Of course, Betchart concedes, results matter. Players have to score points; teams have to win. But to in order to do so, in order to win — a word that Betchart defines with the acronym: “What’s Important Now” — you need presence.
“I consider myself the most competitive person ever,” Betchart tells CNBC Make It. “And the way you win is not obsessing on the results. You obsess on the things you can control and then you ruthlessly stick to [them]. I mean ruthlessly, where nothing stops you from doing the things you can control.”
Since receiving his masters in sports psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2008, Betchart has used this lesson in presence to help develop countless athletes, including three recent NBA No. 1 draft picks — the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons, as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
When these players are at their best, says Betchart, though it seems counter-intuitive, they don’t know if they are making or missing shots. They have no idea what their numbers are.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, who earlier this week became the third NBA player to sign with Lucid, offers another example. “His best game in college [with UC Berkeley],” says Betchart, “was when he played against Utah. At Utah you cannot see how many points you have. The scoreboard is out of sight.”
As Brown explained it to Betchart, his mental coach, after that career-high 29-point-game, he was totally present, trusting his shot and not distracted by results.
A present mindset is demanded of NBA players off the court, too. With the $2.6 billion television deal that took effect during the 2016-17 season, players’ salaries have been skyrocketing. Steph Curry, for instance, just signed a $201 million contract over five years.
By the way, it’s not just the greats. Last year Timofey Mosgav signed a four-year, $64 million contract after a season where he averaged 6.3 points a game.
“A contract year can put a lot of pressure on a player,” says Betchart. When there’s a $100 million riding on his performance and the stakes are so high, they have to be mentally fit to be present in the game.
It’s the same when players compare themselves to others. Betchart has worked with some who’ve signed $15 million contracts and felt awful because a rival signed for $30 million, as though their new salary had become, by comparison, obsolete.
“It all goes back to, ‘What can I control?'” Betchart says.
In the fourth quarter of that 2009 Broncos-Colts game, Orton connected with Marshall three more times to get him 21 catches and have him beat the record. But Marshall told Betchart, “They were the most miserable, hardest catches to make.”
“Imagine how many catches I would’ve had if I just stayed present,” Marshall added. Imagine what would’ve happened if he focused on what he could control.
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