The Basketball Game

Whether you have been following Balanced Blokes for a while now or you are a new connoisseur of the content, the following article will hopefully be a helpful insight into why the mental health crisis among males is so important to me.

For the past month, I have been slowly climbing out of what is psychologically referred to as a major depressive episode. It has been incredibly challenging trying to maintain a happy and stable persona online when your internal world is crumbling.

The fact that the whole project of Balanced Blokes was created to arm anyone with the tools to keep themselves in a centred state so that they may tackle life, only rubbed salt into the wounds of the protective shell that this venture created for myself.

However, it has been incredibly interesting to realise why I had spiralled and as I have played basketball for most of my life, I thought that an analogy to the game would be fitting.

In the game of basketball, there are two nets at either end of the court and each team of five players gains points for sinking a ball into the other team’s hoop. The basketball game itself can be thought of as a representation of your mind.

Points could be considered as external inputs into the mind, which you're constantly reminded of - Brodie wants to go for a run? = +2Pts Home - Insurance company being underhanded? = +3Pts Away.

Prior to this month, the Home team (my perceived wins) had accumulated points to such a state where I thought I was unstoppable. Pandles sales were going well, I started a new acting class, blew up on Tik Tok, people were sharing the positive effects Balanced Blokes had in their life and I really felt like I was making an impact.

The Underdog Effect allowed for the away team (my perceived losses) to rapidly shift that dynamic, to the point where recently it has felt like Lebron James has grazed his nuts in my face multiple times from the incessant dunks.

The physical health of you, the player, is inextricably linked to your mental health. Yet, when my Doctor was quoted saying, “You’re doing a lot more than most for your mental health and all your tests are fine,” it emphasises that ‘The Game’ has a lot more nuance than just optimizing your diet/sleep/exercise/relationships. Even Michael Jordan couldn’t feel good in a 40 point blow-out.

When the away team is relentlessly sinking windmill dunks because of their massive lead, you begin to view losses on a grand scale. Your teammates are virtually friends/family/colleagues and when one misses a simple lay-up shot, you are overwhelmed with mixed emotions. You wonder if they have been paid by the opposing side or if they’re doing it to spite you because they’re a bench player. When in actuality, it was just two bloody points.

In addition to your teammates, hecklers from the crowd (circumstances out of your control) or personal sledges from the opposing side (negative criticisms of character) seem to be able to affect you a lot more easily. This only increases the lead and it’s almost unbearable to look at their scoreboard.

You’re almost ready to foul out and walk out.

But what draws players back in? Why after a two week hiatus have I finally sat down to write this piece that has been weighing on my mind and even 3/4 of the way through, I feel like something is shifting.

I believe what draws us back is the reason why we play ‘The Game’ - our purpose.

Whether your purpose is to be a basketball great or to be the best father for your children, that will keep you thriving when you’re down by an unimaginable margin. I personally get a huge sense of fulfillment by helping and entertaining others. I keep playing because I want to make an impact. Whether it’s through Pandles, non-alcoholic beer, podcasts or public speaking, it doesn’t matter because I know my overarching reason for playing ‘The Game’ is to help solve the current mental health crisis.

Furthermore, the excitement from playing ‘The Game’ comes only from the close games, where the points are tied and players are doing everything they can to win. This video of Dan Blizerian describing the ‘best’ party he’s ever thrown (39:00) with such apathy showcases someone who seems to have won ‘The Game’ that all blokes seem to want to play, yet there is still an aura of unhappiness that surrounds him.

So ask yourself, “What does a championship mean to me?” and what is going to help you pull yourself back off the hardwood after Shaquille O’Neal has just sat on your head.

And for those that believe that ‘The Game’ is something you simply can’t control or improve, I completely disagree. I wholeheartedly believe that there has to be a way to gain some amount of control over this points imbalance, whether it be neurochemically, spiritually or both. That’s what I want spend the rest of my life discovering and improving in the lives of those around me.