PrintRockets Searching For Their Own Brand Of Alchemy
Contemplating what's to come during the season's stretch run
Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer
Houston - I first read The Alchemist six years ago. A great friend of mine had recommended it to me, so I sat outside one summer afternoon making my way through its pages. I loved it right away. I still do.
For those not familiar with Paulo Coelho’s allegorical novel, it’s a beautiful little tale about a young Spanish shepherd’s journey to fulfill his destiny. Naturally, he encounters plenty of stumbling blocks along the way; moments which require courage and conviction in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds – you know, the standard sort of literary devices which make any heroic tale worth reading. It’s a simple story utterly devoid of guile. The prose is scarce and simplistic; perhaps because no artifice is needed – its timeless message speaks for itself.
Over the years, I’ve recommended The Alchemist to countless friends, colleagues and acquaintances. I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t for everybody, but if one happens to be blessed (cursed?) with the idealist gene, then I’m more than happy to gamble on that person enjoying the book.
Enter Shane Battier. Clearly, Shane is about as half-full as they come, so when he asked me for reading suggestions after practice one day, I decided to lend him my copy of The Alchemist. That was nearly two months ago. Much has transpired since then.
Namely, a Rockets’ season which began amid such unbridled optimism has, thus far, fallen far short of expectations. The team is still ten games over .500, but myriad injures and multiple losses to seemingly inferior competition have put a serious damper on everyone’s excitement. The fans are rightfully bummed and so, too, are many of the players.
And yet, a good chunk of the season still remains. Houston has 30 games left on its schedule, meaning there’s not only time to salvage the season, but to make something special of it as well. I know, I know. I can see the cynics smirking already. But to dismiss such thinking as mere Pollyannaish sentiment completely misses the point: It’s not for us to know whether or not the Rockets will turn their season around; merely that they can. And just ask the prematurely discounted and disregarded Arizona Cardinals about the possibilities which exist so long as even the slightest shred of hope survives.
That was the prevailing thought percolating within my mind when I crossed paths with Battier yesterday afternoon after the team’s film session, during which players and coaches dissected Monday's loss to Milwaukee. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the doom and gloom of a particularly discouraging defeat so, contrarian that I am, I wanted to hang my hat on something positive knowing full well Battier wouldn’t disappoint in that regard. As a conversation starter of sorts, I brought up the book I’d sent his way a while back. True to form, Shane took over from there.
“I actually think The Alchemist is an apt metaphor for this team because the shepherd started out thinking he was all set, but life threw him a curveball and he quickly found out things don’t always go according to plan or according to your strengths.
“Obviously, things could be worse for our team right now but things could be a lot better, too. From our standpoint, the expectations are still sky-high, but we’re facing a tough time so there would be nothing better than to win in the face of that adversity and in the face of people writing us off and doubting us. I believe in the potential of our guys and I’m not one to sell short the spirit of the guys in that lockerroom. If we can forge a true team effort and come out on top, there’s no sweeter feeling in sports or in life.
“I don’t know if guys look at it like that but that’s the way I’m approaching it and that’s what keeps me going.”
Battier went on to discuss some of the story’s finer points and how they related to the Rockets' season, but I won’t divulge them here so as not to spoil things for those who have not yet read it. I will simply say this: As our conversation concluded, I was left contemplating a particularly poignant, and timely, quote from the book:
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
For the Rockets, that possibility, though somewhat shaken, still very much exists. Hope remains. And regardless of what happens from here, it certainly promises to be interesting.
Sometimes sports, and life, really are that simple. And, sometimes, such simplicity is beautiful. You just have to know where to look. And to always, always, always appreciate the journey.
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