What I Learned from Losing to a 15-Year Old Kid on the Basketball Court

One of the best lessons I’ve received in determination came from a 15-year old kid on a basketball court.

I had just walked into the gym down the road which, with its massive footprint and glass apex roof, more closely resembles a palace than a fitness facility. It’s one of those fancy gyms with a spa and smoothie bar and about 7 different swimming pools. Honestly, I get a workout just walking from the parking lot to the locker rooms — but that’s another story.

As I got primed for my evening workout, I had no idea I’d receive a powerful lesson in grit and determination. And from a 15-year old kid, no less.

After changing into my gym clothes, I walked toward the cardio room for a quick run on the treadmill. On the way there, I noticed the basketball courts on my left-hand side. I paused for a moment and peeked inside. Something told me to enter.

Basketball courts take me back to my childhood. Fond memories of dribbling the ball in the driveway. Draining a killer 3-pointer. Endless games of 2-on-2 with neighborhood friends, playing until our parents yelled at us to come inside and eat dinner before it got cold. Life seemed much simpler back then — the biggest problem was negotiating for an extra 10 minutes outside.

“What the heck — it looks more fun than running on the treadmill,” I thought to myself.

It was an impressive setup. Bright arena-style lights illuminating two full-size courts. The immaculate wooden floors glistening as though they’d been prepped for Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Stepping onto the court, I felt my heart beat faster, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. A few jump shots in and I was somehow picking up where I left off 20 years before.

“Hey, wanna join a game of 21?” said a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw two teenage kids — about 15 years old — who invited me to the familiar game I’d played growing up. The basketball game called “21” is designed for 3 players — every person for him or herself — in a cutthroat competition to reach 21 points.

Being 20 years their senior, I politely accepted their challenge.

The game started off at a frenetic pace. Hard drives for the basket. Turnaround jump shots. Ambitious three-pointers that seemed to go down like Gatorade at halftime. I managed my energy carefully and mostly kept pace, positioning myself strategically so they’d wear each other down while I caught my breath.

And somehow, magically, I found myself in the lead. The other two had been “tipped” back to zero — a quirky trick in the game where you can knock an opponent down to zero points if you rebound their shot in mid-air and shoot the ball in before your feet hit the ground. It’s the classic way an underdog can take down an adversary in an instant.

After I tipped Nathan back to zero, he shouted in dismay. He’d been in the lead most of the game and had been bragging about how beautiful his shot was. In a matter of seconds, he was back at the bottom. I grinned, satisfied that my shrewd approach was triumphing over their unbridled passion.

But what happened next still shocks me to this day.

With myself in the lead at 11 points, Tim at 8 and Nathan at a big fat ZERO, Nathan boldly declared that he was going to stage a comeback. He announced that in 5 minutes he would put up 21 points and defeat the both of us. There was something in the way he said it that had an air of certainty. A new glow of confidence appeared where only sweat and fatigue existed just moments before. He even set a timer on his phone for 5 minutes.

In those next 300 seconds, he put on a performance that was nothing short of spectacular. Sprinting for every loose ball. Snatching every rebound. Draining nearly every three-point shot he tossed up.

Eight points. Ten points. Twelve points.

Tim and I looked at each other in awe. We didn’t understand how he was summoning the energy this late in the game.

Fifteen points. Nathan’s streak built massive momentum. Once he reached 17 points I thought “My God, he might actually pull this off!”

Swish. Boom. “21!! I win!!!” Nathan shouted. Tim and I looked on with shock and confusion as we tried to comprehend what just happened. Nathan had just staged an incredible comeback, going from 0 to 21 in just FIVE MINUTES. It was inconceivable — but he managed to do it.

As I walked off the court toward the cardio room, I smiled. I had just witnessed someone pull off the impossible — knocking down 21 points in under five minutes — through sheer effort and determination. He had earned his victory, without a doubt.

Reflecting on what had just transpired, I felt I had just learned a valuable lesson about human potential. I saw firsthand how, with the right amount of drive and desire, we can overcome insurmountable odds. How we can summon the strength to push beyond the boundaries our rational minds put in place. And how all it takes is the flip of a switch.

I began to wonder — what if I flipped on the switch in my own life? What would be possible if I operated with the same tenacity that Nathan just embraced?

The truth is that we are capable of far more than we realize. We prove it to ourselves time and again — catching glimpses of genius in the moments when it matters most. Pulling through right before the looming deadline. Solving that nagging customer issue in the nick of time. It seems that we magically tap into some higher power when we’ve got no other choice.

Nathan showed me what’s possible when we fully commit. When combine our skills, our determination and a burning desire to achieve something big.

Was I embarrassed to lose to a 15-year old on the court? A little.

But it was a small price to pay for this valuable lesson: When you pour your heart and soul into something, you can achieve what others deem impossible.

And all it takes is a single spark.