NEW YORK - Winning tells you what you did right, but losing forces you to confront what went wrong.
That is why NBA greats-turned-Prime analysts John Wall, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Blake Griffin believe falling just short can build more character than any victory.
An L puts a team under a microscope, exposing its lapses and leaving little to no room to ignore the details. Pretty uncomfortable, but it’s exactly what they need.
During the Art of Basketball exhibition in Chelsea, New York, SPIN.ph asked these legends one question: “Which builds character more: a blowout win or a narrow loss?”
Former All-Star guard Wall believes a narrow loss can expose lack of preparation.
“Definitely a loss. I think a narrow loss because that lets me know you weren't locked in. You didn't come to the game ready to play,” he said.
“You're gonna have some games like that at times, but now you gotta go back to the drawing board, look at what you did wrong, and correct those things for the next game.”
A disappointing result is a great opportunity to re-assess decisions and make adjustments, but that only works when mistakes are acknowledged.
Dallas Mavericks legend Nowitzki believes there is value in the difficult process of accepting and re-evaluating a loss, knowing how close you came to getting it right.
“A narrow loss is the most uncomfortable, and you’re left to sit with yourself and think about nothing else but getting better. I think that alone builds character,” he said.
Setback for comeback
Two-time MVP Nash, meanwhile, sees value in both outcomes, but believes a narrow loss often prompts a deeper examination on how to improve.
As he put it, “With a loss, you’re gonna look at it and try to take the details out. That kind of will to win and overcome, I think, you know, is important to character-building. And I think those types of losses really make you look at it.
“When you lose by 30 or 40, you easily say, maybe it wasn't our night. But those close wins, you're always looking at what could we have done better and how can we build our toughness,” he continued.
As the face of the LA Clippers’ 'Lob City' era, Griffin pointed to the importance of accountability.
“A loss. It's like you got to really go back to the drawing board, and those are not fun film sessions to be a part of,” he said.
The uncomfortable part, however, is also where growth becomes possible.
“But you do get better from them if you're willing to, you know, admit your mistakes,” he added.
The principle holds: progress requires not only recognizing what went wrong, but also facing it honestly, understanding why it happened, having the patience to work on it, and exercising the discipline to do things differently moving forward.
Getting in check may not change the result that came before it, but it could make the next one better.
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