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(Video)Guys,heregoesalevelseven.
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Summary
Harlem Globetrotter Maxwell Pearce argues that play, creativity, and rule-breaking are essential drivers of innovation in sports, art, and every industry.
Past perfect for background context — used to show an event that happened before another past event: "There once was a time in basketball when dunking was frowned upon so much that the NCAA banned it for nine years." (the banning preceded the lifting of the ban)
Gerund as subject — a gerund phrase acting as the subject of a sentence: "Getting to this point in my career certainly was not a straight line."
Passive voice to describe institutional actions — shifting focus from the actor to the event: "a legendary exhibition basketball team that is credited for integrating the NBA" and "the NCAA banned it for nine years" → "Once that ban was lifted, the popularity of the game skyrocketed."
Conditional with 'if' + past action describing hypothetical process — illustrating a real-time example on stage: "if I try this trick right here … and I accidentally drop the ball, I can use the momentum from that mistake to grow it into something new."
About this video
In this TED Talk, Harlem Globetrotter Maxwell Pearce opens with a jaw-dropping clip of himself shooting a basketball off a 230-foot New York City building — immediately signalling that this is a talk about defying expectations. He traces his journey from a shy, creative kid constantly scolded by coaches for being too playful, to a globally recognised dunking specialist whose unconventional moves earned him spots in NBA video games, GQ magazine, and an ESPY award nomination. He also reveals a parallel life as a visual artist who uses cut-up shoelaces, basketballs, and tennis racquets from his athletic career as artistic media — a powerful example of how a playful mindset transforms everyday objects into meaningful stories.
For shadowing practice, this talk is an excellent choice. Pearce speaks in clear, confident American English at a measured TED-stage pace, with natural rises and falls in enthusiasm that make it engaging to imitate. The language mixes conversational storytelling ("Guys, here goes a level seven") with more structured argumentative phrasing ("Play is the most important ingredient in every person and every industry's evolution"), giving learners practice across a wide register range.
This video suits B2–C1 learners who want to build fluency in persuasive, narrative-driven English. Shadowing it will help you practise connected speech in storytelling, learn vocabulary around creativity and sports culture, and get comfortable with the rhythm of confident public speaking in American English.
Idioms & expressions
stick to the fundamentals — to keep doing things the basic, traditional way without experimenting
stunt your growth — to prevent someone from developing or improving their abilities
roll with it — to accept an unexpected situation and adapt to it rather than stopping or giving up
stumble upon — to discover something by accident, without deliberately looking for it
brush that off — to treat a mistake or criticism as unimportant and move past it easily
skyrocketed — increased or rose extremely fast and dramatically
robbing me of my creativity — taking away or suppressing someone's creative energy or ability
