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挑戰文化 vs 學習文化

「學習，還是挑戰？」這是大馬青年軍在 FIBA U16 男籃亞洲盃慘敗後，最刺耳的問題。

一名球迷這樣抱怨：「我們總是抱著『學習』的心態去比賽，而不是抱著『爭冠』的心態。到底要學到什麼時候？」

另一名球迷回應：「這只是好聽的說法。如果等到有能力爭冠才參加，那可能一百年都不用比了。」

兩種聲音，兩種真實，但背後都指向同一個焦慮：馬來西亞籃球，到底要一直停留在「學習」，還是開始勇敢「挑戰」？

語言的力量

語言不是中性的，它會塑造身份，也會在比賽開始前就定義了期待。

「學習」聽起來謙虛，能減輕壓力，能幫助接受失敗。但它也可能變成一層安慰的外衣，讓輸球變得理所當然。久而久之，球員對參與就滿足，教練找到藉口，球迷也習慣了平庸。

「挑戰」則完全不同。它意味著行動、接受風險以及失敗的可能。挑戰就是帶著計畫站出來，正面迎接差距，測試自己是否能跨越。當你說自己是在挑戰時，每一個回合都變成進步的檢驗，每一次失敗都變成反饋。這兩個字，會逼你做出回應。

語言反覆出現，會變成身份；身份不斷重複，會沉澱成文化。

日本的例子

2023 年男籃世界盃，日本逆轉芬蘭，被外界視為奇蹟，但那是他們多年累積的結果。

正如我台灣朋友 Grant 曾經在他的專頁《Grant 的亞洲籃球觀察室》寫到：日本面對世界強隊時，心態從來不是「學習」，而是「挑戰」。而「挑戰」不是喊口號，而是計畫、執行、失敗、調整，再來一次。這是一種有責任感的重複。

那場勝利不是偶然，而是一次又一次痛苦教訓後的結果。當他們終於擊敗芬蘭時，勝利已經不是天上掉下來的奇蹟，而是水到渠成的收穫。

這裡的啟示是：結果往往是心態的延遲反映。看似突然的突破，其實是多年來選擇「挑戰」而不是「安逸」。

日本的轉型也有制度支撐。2016 年成立的 B.League，把重心放在基層和清晰的職業路徑。他們的目標是 2030 年前培養出至少 5 位 NBA 球員。如今河村勇輝已經成為第一位完全在 B.League 養成的 NBA 球員。

這些都不是偶然，而是挑戰文化下的必然結果。

馬來西亞的現實

週四晚，大馬在 U16 男籃亞洲杯附加賽以 62 比 102 不敵伊朗，無緣8強。雙方的差距明顯，但更難看清的是：我們從失敗中學到了什麼？又何時才要把「學習」轉化為「挑戰」？

四場比賽下來，全隊投籃命中率僅 32.6%，三分更低至 24.4%。這對於一支要以「快、狠、準」為風格的球隊來說，是最致命的短板。投籃必須提高，提升個人技術也是當務之急。作為身高和體格不足的球隊，內線注定劣勢，如果連突破分球和終結的能力都不足，那我們幾乎無法競爭。

身高是我們無法控制的，我們當然要繼續尋找高個子，但那也不保證一定找得到。可是訓練方式卻完全掌握在自己手中。練什麼、怎麼練、練多少，這些都是今天就能改變的事。如果我們真的有在「學習」，那真正的學習就是認清差距、制定計劃，然後堅決執行。

這就是為什麼心態重要。如果每一場失敗都只是「學習」，那麼緊迫感就消失了。但如果每一場都是「挑戰」，那麼低命中率就會變成必須攻克的目標，缺乏突破就會變成技能訓練的警鐘，每一次訓練都會有明確的方向。

這些數據，不只是技術差距，更是文化選擇的信號。

球場之外

這個問題不僅止於 U16，而是整個馬來西亞籃球的未來。

我們要打造的聯賽、訓練營、國家隊計劃，是要真的去競爭，還是繼續以「學習」來掩蓋不足？

這不是過度自信，而是責任。挑戰文化意味著更嚴謹的治理、更精準的教練、更清晰的球員道路。它要求球迷不再降低期待，而是敢於要求進步。它要求我們不再滿足於「參加」，而是推動真正的進化。

學習何時轉為挑戰？

有人會說：我們根本沒那個實力，談什麼挑戰？

沒錯，學習是基礎，但總不能永遠處在「學習」階段。否則就像學生永遠不上考場，只停留在預備階段。

關鍵在於轉換。學習是耕耘，挑戰是收穫。這個轉換的時機，就是球隊開始設下明確目標、誠實檢視自己，並且根據反饋不斷調整。初期，失敗提供教訓；再後來，失敗就要成為驗收，檢查學到的東西是否真的轉化成實力。這才是「學習」走向「挑戰」的真正過程。

日本就是如此。他們邊學邊挑戰，讓「學習」本身成為挑戰的一部分。每一個計劃、每一次失敗、每一次修正，都放在挑戰的框架裡。這樣的語言，帶來了責任感與緊迫感。

馬來西亞也必須問自己：我們還要多久把「學習」當作最後的答案？我們什麼時候敢說：我們是來挑戰的？這不是否定學習，而是把學習轉化成行動。

真正的平衡是：在挑戰中學習，在學習中挑戰。

未來的選擇

挑戰文化不能保證立刻勝利，但能保證進步，它會形成一種長期累積的節奏。

學習文化看似安全，但風險是永遠停留在原地。它告訴你：「參加就好。」挑戰文化則會說：「既然來了，就看看我們能走多遠。」

問題是：我們要繼續告訴自己 「我們還在學習」？還是開始建立一個敢於挑戰的文化，讓未來的勝利不再是奇蹟，而是長期堅持的必然結果？

選擇在我們手中。挑戰文化不是口號，而是標準；不是鼓掌安慰，而是誠實檢視進步。

希望今天的內容能帶給你一些啟發。如果你喜歡這樣的文章，記得點擊訂閱，完全免費。我們下週見！

— Jordan

From Learning to Competing: How Can Malaysian Basketball Evolve?

Challenge Culture vs Learning Culture

“Learning or challenging?” That’s the question echoing after Malaysia’s U16 heavy defeats in the Asian Cup.

A fan captured the frustration: “We are always going into games with the mindset of ‘learning,’ never with the mindset of ‘competing for a championship.’ How long do we want to keep learning?”

Another replied: “That’s just sugar-coating. If we only play when we’re ready to win, maybe we won’t play for 100 years.”

It’s a clash of perspectives, but also a mirror reflecting our culture. Do we step onto the court to learn, or do we step onto the court to challenge? This isn’t just about word choice. It’s the story we tell ourselves as a basketball nation.

The Power of Words

Words aren’t neutral. They shape identity. They set expectations before the first whistle blows.

“Learning” sounds humble. It lowers pressure. It softens defeat and makes losing easier to digest. But it can also become a comfort blanket—an excuse that normalizes losing. Over time, the word shapes behavior: players grow satisfied with participation, coaches justify setbacks, and fans accept mediocrity as destiny.

“Challenge,” on the other hand, signals intent. It implies action, risk, and the possibility of failure. To challenge is to step forward with a plan, confront the gap, and test yourself against the best—even if the scoreboard says you’re the underdog. When you say you’re challenging, every play becomes a measure of progress. Every failure becomes feedback. The word carries weight and demands response.

The vocabulary we repeat becomes identity. And identity, repeated often enough, becomes culture.

Japan’s Example

In 2023, Japan pulled off a stunning comeback win against Finland at the FIBA World Cup. To outsiders, it looked like a miracle. But to those watching closely, that was the result of years of steady accumulation.

As my Taiwanese friend Grant once wrote on his page Grant’s Asia Basketball Observation: Japan doesn’t enter games against world powers with a “learning” mindset. They enter with a “challenge” mindset. And “challenge” isn’t just a slogan. It means planning, executing, failing, adjusting, and repeating until results arrive. It is deliberate repetition with accountability baked in.

That win wasn’t built in one night. It was the harvest of years of accumulated challenges—long nights of preparation, painful lessons, and relentless refinement. By the time they beat Finland, Japan had already embraced failure enough times that victory was no longer unthinkable. It was overdue.

Here’s the hidden lesson: results are a delayed reflection of mindset. What looks like sudden glory is usually years of choosing challenge over comfort.

Japan’s transformation also had structure. The B.League, launched in 2016, invested heavily in grassroots development and created a clear professional pathway. Their goal: five NBA players by 2030. Today, Yuki Kawamura has already become the first NBA player developed entirely through the B.League system.

These aren’t accidents. They are the fruits of a culture that treats every game as a challenge and every season as a building block.

Malaysia’s Reality

On Thursday night, Malaysia’s U16 team fell 102–62 to Iran in the play-in game, ending their run short of the quarterfinals. The loss stung, but it also raised deeper questions: what exactly are we learning from defeat, and when do we begin turning lessons into challenges?

From four games, our shooting averaged just 32.6%, with three-point accuracy at 24.4%. For a team that talks about playing fast, sharp, and precise, this inefficiency is glaring. Shooting must improve. Personal skill development is equally urgent. As an undersized team, our interior game will always be disadvantaged. If we cannot penetrate, break down defenses, finish at the rim, or knock down shots from outside, we’ll struggle to compete at any level.

Height is beyond our control. We can search for taller prospects, but there is no guarantee. What we can control is training: what we practice, how we practice, and how much we practice. These are choices we can change today. If we claim to be “learning,” then true learning means identifying gaps, designing plans to close them, and executing those plans with discipline.

This is where framing matters. If every loss is just “learning,” urgency fades. But if every loss is a “challenge,” then poor percentages become clear targets, lack of penetration becomes a call for skill work, and every training session becomes a chance to close the gap.

The stats are not just technical—they are cultural signals of how urgently we treat improvement.

Beyond the Court

This mindset extends far beyond U16 tournaments. It’s about the future of Malaysian basketball as a whole.

Do we design leagues, training camps, and national programs to truly compete, or do we justify shortcomings as part of an endless “learning process”?

This isn’t overconfidence. It’s responsibility. A challenge culture demands better governance, sharper coaching, and clearer pathways. It demands that fans hold systems accountable instead of lowering expectations. It demands that we stop being satisfied with “participation” and start demanding evolution.

When Learning Turns Into Challenging

Some argue: we are just not good enough, so what’s the point of talking about challenge?

Of course we need to learn first. And they’re right, learning is the foundation. But learning cannot be the permanent label. At some point, lessons must be tested. Otherwise, we are students who never sit for the exam.

The key is the transition. Learning prepares the ground; challenging demands the harvest. In practice, the shift happens when teams set clear goals, measure themselves honestly, and act on feedback. At first, losses provide lessons. Later, those losses become checkpoints to see if the lessons are paying off. This is how “learning” evolves into “challenging.”

Japan spent years absorbing lessons, but they framed each step as challenge. Every plan, every loss, every adjustment was part of a larger journey. That framing carried urgency and accountability. They never hid behind the word “learning.” They learned through challenging.

Malaysia too must ask: how long will we allow “learning” to be the final word? When will we dare to say we are here to challenge, even if the odds are long? This shift does not erase the value of learning. It transforms learning into action.

The real balance is simple: learn while challenging, and challenge while learning.

The Choice Ahead

A challenge culture doesn’t guarantee victory. But it guarantees progress. It creates a rhythm of improvement that compounds over years.

A learning culture feels safe, but it risks keeping us in the same place forever. It says, “We showed up, and that’s enough.” Challenge culture says, “We showed up, now let’s see how far we can go.”

So here’s the question we face: Will Malaysia continue to tell itself “we are still learning”? Or will we start to build a culture that dares to challenge—and in doing so, create a future where victories are no longer surprises but the natural outcome of years of persistence?

The choice is ours. Challenge culture in practice means setting standards, not slogans; measuring progress, not just praising effort.

I hope today’s piece gave you something to think about. If you enjoyed it, don’t forget to subscribe — it’s completely free. See you next week!