The flow. Yeah. Knowing you could step on the court and make it happen. You practiced, sure. But then, when you walked out there, you could just go. You could flow, that was it: you created and you didn't totally know how. You just knew you could, so you did. It wasn't thinking and it wasn't imitating somebody else's moves, though you always looked carefully when you watched good players play. But when you played... it was something you couldn't explain. Neal used to know. It didn't come from thinking about it.

Summary

This quote highlights the concept of "flow" in sports, particularly in basketball. It describes the state of being fully immersed in the game, where instinct and creativity take over rather than relying on conscious thought or imitating others. The player feels a sense of fluidity and spontaneity, creating their own unique style of play. This unexplainable phenomenon, often experienced by talented athletes like Neal, showcases the ability to excel without overanalyzing, allowing natural abilities and intuition to guide performance.

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