We Should All Be Athletes
Yesterday Sports Illustrated announced Serena Williams as their 2015 Sportsperson of the Year. No one is more deserving. Williams dominated courts this year with a record of 53-3, winning 3 of the 4 Grand Slam titles (she’s won 21 in total to date), all the while maintaining her ranking as the No.1 player in Women’s Tennis by more than 3000 points. I’m a longstanding fan of the Williams’ sisters. My grandaddy and I watched all their matches together. They’re the reason why I chose to take up the sport in high school. I’m partially bias as a fan to Serena’s career, but she has the numbers and stats to back her up as one of the most dominating athletes in sports. Even with all the success, she has encountered an enormous amount of hate this year. From comments about her shapely figure, questions about her femininity, and whether or not she deserves the SI cover. It all proves one point, no matter how great you are or how hard you push yourself, people will always have something negative to say.
If I could ask Serena anything I would ask how she deals with it all. What place does she go within herself to find the strength to keep practicing on the days she doesn’t feel well, or when her feelings are hurt by the media (because she’s only human)? On top of all of that she has to deal with racism and feminism. That’s a constant battle for headspace to focus on becoming the champion she has grown to be.
Let’s look at my other favorite athlete LeBron James. He is in my opinion one of the most hated men in basketball. Some people don’t even have a valid reason for disliking him other than a perception of who they think he is. James is also arguably one of the best athletes of my generation. I’ve been a fan since 2003 when he was drafted to the Cavaliers straight out of high school. James quickly became a trending topic on social media last week when Nike announced they have signed him to a lifetime deal, the first one in the company’s 44-year history. The deal is rumored to be worth over $500 million. Making history on and off the court with record breaking points and endorsements isn’t enough for King James. Last year he made a cool $30 million when Beats by Dre sold to Apple, and earlier this month Time Warner and Turner invested $15.8 million in his multimedia athlete content platform called Uninterrupted. I’m excited because I love his Starz show Survivor’s Remorse where the legendary Debbie Allen is the director and James executive producer.
I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t think it’s all about money with James. He’s set on making his mark on the world. Following his passion to enter television and films, and he recently made his film debut this summer in the comedy Trainwreck. James has two Olympic gold medals, four NBA MVP Awards, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and two NBA championship rings. There’s a strong chance he will get a second match with the Warriors in the Finals this year, now that the Cavaliers have recovered from numerous injuries. In his December 7, 2015 cover story for Sports Illustrated, writer Lee Jenkins mentions what he calls James’ punishing pre-training camp.
“James worked on ball handling and post skills every morning from 8:30 to 10 at Key Biscayne Community Center with Cavaliers assistant Phil Handy; built strength from 11 to 1 at DBC Fitness with trainer Mike Mancias; shot from 7 to 9 at Immaculata-La Salle High or the University of Miami…”
It’s the time Serena and LeBron put on the courts and in the gym when the cameras are off that makes them great. All the public sees are the slam dunks and hard-hitting serves. No one sees the struggle of recovering from injuries, and the days they want to quit. What I’m fascinated most is the ability of anyone great to push through fear. Last week I wrote a piece “In Loving Memory of Fear”, but I think a little fear could be the secret driving force behind their success. Recently I saw the film Creed. There’s a scene where Sylvester Stallone’s character places Michael B. Jordan (Creed) in front of the mirror and tells him that’s his biggest competitor, both in and out of the ring.
2015 is closing out and Serena Williams and LeBron James have given us a template to hunt our dreams for the new year. With ridiculous work ethic, a keen sense of business, and a competitive nature with oneself to be greater than you were yesterday, anything is possible. Let’s not forget that they didn’t become legendary overnight. Patience is key. Look within yourself and find a deeper meaning for why you do what you do. It just may be your saving grace from calling it quits. Let’s start the New Year today by practicing positive thinking and working hard. I’m excited to see what 2016 has in store for all of us.
Need a little more motivation? Check out LeBron James in Striving for Greatness, a short motivational series by Uninterrupted on Facebook.
