Professional Sports Would Be Significantly Better If Every Athlete Was More Like Tyrese Maxey
We're missing a word in the English language. Or maybe this word already exists and my vocabulary is too limited to come up with it right now. But we need a word that means "selfish", but without all the negative connotation that comes along with it. Because in order to become a great athlete, there needs to be a selfish side of you. Not in a bad way or anything like that, but you have to believe that the best way to help your team succeed is when the ball is in your hands. "Winners always want the ball with the game on the line". If you don't think you give your team the best chance at winning, then you'll never have what it takes to be one of the greats. There's a reason why I blog about sports instead of playing them.
So in order to get to the position where you can be a star in the NBA, you have to be a little selfish. Again, we need a better word for that. But the flip side of that coin is that you're never going to be content with a role that has you sitting on the bench. The competitive drive and fire it takes to reach that point is way too high to ever be happy about sitting on the bench. Which is exactly what Tyrese Maxey was discussing here when he went on Million Dollaz Worth Of Game this week.
It made him physically sick to have to come off the bench. Because Tyrese Maxey is a great player, he has that competitive fire to be the guy who impacts the game as much as he can, and wants the ball when the game is on the line. You should want your star players to be upset when their role gets diminished. You should want your star players to feel like something has been taken from them in that situation.
But at the same time, you want your star players to understand that the word "professional" is in the title of being a professional athlete. And there's a level of professionalism you need to show in that moment. You can't just go storming off the court and crying to the media because you think your role isn't enough. That's where guys turn into divas and get labeled as a locker room cancer. But if you handle it like a professional and accept whatever role you're asked to play for your team, all while having that competitive drive to get the role that you think you deserve back? Well that's what makes guys like Tyrese Maxey one of the most lovable athletes to come through the city of Philadelphia. Because this guy just gets it, even if Doc Rivers was too much of a dolt to get it himself.
Obviously Tyrese Maxey isn't one of a kind with that mindset. There are plenty others out there who get it. But there are also plenty out there who lose their goddamn mind the moment they don't get everything they want. If we could just give every athlete in the world a little more Tyrese Maxey in them, we'd be better off.