Players all have routines or habits that get them ready for games. Some guys need to be slapped in the face. Others bang their heads against the goal. For Chris Bosh, talking to himself helps get him in the zone.
Bosh shot poorly in back-to-back games last week against the Bulls and 76ers, but he played well in a win over the Magic Sunday. The big difference is that he was talking to himself.
“I have conversations all day in a non-crazy way,” he explained. “People just tell me that I play better when I’m aggressive and I’m angry, so to speak. It’s just a thing, whatever gets me into the game. That gets me into the game. If I’m talking, it means I’m challenging myself as the game goes on. I’m in my own ear.”
If everyone recognizes that he plays his best when he’s talking to himself, the natural question is why he doesn’t do it every game. I guess it’s not too easy to get himself in the proper state of mind for games, and that’s part of the reason for his inconsistency. That mental difference should help us appreciate the stars who can bring it on a nightly basis.
