By Daniyal Habib
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As sports fans, we are always looking for the “next” everything. Kobe Bryant was the next Michael Jordan. Now, Lebron James is being touted as the next great number 23.

After the success of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in his rookie season last year, NFL executives are hoping to find the next version of him in this year’s NFL draft. One scenario that may come up soon is Danny Granger of your Indiana Pacers being compared to former great Reggie Miller.

In terms of pure statistics, Granger is already on Miller’s level. Granger’s scoring average this season, roughly 26 points per game, surpasses Miller’s career high scoring average of 25. Same with rebounds and blocks. Miller is better so far in field goal percentage, assists and free throw percentage.

The next step in the evaluation is the intangibles. This is where Miller should have the big edge with his legendary late game performances. Miller had that end-of-the-game “you can’t stop me no matter what you do” attitude about him. Granger certainly has made big plays at the end of games, but we have yet to see him dominate games for stretches like Miller, and so many other legends, could do, simply by setting their mind to it.

Those intangibles are something that always seem to be overlooked in an athlete’s evaluation. So much of sports, especially basketball, is mental.

When you take a look at the all time NBA greats, a theme occurs. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and in modern times, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. All of them had or have the mental edge over their opponents.

As an opponent, you could go into a game confident of your ability, and telling yourself you will play well against one of those guys. But when crunch time came, they stared you in the eye, told you they were going to score, and you knew that you had really no chance.

Of course, part of that confidence comes from establishing a strong body of work. But part of that is just a player having that “it” factor that is impossible to specifically define.

That factor is something that develops early on, and is spotted even in high school. It’s the mental confidence that you will get done what needs to be done. The Greyhounds football team exhibited that the past three seasons. Game after game, if a key defensive play was needed, someone stepped up and made it.

If Morgan Newton had to reach that extra two yards for the fourth quarter first down, he would get it done. Plays like that help a team make it to three consecutive state title games. And those times when the Hounds weren’t able to make the play, it only strengthened their resolve to take advantage of the next opportunity.

Possibly the largest part of that mental toughness is bouncing back from failure. Reggie Miller could miss 10 consecutive shots, but every time he shot, he was 100 percent confident it was going in. Michael Jordan could play the worst game of his career, but when the pressure was greatest, he was always positive the game winning shot was going in.

Jordan once stated in a commercial, “I’ve missed almost 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I was trusted to make the game winning shot, and missed. I’ve failed over, and over, and over again in my life.”

The final line of the commercial? “And that is why I succeed.”