Giannis Antetokounmpo's Hidden Message to Examinees: "It's not a failure. It's steps to success."

It was perhaps one of the biggest upsets in NBA Playoff history. Entering the 2023 playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks had the league-best regular-season record and were clear favorites to win the NBA title. On Wednesday, though, the top-seeded Bucks lost in the first round by the Miami Heat, which had to survive the play-in rounds just to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After losing Game 5 in overtime and, as a result, the best-of-seven series, two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the best players in the NBA, sat down for the usual post-game presser.

But what happened next was anything but the usual.

During the post-game interviews, Eric Nehm, a reporter for The Athletic, asked Giannis about the team's early exit: "Do you view this season as a failure?"

What followed was two minutes of one of the best speeches of all time. It was a brilliant, impassioned, thoughtful, respectful, controlled, and motivating response, especially given the timing of Giannis and the Bucks just being eliminated from the playoffs.

I encourage you to watch Giannis' entire response. Reading the transcript, which I've include later, along with a variation of it, doesn't provide the impact that hearing the same words in Giannis' voice brings.

What Giannis did during those two minutes was to tell us how to bounce back from adversity and disappointment. And in doing so, Giannis provides important lessons for bar examinees who might have recently learned they did not pass the February 2023 bar exam.

What immediately follows is the entire transcript of the Giannis' two-minute speech. At the end of this post, I've marked up and redlined an excerpt of the same speech with my changes directed to those who might have viewed their unsuccessful attempt at passing the bar exam as a failure.

You asked me the same question last year, Eric. Okay. Do you get a promotion every year? On your job? No, right? So every year you work is a failure. Yes or no? No. Every year you work, you work toward something. Towards a goal, right? Which is to get a promotion, to be able to take care of your family, to be able to, I don't know, um, provide the house for them or take care of your parents. You work toward a goal. It's not a failure. It's steps to success.

You know, and if you've never. I don't know. I don't want to make it personal. So there are always steps to it. You know?

Michael Jordan played 15 years. Won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? That's what you're telling me. No, I'm asking a question, yes or no?

Okay, exactly. So why did you ask me that question? It's a wrong question. There's no failure in sports. You know, there are good days, bad days, some days you are able to be successful. Some days you're not. Some days it's your turn, some days it's not your turn. And that's what sports is about. You don't always win. Some other people are going to win. And this year, somebody else is going to win. Simple as that. We're going to come back next year. Try to be better. Try to build good habits. Try to play better. Not have a 10-day stretch with playing bad basketball. You know, and hopefully we can win a championship.

So, 50 years from 1971 to 2021 that we didn't win the championship, was it was 50 years of failure? No, it was not. It was steps to it, you know? And we were able to win one. Hopefully, we can win another one.

For bar examinees who find themselves taking the bar exam again, remember, not passing the bar exam is not a failure. It's steps to success.

Here's my marked up and redlined excerpt of Giannis' speech as I imagine he would tell the message to examinees who might see their unsuccessful attempt at passing the bar exam as a failure.

... Michael Jordan played 15 years. Won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? That's what you're telling me. No, I'm asking a question, yes or no?

Okay, exactly. So why did you ask me that question? It's a wrong question. There's no failure ... when taking the bar exam. You know, there are good days, bad days, some days you are able to be successful. Some days you're not. Some days it's your turn, some days it's not your turn. And that's what ... the bar exam is about. You don't always ... pass. Some other people are going to ... pass. And ... last administration, somebody else ... passed. Simple as that. ... But you’re going to come back next year exam. Try to be better. Try to build good study habits. Try to ... study better. Not have a ... stretch of days ... without active studying. You know, and ... you will pass the bar exam.

So, ... during the time you were preparing for the bar exam, was it was ... months of failure? No, it was not. It was steps to it, you know? And ... you will be able to ... pass the bar exam. ... And you will pass the bar exam.

Remember, not passing the bar exam is not a failure. It's steps to success.