Derek Harper no doubt can relate to what Cleveland's J.R. Smith went through Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
When Harper was a rookie for the Mavericks in 1984, he made a rookie mistake by dribbling out the clock in Game 4 of a playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The score was tied. Harper lost count and owned up to the mistake after the game, which the Lakers won in overtime. LA went on to win the series, 4-1.
Harper grew from that and became a star for a team that had great success.