06/15/26
STORY
It was the summer of 1999, and I was sitting on the couch at my grandmother’s house watching our New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
My uncles were passionate fans.
They would stand up and scream at the TV for a no-call.
We’d jump up in excitement after a 3-pointer from Allan Houston.
And ultimately, we had to begrudgingly watch our beloved New York Knicks lose the series.
27 years later, something magical happened.
A guy who people said was too small…
Not good enough…
Could never lead a team to an NBA Finals…
Was guiding his team back from a double-digit deficit in Game 5 of the championship series.
Jalen Brunson, who was later named NBA Finals MVP, put on a remarkable performance, scoring at will against defenders who were a foot taller than him.
In the game prior, we witnessed this team overcome a 29-point deficit to win the game by an outstanding last-second tipped ball by OG Anunoby.
How did they manage to do this?
How does a team go on such a dominant run…
Then face such adversity when it mattered most…
And somehow overcome the odds and win a championship?
It comes down to one word:
BELIEF.
They believed in one another.
They believed that if they kept pushing, something incredible would happen.
They believed in their coach and their leaders on the floor.
They also believed that they were doing this for something bigger than themselves:
The chance to bring a championship back to New York after 53 years.
Don’t ever underestimate the power of belief.
If you truly believe that what you’re doing is connected to something bigger, then resilience is a natural response to adversity.
You won’t give up.
You won’t get too tired.
You won’t crumble in big moments.
Your belief will guide you to the mountaintop.
The unforgettable performance by the New York Knicks is all the evidence you need.
When facing adversity, let your belief be the fuel that propels you forward.
OBSERVATION
Psychologist Albert Bandura of Stanford University found that when a group shares a genuine belief in their collective ability to succeed, that belief directly increases their resilience under pressure, their commitment to the mission, and their performance when it matters most. He called this collective efficacy, and decades of research across sports, business, and education have confirmed it: a team’s shared belief in itself is a stronger predictor of performance than the individual talents of its members.
Bandura, Albert. “Exercise of Human Agency through Collective Efficacy.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 9, no. 3, 2000, pp. 75–78. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20182630. Accessed 14 June 2026.
STRATEGY
How strongly do you believe in yourself, your team, and the work you’re doing?
No matter how you answer that…
There’s an opportunity to cultivate that belief further.
This week, I invite you to affirm that belief every morning.
Use “I am” statements to infuse conviction into your beliefs.
Craft statements that confirm the belief you have in what you do and who you do it with…
Then notice how that impacts your resilience this week.
Rooting for you,
Jay (inviting you to BELIEVE)
Global keynote speaker
Host of the “Unstuck” podcast
A proud fan of the 2026 NBA Champion New York Knicks!