True basketball fans know that defense is just as important as offense. This is embodied by New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones, who was given the NBA All-Rookie Second Team honor for his outstanding performance during the NBA 2021-2022 season. The NBA rookie became a sensation for his impressive defense skills, prompting Pelicans fans to coin the term “not on Herb” to refer to his immovability on the court.
Good defense requires versatility. Life is full of curveballs – so
while planning doesn’t hurt, adapting is just as, if not more, important. If
you want to be good at defense, you have to be flexible to change. “[Good
defense players] have to be tough minded and just being okay with sometimes
losing on some positions. But they have to be ready at all times. They have to
be versatile,” shared Jones.
Never dwell on mistakes too long. We will all have our highs and lows.
For Jones, he prefers to not dwell on the latter too much. He said, “I try not
to get too low if I have a bad performance. I just go back and rewatch the game
and try to correct the things that I did wrong and keep trying to do things
that I did right.” It’s okay to let yourself feel sad about a loss or a bad day
at work, but it’s important to always pick yourself back up, talk to someone,
and take what you can learn from these experiences. Failures are a part of growth.
Rest is an important part of
training. Even
professional athletes need time to recover, and this is something Jones
strictly never misses, especially after grueling matches or intense training
sessions. "I try to stretch a lot. I try not to miss any therapy sessions
with the team and just stay on top of my massages and get the right amount of
sleep,” shared Jones. According to the American Council on Exercise, a leading
nonprofit organization certifying health coaches and exercise professionals,
recovery is the most important part of any person’s exercise program as it
prevents injuries and allows your muscles to adapt to the stresses it just
underwent in order to grow stronger.
Stay humble. While there’s nothing wrong with
celebrating your well-deserved wins, it's important to not let them get to your
head. Jones shared that one thing his parents always told him is that “success
can be just as detrimental as failing” if you let it get to you. This can lead
to excessive pride, which can cause you to stop working hard and stop learning.
“After a good game, I try not to get too high on my performance. I just try to
stay even-keeled,” shared Jones.
AXA and
NBA Philippines have been partners since 2017 and are one in advocating for the
value of powering up your game plan and having a strong defense when it comes
to one’s health and wellbeing. Nandy Villar, AXA Philippines Chief Marketing
Officer shared, “AXA Philippines’ goal is to make people understand that
success is achieved through strength in both mind and body. Through our
continuous partnership with NBA Philippines, we hope to instill this thinking
to more Filipinos, who are known avid basketball fans, to help them live their
life to their fullest potential.”
AXA
Philippines encourages everyone to “Keep Wellness Going” by doing what you love
while keeping you and your loved ones protected. It promotes enjoying a long,
productive, and fruitful life by caring for one’s health and wellbeing.
For
more information about AXA Philippines and their products, visit https://www.axa.com.ph/.
