Our limit is pain

A new book describes what to do about it

At the bleeding edge of human performance is pain. We don’t talk about it much, but there’s a reason players go harder in the playoffs than on tanking teams, and it has a lot to do with accepting more risk of pain–of exertion, of collisions, of trying to get out of bed in the morning.

Pain affects little decisions all game long. One of the most important academic papers in NBA history showed that prime Dwight Howard—who looked like a 7-foot He-Man—helped his team win mostly because opponents avoided attempting to score at the rim when he was around. (Meanwhile, there have always been elite shotblockers who were less physically intimidating and had people drive on them constantly, very much including Jay Huff.) Duh! Who throws their body at Goliath?

Years ago I watched every LeBron drive over an entire season, and was blown away at how often defenders clocked …