In the 2000 Olympics Vince Carter (6′ 6″) posterized Frédéric Weis (7′ 2″) in one of the classic dunks of all time.
Posterizing opposing players by dunking over them is kind of like a home run in baseball, it is guaranteed to show up on SportsCenter. Unfortunately, the stigma of being dunked on has led many players to frequently turn down opportunities to defend dunk attempts. This attitude is essentially the idea that “If I can’t win, I won’t play”.
One of my favorite basketball players is Nate Robinson because he welcomes the opportunity to challenge others at the rim, despite the fact that he is only 5′ 9″. The list of players he has challenged at the rim, and won, includes LeBron James (6′ 8″), Yao Ming (7′ 6″), and of course Shaquille O’Neal (7′ 1″). Check out this clip of Nate Robinson getting blocked by the intimidating Shaq, only to come back and return the favor.
Perhaps the most meaningful battles we fight in life are the ones where we aren’t favored to win. As a Texan I naturally think of the Alamo and the bravery of the men who refused to surrender, even though they knew they had no chance of victory. Life is too short to turn down opportunities to block a dunk, even if it means you might get posterized. I’d rather be posterized in the game of life than sulk on the sideline wondering what could have been.
