warming up and it always messed with the minds of the opposing team.

Especially the turnaround jumper from half-court.  Hahahahah.

Truth is, none of those shots were usable for game-time, and they were purely entertainment.

Little did I know the effort to create such a bit, a moment, an entertaining routine, would serve me the rest of my life in other ways.

I’m finding that many people are learning of old talents, gifts, skills their parents or friends have which they never knew about as we continue through this quarantine-coming-back-to-interacting-in-person kind of life we’re in the midst of.

What are some talents you’ve put in the drawer, never to be known or seen?

Is it time to bring those hidden gifts back to life?

It’s another way to Keep The Promise. 

And it is especially fun to see & hear the boys scream in joy by yelping, “Daddy!  How did you make That Shot!?” 

~ jason hewlett 

Leadership Expert * Virtual Keynote Speaker * Speaker Hall of Fame

The Promise

jasonhewlett.com