I believe it is fair to say that we frequently ignore how difficult it is for professional athletes to achieve their childhood aspirations. We look at their fame, money, and jaw-dropping abilities and think to ourselves, “Oh man, look how easy this is for him!” What a life he has!”
The truth is, we have no idea how much effort they put in day after day to stay at the top of their game, and we certainly have no idea how difficult the path was just to get to the point where you could call yourself a professional athlete. That’s why I appreciate it when athletes open up and talk from the heart in a genuine and real manner.
And that’s precisely what Austin Reaves did after scoring 28 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers overcome the Indiana Pacers to become the first NBA In-Season Tournament winners.
“Regardless of what your dream is, don’t let anybody tell you that it’s not possible. I probably had a lot of people look at me sideways when I was running around school telling everybody I wanted to be in the NBA.”This is a message that every young athlete should hear, as well as every young person who has a passion and intends to develop that love into a job.
Not everyone is dealt a hand that allows them to see their desire of becoming a professional athlete become a reality, but as Reaves stated, you should never let anyone tell you that your dream is out of reach. I’d heard that message before, and thankfully, I wasn’t the type of kid who would listen to someone tell me that my dreams couldn’t be realized. 
I began my college preparations as a junior in high school. I made a list of schools to which I wanted to apply, all of which were distant from my hometown of Elba, New York, which is only slightly larger than Reaves’ hometown, and walked into my guidance counselor’s office to discuss my plans. When he asked what kind of job I wanted, I told him I wanted to be a sports writer.
He snickered and said, “I’m just telling you right now, you aren’t going to be able to make a career out of being a sports writer.” He advised that I pick something safer, or at the very least, I go to school to be a Communication major, since that would allow me to do more than just write about sports. I’ve now spent the last five years getting paid to write about sports in some capacity, and while I’m sure he’s long forgotten what he said to me that day in his office, I haven’t.
I’m sure Austin Reaves had adults in his life tell him something similar when he told them about his desire of playing professional basketball when he was a teenager, and indeed, the odds of becoming a professional writer are significantly better than playing in the NBA. But now look at Reaves… a member of the NBA’s most prestigious franchise, not only playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but also being referred to as a ‘Big Three.’