Legendary Harlem Globetrotter on Creating a Positive Mindset

“You aren’t alive if you don’t have worries or problems,” says Larry “Shorty” Coleman when asked how he continues to keep a positive mindset despite losing his left leg due to complications caused by peripheral artery disease (P.A.D.), restricted blood flow in mainly the leg arteries due to plaque build-up.

This legendary professional basketball entertainer says that no matter what life throws at you, “You have to wake up each day and say, ‘Thank God I’m alive.'”

Throughout this episode of The Heart of Innovation with hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips, Shorty inspires with powerful words of wisdom. He shares the foundation for his strength, the hoops he jumped through to gain legendary status as a professional basketball entertainer, and his post-career fight for life and limb.

Shorty’s Story

Shorty, who grew up in a large family of 11 kids raised mainly by his Mother, is a man of strong faith. It’s faith that was instilled by his Mother, whose voice of reason and purpose still whispers in his ear today. He recalls her powerful influence as he was constantly faced with choices between finding trouble or dribbling the ball — choices that ultimately paid off in a fulfilling career with the Harlem Globetrotters. Following her lead and trusting in God’s plan helped him to maintain a positive mindset and overcome adversity in every aspect of his life along the way.

Beyond the court, he continues to practice what he’s preached his entire career as a Harlem Globetrotter, the power of positive thinking, even as he stands up against the amputation of his right leg two years after his left was lost due to complications from P.A.D. He didn’t know at the time other advanced options might be available to save his right leg, so he never sought a second opinion. With his left leg on deck, he reached out months ago to P.A.D. advocacy organization The Way To My Heart, which has found him a different doctor with an advanced set of limb salvage skills, exhausting all efforts available to keep “Shorty” standing tall.

Shorty keeps up the fight for his life and limb through his powerful positive mindset, which he still attributes to his Mom and Faith. He says it’s the only thing that helps him to overcome the unconscionable pain P.A.D. brings. He contends he will never give up the fight and strives to inspire others to do the same through clinics he regularly holds to not only help kids learn some of his pro hoop tricks on the court but to also spread the message of the power of positive thinking and to raise money for those with disabilities like himself due to amputation.

He says over and over that the key to living is turned the moment you wake up with gratitude.