Rev. Al Sharpton's Testimony On Michael Jackson's Life of What a Champion Is and Does

Below is a video of Rev. Al Sharpton divinely inspired speech at Michael Jackson's memorial service held July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Rev. Al Sharpton's inspired words are a testimony about so many truths on so many levels. If you listen carefully and without cynicism, you will feel the Spirit and know what Al Sharpton is saying is true. Never never never never never never never never give up! Never quit!

Written excerpt #1 from Al Sharpton's speech:

"No one believed in those days that this kind of dream could come true, but they kept on believing and Michael never let the world turn him around from his dreams.

I first met Michael around the 1970 Black Expo, Chicago, Illinois. Rev. Jesse Jackson, who stood by this family till now, and from that day as a cute kid to this moment, he never gave up dreaming. It was that dream that changed culture all over the world. When Michael started, it was a different world. But because Michael kept going, because he didn't accept limitations, because he refused to let people decide his boundaries, he opened up the whole world."

Written excerpt #2:

"As you climb up steep mountains, sometimes you scar your knee; sometimes you break your skin. But don't focus on the scars, focus on the journey. Michael beat 'em, Michael rose to the top. He out-sang his cynics, he out-danced his doubters; he out-performed the pessimists. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up. Every time you counted him out, he came back in. Michael never stopped. Michael never stopped. Michael never stopped."

Written excerpt #3:

"I want his three children to know, there was nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but he dealt with it anyway. He dealt with it for us."




Thank you Michael Jackson! Thank you Al Sharpton!

God reveals himself through our gifts and talents!

Figure out what your gifts and talents are and share them with the world and Never Give Up!

Let's "Heal the World"! ...Together!

~Tim McGaffin II

The Truman Show - A Metaphorical Analysis

Excerpt from article:

"The third theme is that of perseverance. Perseverance has many names including commitment, determination, dedication, consistency, or never giving up or never quitting. These are just some of the names that all mean to keep going forward no matter how hard, difficult, painful, or discouraging things may get. Never quitting is the absolute toughest thing a human being can do because it means that one must confront and conquer over fear. Those that can do it achieve, accomplish, and obtain anything. Sooner or later if someone is determined enough to find a way they will. Nothing can stop a person from trying just one more time no matter how many times someone might fail. Crossing the sea takes an extreme amount of perseverance to eventually get past all the obstacles and reach the shore on the other side where our goals and dreams lie."

To read the entire article go to: "The Truman Show - A Metaphorical Analysis" (Click Here)

Author: Timothy McGaffin II

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse Never Quit!

"Mickey Mouse - A Reflection of Walt Disney"

Opening paragraph excerpt:

Mention the name Walt Disney and one cannot help but imagine images of superior animation, magnificent theme parks, an entertainment and financial empire and the little guy who started it all –Mickey Mouse.

Another excerpt from article quoting Walt Disney:

"Sometimes I’ve tried to figure out why Mickey appealed to the whole world. Everybody’s tried to figure it out. So far as I know, nobody has. He’s a pretty nice fellow who never does anybody harm, who gets into scrapes through no fault of his own, but always manages to come up grinning."

To read the entire article go to: "Mickey Mouse - A Reflection of Walt Disney" (Click Here)

Author: Timothy McGaffin II

Michael Jackson Performed at Berlin Reichstag June 19, 1988 - BAD World Tour

LIVE from the Reichstag, Berlin, Germany on August 8, 2009.

Michael Jackson performed at the Reichstag on June 19, 1988 during the BAD World Tour.

Michael could have performed at any other stadium but decided to perform at the Reichstag to send a message of peace and unity.

The Berlin Wall was still up and the border (The Wall) between East Berlin and West Berlin ran just behind the Reichstag.

The message was sent loud and clear.

Thank you Michael!

"Heal the World"

~Tim McGaffin II


Micheal Jackson performs during a concert at the historical Berlin Reichstag on June 19, 1988.

Photograph by: AFP/Getty Images, file photo

Michael Jackson is the KING: First Performance (BAD) - Part 1 of 3 - Tim McGaffin

LIVE from O2 Arena, London, England. July 16, 2009. Part 1 of 3.

This would have been the first Michael Jackson concert that I would've witnessed on July 16, 2009. I decided to still make the trip to thank the KING!

Michael Jackson is the KING of music and dance.

The greatest performer in the history of the world because he used his talents to inspire and help others to become truly great and achieve greatness.

Champions are Unstoppable.

Campeões são Imparáveis.

When I was 8 years old in 1987 and just starting 2nd grade, the BAD video came on TV and it was the first time I ever saw Michael Jackson perform.

I knew within 30 seconds of watching him dance, sing and move with such heart and soul and real emotion that Michael is the GREATEST EVER!

Even though I was only 8, I knew within 30 seconds that M.J. is the greatest ever...

I remember even saying out loud to myself, "He is the BEST. He is the BEST ever."

I just knew.

Thank you Michael.

~Tim McGaffin II

"The Best is Yet to Come!"

The Definition of Glory

"The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it."
~Vince Lombardi




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Victory!

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
~ Vince Lombardi


.

The Greatest Glory

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
~ Nelson Mandela


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Champions Never Quit: Victory Is Ours! We Can Never Be Stopped!

"Only a Champion can perform the greatest accomplishment which is to comeback or rise again after failure or difficult times.

I know when we choose to move forward despite being in a negative situation we gain divine qualities and attributes in those comeback moments such as service and charity for others.

Never never never never never never never... Quit.

Champions are Unstoppable!" -Tim McGaffin II

What Does It Mean To Be A Champion?

Tim McGaffin II and John Stockton, April 17, 1992



"I know the greatest type of person you can become in your life is a Champion!" - Tim McGaffin II

What Does It Mean To Be A Champion?

Shortly after turning 9 years old I made the choice to play professional basketball in the N.B.A. (National Basketball Association).

At this moment of choosing to play in the NBA, I created my dream and also made the commitment to making my dream come true.

One of the reasons I wanted to play in the NBA is because only the best of the best players are in the NBA. I wanted to be the best at something in my life because that would mean I am the best, that I am a Champion. If you can become the best at one thing, then you can become the best at anything you choose because you are the best.

Becoming an NBA basketball player is almost impossible. I wanted to prove all of our dreams always come true when we put our heart and soul into making them a reality. I wanted to prove no matter what or who you choose to be in your life that you will be whatever or whoever you choose.

Here Is Where The Fun Begins:

When I was 13 years old I tried out for the basketball team in 7th grade at Lakeridge Jr. High School...

....And I failed.

I tried out again for the basketball team in 8th grade at Canyon View Jr. High School...

...And I failed.

I tried out again in 9th grade at Canyon View...

...And I failed.

I tried out again in 10th grade at Orem High School...

...And I failed.

I tried out again in 11th grade at Timpanogos High School...

...And I failed.

I tried out again in 12th grade at American Fork High School...

...And I failed.

I went on a two-year mission for my church to Portugal and came back home.

I had two major knee surgeries and had 5 screws added to my knees. 3 screws in my right knee, 2 screws in my left knee.

My orthopedic surgeon said I had the worst knees he had ever seen in his entire career.

After waiting for more than 6 months for my knees to heal from the surgeries, I came back and tried out again for the basketball team at Utah Valley State College...

...And I failed.

I transferred to the University of Utah and tried out for the basketball team in now my 3rd year of college...

...And I failed.

The coaches really liked me because they saw how much I loved basketball and they saw I was never going to quit. They asked me if I wanted to be the Equipment Manager for the team.

I accepted and became the Equipment Manager for the University of Utah men's basketball team.

I tried out again for the team in now my 4th year of college.

....And I failed.

I failed for the 9th consecutive time, spanning 12 years of consecutive failure.

And this time I was ONLY ONE PERSON AWAY FROM MAKING THE TEAM.

ONLY ONE PERSON AWAY!!!

The coaching staff invited me into the office and told me they could only add on one more player to the basketball team. They said unfortunately I was their second choice.

The coaches said if their first choice declined to accept the final roster spot, then I would be on the team instead.

But since their first choice did accept the final roster spot and I was the coaches second choice and there was only room for one player, ...I didn't make it.

"You were our second choice Tim," the assistant coach told me.

Before the University of Utah's second basketball game of the season this year, the team and I sat down to eat our pre-game dinner.

During the dinner, one of the players began to speak to me in a mocking tone and manner and in a volume loud enough for everyone in the quiet dining room to hear. (This player is a very good person and I do not mean to falsely portray him in a negative way and that is why he remains anonymous.)

He (anonymous player) said he didn't believe the coaches were telling me the truth.

He said the coaches were lying to me when they said I was their second choice because they didn't want to hurt my feelings.

He said I would never be able to become a college basketball player because it is almost impossible.

"You want to be where we are, you want to be one of us, but you'll never be one of us. It's too hard," he told me.

============> I then responded by agreeing he was right that it is almost impossible.

"You're right, it is almost impossible to play basketball in college, to become a college basketball player," I said.

"And as difficult as it is to play basketball in college, it is even more difficult or even more impossible to play basketball in the NBA.

But I have done something that is so difficult, that not a single person in this room has done what I've done," I said, boldly to the entire team of players and assistant coaches eating dinner in this private hotel dining room.

At this point in the conversation everyone was looking over at the anonymous player and me, while listening intently to both of us.

"And not only has no one in this room done what I've done, but what I've done is so difficult that not even a single player in ALL of college basketball has done what I've done," I continued.

"And not only has no one playing in college done what I've done but also not even a single basketball player in ALL of the NBA has done what I've done.

And not only has no one in college or the NBA done what I've done, but not a single college or NBA basketball player PAST or PRESENT has done what I've done."

I then told him and everyone in the room, "What I've done is...

...No one has ever tried out to make a basketball team as many times in a row as I have and also failed as many times in a row as I have and still has not given up."

I went on to explain that at this point in my life I had now tried out to make the basketball team 9 consecutive times, spanning 12 years. And I failed to make the team all 9 of those times, but I still have not quit!

"The main reason you're on the team is because you just happened to grow to be 7 feet tall. You didn't choose to be 7 feet tall. It just happened," I said to him.

"The door has always been opened for you. But the door has always been closed for me and yet I still keep choosing to continue to move forward by re-opening the door every time it shuts on me," I said.

I asked him, "If you would have failed to make your high school team one year would you have come back and tried out again to make the team a second time?"

"Uhh, yeah, you probably would have tried again," I told him, answering my own question I just posed to him....

I then asked him, if he would have failed two years in a row, would he have come back to do his best to try out again a third time in a row?

"Hmmm, maybe," I said to him...

Finally I told him, "...And I know without a doubt you would not have come back to try again a fourth time."

I explained:

I failed to make the basketball team 9 consecutive times.

9 Times!

And I have come back 9 consecutive times.

9 Times!

I still have not given up. I still have not quit.

Then I told him and everyone in the dining room, "I know the most difficult thing you can do in your life is to never quit or to get back up when you get knocked down.

And not only is 'Never Quitting' the most difficult thing you can do in your life, it is also the greatest thing you can do in your life. And I know the only types of people capable of 'Never Quitting' are Champions. And a Champion is the greatest type of person you can become," I said.

Playing basketball in the NBA, or in college or anything else that might be seen as "great" in the eyes of the world is NOTHING compared to the power of the person who never gives up!

The only types of people who can rise again after failure or hard times are Champions!

The only types of people who can confront and conquer over fear are Champions!

The only types of people who are capable of never never never never never quitting are Champions!

The greatest type of person you can become in your life is a Champion!

Because I know when we come back after failure, come back after a negative time, come back after a difficult situation, we acquire divine qualities and attributes such as love, charity and service for others.

Because when we are down or hurting or suffering and we choose to not let the hard times keep us down we are choosing to be the BEST. We are choosing to be the GREATEST. We are choosing to be HAPPY.

A person who can choose to rise up in the most difficult of situations is a person who can never be stopped!!!

Nothing Can Stop You.

No One Can Stop You.

Nothing Can Stop You From Doing Your Best!

No One Can Stop You From Doing Your Best!

The person who chooses to be unstoppable is the truly "great" person and is seen by the eyes of God as being truly "great."

You are a Champion when you make the choice to be a Champion.

Anyone can choose to be a Champion if they truly desire to be one.

Yes, you can always choose to be whatever or whoever you truly desire.

-Timothy McGaffin II

"Champions Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Quit." -Tim McGaffin II






P.S. "I am the greatest basketball player of all-time." ~Tim McGaffin II

"...I am the greatest of all-time not because I hold the WORLD RECORD for the Most Consecutive Failures to Make a Basketball Team Without Quitting but because I chose and did my absolute best and therefore I fulfilled my full potential.

Anyone who chooses and does their absolute best fulfills their full potential and becomes the greatest ever!

There is room enough for everyone at the top to be the greatest ever at whatever you choose to do or whoever you choose to become. Ask God to help you, then never never never never never never never quit and you will be the greatest ever! You will be a Champion!"

P.P.S. "The Best Is Yet To Come!" ~Tim

Great Quote From My Friend, Lolita Figueroa

"Failure is never a solution, but merely the stepping stone that awakens the Giant within..." -Lolita Figueroa

Great Quote by Michael Jackson

I just found this awesome quote I've never previously read or heard before and it's great. M. J. really knows what he's talking about.

"If you enter this world knowing that you are loved, and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything in between can be dealt with." -Michael Jackson

Attack Your Goals and Dreams Like the Mailman

Watch this video of the Mailman for some inspiration. If you can attack your dreams and goals like a Karl Malone hammer dunk, nothing will stop you from achieving Victory!

"Other people see you as you see yourself...."

These are some excerpts from a newsletter I received from Mike Dillard of 'Magnetic Sponsoring' (Mike became a millionaire in 18 months.)

Mike describes perfectly the type of person required to achieve their dreams.

You can do it! You are a Champion!

-Tim McGaffin II

"How Do You Know Who The 'Right' People Are, And How Do You Attract Them To You?"

1: True desire to be successful - "The Test" Everyone will "tell" you they desire to be self-employed, but only 10% or so will have a core desire to do so.

You can tell who these people are with this one simple question:

"So what books or training course have you read lately for your business?"

People with real desire will be able to name a few. The pretenders will give you a really weak answer.

2: They have good verbal communication skills. This is an indicator to you for many things...

People with a strong, confident phone presence typically have self confidence, natural posture, and at least some degree of current leadership ability.

I can usually tell whether or not I want to work with someone within the first 10 seconds of the conversation, but by the sounds of their voice.


If they sound timid, soft spoken, depressed, or just have no energy, I'm off the phone.

This might sound harsh, but this business isn't about your product or your compensation plan.

It's about YOU. People don't join a company, they join leaders.

If you do not have/convey the traits of a leader, you're going to have a very difficult time sponsoring people or doing anything in this industry, or any other for that matter.

In business, it's survival of the fittest. You're competing against hundreds of other businesses and potential sponsors, and if you're not the leader that person "reacts" to on an instinctual level, then they'll find someone else who does trigger that response.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a very simple explanation...

By nature, people are pack animals. They follow a leader until they gain enough experience/confidence to challenge for leadership themselves.

This is a survival instinct that has been ingrained in us since our early tribal days.

Man could not survive on his own, so he formed tribes.

The tribal leader (alpha male), was typically the strongest and most dominate individual in the pack. One of his primary responsibilities was to protect his group, and in return for that protection, they would follow him.

...And everyone lived longer.

That instinct is still present today, but it's expressed through different activities such as business instead of skull-bashing.

There are two important lessons here:

1. People have a subconscious attraction to others who convey leadership qualities.

If you want to make it big in networking, (or anything in life), you must learn to convey those qualities, and eventually BECOME a leader.

2. If your prospect does not have these qualities, they will struggle as well until they develop them.

Whether or not you sponsor this type of person just to "get a check", is completely up to you. I recommend getting past that stage of sponsoring anyone with a pulse for "self-appointed approval" as quickly as possible.

We'll get more into this topic of social dynamics and more tribal stories another time, and all of it is covered in detail in Magnetic Sponsoring and Black Belt Recruiting.

3: The X Factor...

This is unique to you. The "right" person is someone you would personally enjoy working with.

You might share some things in common like gender, age, personality types, location, demographic, etc...

It might even be experience level.

For example, my criteria for sponsoring a person will be very different from most people's...

I'm so busy these days, that I don't have time to work with someone unless they've already taken care of their mental game, and are capable of self-reliance. I don't want to teach them the game, I want to enhance their current game.

No you might think that I'd only sponsor a handful of people with such a high bar, but that's not the case.

The pool of people who meet my personal criteria is endless for me and anyone else because people are constantly graduating to the level I'm looking for on a daily basis.

When they do, they tend to seek out others like themselves to work with...

And The Reason Behind That Fact Brings Us
To The "Attraction" Portion Of This Email...

Once again, this gets back to psychology and social dynamics, but I'm going to keep it very simple today...

People gather is groups of individuals similar to themselves.

Successful and wealthy people tend to keep to themselves, especially in business, because each of them have built up a tremendous amount of value to the rest of the group.

The sharing of these abilities between members increases the holdings/power/chance for survival in the world for each of them.

A person of common skill and intelligence has nothing to offer someone who is at a "higher" level.

(And please, don't spin your wheels coming up with all kinds of "what if's" and exceptions to this generality. The world is still based on survival of the fittest, even if it's an uncomfortable truth to swallow socially).

The "common" person tends to socialize with other "common " people because they feel equal in status around peers of the same group.

Life experiences, local culture, and local events shared by the people in each group strengthen the bond between the individuals in it.

If a "common" person desires to leave the group and become an "uncommon" person, (as you're trying to do in your attempt to leave the working world behind for life as a wealthy entrepreneur), the group will apply social pressure in order to bring them (you) back in line with their mentality.

My point...

You attract who you are, and you are who you see yourself to be within your mind.

You might need to read that a few more times...

If you want to attract successful leaders, you must believe yourself to be one.
I don't say that you need to already be one...

I'm saying that you need to believe you're one. Other people see you as you see yourself.

Reality will follow what you believe.

I didn't become a leader when I bought a fancy car or wrote a book.

I became a leader on a telephone call from my bedroom in San Antonio about 4 years ago while I was waiting tables. I was still dead broke, but that night I changed my mindset on that call, took a leadership role with the person on the other end, and the rest is history...

It was a defining moment in my life and I can remember it like yesterday.

That new mindset led to new actions, new confidence, new posture, new vocal expression... All traits of a leader.

Expressing those traits brought on by the new beliefs, manifested into the "Magnetic" life I live today.

To Be a Great Champion...

Here is a quote of greatness my friend Kiran gave to me:

"To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If you are not, pretend you are"

Muhammad Ali, World Champion Boxer

Albert Einstein

I found an excellent and true quote from Albert Einstein.

"Persistence is the most powerful force on earth, it can move mountains." -Albert Einstein

Be sure to read more great quotes on "the most powerful force on earth" here: "Triumph and Victory" (Click Here) for more TRUTHS about NEVER QUITTING!

Can't Stop The Flattop

I love the FLATTOP because it is the classic basketball haircut. In the late 80's and early 90's watching the NBA regularly is when I fell in love with the ultimate haircut called the FLATTOP.

NBA players such as Chris Mullin and Scottie Pippen and Patrick Ewing had some awesome FLATTOPS. And many other players both in college and the pros had the best haircut on earth.

Since I always strive to be the best because I am a Champion, I chose the FLATTOP as my hair cut of choice.

The FLATTOP is perfectly flat which in my opinion is a symbol of consistentcy, strength, power, and it never quits. The FLATTOP is UNBREAKABLE, UNSTOPPABLE, and INVINCIBLE! The FLATTOP is the haircut of champions!

Nothing can stop the FLATTOP just like nothing can stop a CHAMPION!

CHAMPIONS NEVER QUIT!

Champions Never Quit, Never Surrender

Champions Never Quit, Never Surrender
By Daniel Sitter

What makes a champion? Is it an unrelenting attitude, belief in yourself, focus and determination? A champion is a strong competitor who never quits, never surrenders. A true champion would rather fall down while striving and exerting maximum effort, than to sit down because she is tired. I remember maintaining a wide horse-stance in karate class for what seemed like hours while our instructor often repeated that it was acceptable to collapse to the ground, but forbidden to stand up to find relief. Quitting is never an option for winners. Remember the words of Tim Allen's Captain Nesmith character in Galaxy Quest, "Never quit. Never surrender."

At Wimbledon this year, we witnessed a true champion in action: According to the Associated Press, "Hobbled and hurting and essentially playing on one leg, Serena Williams managed to gut out a three-set victory." At one point, Williams fell to the ground, experiencing a crippling leg cramp. "I thought about not finishing, but very briefly. I thought I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hadn't at least tried" she said after the event. Serena Williams summoned all of the strength and fortitude within her and found victory, as a true champion will. Against all odds, she prevailed.

The same attitude and characteristics also describe the successful entrepreneur. Although it may appear sometimes that there is little hope, you must remain hopeful. There is always something to be learned from past experiences, something that we can reach inward for that will furnish the drive and inspiration to prevail.

There will always be that quiet temptation to quit, to find a job and escape, but the serious entrepreneur realizes that during those disconcerting moments, success is often waiting, just ahead, obscured by the next curve in the road. Though currently unseen, triumph awaits beyond the coming dip.

The winner knows in her gut that she will find a way to prevail in her current course or will change course as many times as necessary, ultimately finding success there. This winning attitude is expressed so eloquently in the old adage" I cannot do anything about the wind, but I can adjust my sails." To quit is simply not an option. That is the winning attitude that separates champions from everyone else.

Entrepreneurial champions possess these same characteristics. Most winners are also further inspired by tales of other winners and their successes against all odds. Such sources of inspiration often fuel the fires of desire and persistence, providing that much needed boost that often provides their edge. Go and do likewise.

Daniel Sitter, author of both the popular personal development book, Learning For Profit, and the highly anticipated business book, Superior Selling Skills Mastery, has garnered extensive experience in sales, training, marketing and personal development over a successful twenty-five year career. http://www.learningforprofit.com/ Read his blog http://www.idea-sellers.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Sitter
http://EzineArticles.com/?Champions-Never-Quit,-Never-Surrender&id=637894

UNSTOPPABLE: Stockton And Malone Seek The 2003 NBA Championship

Karl Malone set the screen, John Stockton hit the game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer, and they were finally on their way. The Utah Jazz had just defeated the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time ever. Coach Jerry Sloan, referring to then 35-year-old Stockton playing in his 13th season and then 33-year-old Malone playing in his 12th season, commented on how they had done it. “These guys have been criticized the last few years for not getting to where we’re going, but I’ve always said that the most important thing in sports is to keep trying. Let this be an example of what it means to say it’s never over.”

“It’s never over” when you “keep trying,” or in other words when you –never quit. In their quest for the NBA championship, be assured in 2003 that this year’s playoffs are no different from any other –John Stockton and Karl Malone will never quit.

For any NBA player, the ultimate goal is to win the NBA championship because winning the championship means winning the title of ‘champion.’ ‘Champion’ is the most sought-after title for anyone because the word itself means ‘unstoppable.’ Of the 29 league-teams that compete for the championship annually there can only be one team that will win it, only one team that will not be stopped. The 12 players on the team that does win it in that particular year are the only ones who were not stopped. Championship-winning players can claim they are unstoppable for the rest of their lives because they are champions for the rest of their lives. Nothing can ever take that title away from them.

Champion-boxer Muhammad Ali said it best when describing the importance of becoming a champion. “I hated every minute of the training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

John Stockton and Karl Malone too are champions for one simple reason: both are unstoppable.

Before the 1997 NBA Finals, Stockton and Malone had been criticized for not reaching it as Sloan commented. Now, six years later since they lost their first NBA Finals appearance against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1997, and five years later since their second appearance in 1998, they have received criticism for not winning it. Without the championship it seems they are stoppable because they have not won the title of ‘champion.’ However, what their critics fail to realize is Stockton and Malone have not been stopped.

Stockton and Malone have remarkably led the Jazz to the playoffs every season of their careers. Stockton has made 18 consecutive appearances, starting in his rookie season of 1984-85; the Mailman has made 17 straight appearances, beginning with his first season of 1985-86. They hold the record for most playoff appearances without winning a championship. They also hold the record for playing in the most playoff games without winning a championship; Stockton has played in 177 games and Malone has played in 167 games. No other player in NBA history has been to the playoffs as many years or played in as many postseason games without winning the championship as Stockton or the Mailman.

No other player in NBA history has gotten back up as many times either.

“The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after the fall,” Super Bowl-champion coach Vince Lombardi once said.

That is the “greatest accomplishment” of them all because it is the most difficult of them all. It is easy to get back up when you are winning because you are already up. To get back up when you are down –that is the hard part. To get back up again and again when you are down again and again –that is the hardest part.

Winning is difficult; it only comes to those who perform the “greatest accomplishment.” All of Stockton and Malone’s individual and team successes have resulted from never quitting.

Winning individually, as Jazz fans know, Stockton and Malone have become arguably the greatest players ever to play their positions. Briefly stated, Stockton is arguably the greatest point-guard ever because he is the all-time assist and steals leader. No one else has ever done that. The Mailman is arguably the greatest power-forward ever because he is currently the all-time second-leading scorer. No other forward has ever done that.

Winning as a team, Stockton and Malone have led Utah to become one of the most winning franchises ever. During the Stockton-to-Malone era the Jazz have had 11 seasons of 50 or more wins and three seasons of 60 or more wins. On March 26th of this year when Utah beat the Portland Trailblazers 94-85 (Stockton’s 41st birthday) the Jazz ensured themselves of extending their NBA record of consecutive winning seasons from 17, to 18 with their 42nd win on the year. No other team has ever done that.

All of Stockton and Malone’s future individual and team successes will also result from never quitting. Stockton and Malone can never be stopped because they never quit, and that is why they will win the championship.

Six years later, now 41-year-old Stockton playing in his 19th season and now 39-year-old (40 in July) Malone playing in his 18th season, will again return to this year’s playoffs expecting nothing less than to win the 2003 NBA championship. Of course, eventually the legends themselves will even have to retire from basketball one day (probably when they are 50 years old or so) and when that day does come, they will either have won or not won the championship. Either way, “it’s never over” because nothing can stop John Stockton and Karl Malone from never quitting.

Author: Timothy McGaffin II

UNBREAKABLE: Michael Jackson Defines Greatness

When asked what the message of his song "Unbreakable" is in a 2001 interview with TV Guide, Michael Jackson responded with the following: "That I’m invincible, that I’ve been through it all. You can’t hurt me. Knock me down, I get back up."

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Michael Jackson, the king of music and dance, proves he is unbreakable because he exercises the value of perseverance.

Author: Timothy McGaffin II