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Abstract

0 NBA rings if he was drafted by another team.On the podcast, Manu talks about how reading helps him escape the constant analysis of his performance. We don’t need someone telling us we aren’t great because we haven’t accomplished something. It’s human nature to pressure ourselves to be the best we can be. When we inevitably fall short, it can be quite challenging to try again. But we need to try again. Humanity will let us do no less. That constant need to be great, or at least better, can lead to a lot of misery.Manu recalls replaying mistakes made on the court over and over. You might do something similar. Have you ever noticed negative thoughts popping into your head without warning? Whether that be an embarrassing moment, a mistake you made, or a regret that lingers in your mind. You might notice these negative thoughts popping into your head more when you’re in a poor state of mind.Humans are predisposed to negative thinking. It’s helped us survive as a species. Since survival is no longer a threat for most of us, negative thinking no longer has the positive outcomes it once had.Sports shine a spotlight on the human condition. In basketball, there are thousands of opportunities to make mistakes and hours of post-game analysis. Towards the end of the game, things slow down. Every dribble, pass, shot, or movement of the body can lead to a basket or a turnover. When we look back, it’s easy to think I should have shot, passed, drove to the basket for a layup instead of jacking a 3, or pushed a little harder on defence. This thinking is not limited to the basketball court.Noticing mistakes can help us improve. But dwelling does nothing for our personal growth. We recognize a mistake to correct it the next time. This thinking serves us if it leads to improved performance. It can also have the opposite effect.<h2 id="8105">Can You Be Both Great and Happy?</h2>Humans didn’t evolve to be happy with what they have. This acute awareness of wanting more is heightened in our youth. As you evolve and grow you learn that there are ways to maintain competitiveness and desire while enjoying the ride.For the first 18 years of Manu’s career, a loss would stay with him for a lot longer than it would the last few. After being eliminated from the playoffs, which happened 19 times in his career, he talks about how an entire summer could be ruined by constant thought about what could have been. His perspective is that it wasn’t helpful, and in the latter stages of his career, even though he was no less hungry for a championship, he found ways to enjoy the summers (even after being swept in the 2016–2017 Western Conference Finals by the showboating Golden State Warriors).Michael Jordan, the most ferocious competitor to ever hoop, famously <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/last-dance-michael-jordan-invented-slight-motivate-him-torch-labradford-smith">invented stories</a> in his head about other players to get himself mad as he thought it gave him an edge. This led to a lot of anger and misery for not only Michael but his teammates. Russ takes an opposing stance by choosing to be happy while still bringing it on the court. Russ doesn’t have the rings Michael has, but his lack of misery is not the issue.Russ doesn’t carry a loss with him for very long. That doesn’t mean he is less competitive. His competitiveness is obvious every time he touches the court and that is why he’s recorded 184 triple-doubles and counting.<blockquote id="474a">Why do you carry your losses with you? As a human, yo

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ur reason for living is to try your best to do what you love, be a good human to others, and be happy. It’s not to beat yourself up, or let others define your greatness.</blockquote>Russ knows that winning a championship has many variables outside of his control. He won’t let his quest for a ring dampen his mood, his attitude, or his effort on or off the court. Not letting our stumbles affect how we approach life is a challenge we all face. Manu marvels at the fact that no matter who you are, an author, a basketball player, a Roman emperor, we all share common struggles. Hopefully, you have more in common with Russ than you do with Jordan.The lack of a thing (not having a championship) can be motivating. In the past, we needed that motivation to find food or to ensure we outran our enemies. We no longer need that animalistic drive.In modern society, we get to choose what we do. By choosing to do the thing you love, there is built-in motivation. You no longer need to make yourself miserable, like MJ did, to get yourself motivated. Separate the negative feelings of not having something with the positive feelings of doing what you love. Use your interest in the thing to keep getting better.You can be both great and happy as long as you’re not using what’s missing in your life as the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.<h2 id="f586">Bigger Than (Insert Whatever Industry You Are In)</h2>Russ’s impact on the world will be felt long after he leaves the NBA. He created <a href="https://whynotfoundation.org/who-we-are/">The Why Not Foundation</a>, which aims to tackle societal issues like; mental health, poverty, financial literacy, workforce development, and the challenge closest to Russ, helping underprivileged youth.Russ was on Trevor Noah’s show talking about the foundation, and very little about basketball. In the weeks leading up to the show, Trevor talked to a friend who was surprised to learn about all the philanthropic work Russ does. This friend, surprised about Russ’s off-the-court activities, said isn’t Westbrook was an asshole. Russ faces this assumption every day because of how he’s portrayed by the media. It’s no wonder his wife took a stand. I’m glad she did because we got to hear from a great man about what it means to be a champion, ring or not.Russ is fighting a battle about what is left unsaid about him. Perhaps that inspired him to work on a docuseries about the atrocities that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. Some say The Tulsa Massacre is “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history”. The Greenwood District, otherwise known as Black Wallstreet, was destroyed by a mob of white men armed by city officials. If that wasn’t enough, they also used private aircraft that helped destroy more than 35 city blocks. The number killed is contested but records show after the massacre 6,000 black residents were interned for several days.If Russ never wins a championship, he will be slighted by those who rank NBA players. To some that would mean a wasted career. Not to Russ. All it means to him is that he didn’t win an NBA championship. It doesn’t mean he didn’t work hard enough. He is not a worse human because of it. He is great, and he is happy. Whether he gets a ring, we will have to wait and see.Regardless of the career you have chosen, like Russ, you face a challenge. You can chase greatness at all costs, ignoring your happiness, and potentially the happiness of those around you. Or you can choose to be happy as you pursue your greatness.</article></body>

The Russell Westbrook Paradox

Can You Be Both Great and Happy?

Russell Westbrook caught some flack recently about not yet having won an NBA championship. He has never been one to hold his tongue. He fired back. We should all take note of his response as its chalked full of ancient wisdom for the modern human. It may just help you in your journey towards greatness.

For those not familiar, his list of accolades is long: former league MVP, 2x NBA scoring champion, 5x NBA games played leader, 9x All NBA selection, 9x All-Star, 2x All-Star Game MVP, and perhaps his most plagued achievement, All-Time league leader in triple-doubles, to name just a few.

The criticism Russ received is not uncommon for an NBA great without a ring. It comes in his 13th season and assumedly it’s meant to remind him that without a championship his career and legacy are tarnished. An unnecessary reminder to someone as competitive as Russ. As humans, we’re built to remind ourselves of our faults, mistakes, and failures. It’s an evolutionary hack that kept us safe once upon a time. It’s a function of your brain that is older than the part that recognizes trees.

If you’re chasing greatness and accept nothing else, you naturally beat yourself up repeatedly as you inch towards your goal. The question many have tried to answer is whether you can chase greatness and be happy? Russ seems to think you can.

His wife was the first to react to the media’s recent comments. Normally a player’s wife wouldn’t react publicly, but she clearly had an issue with the single-minded analysis of her husband. We’re lucky she responded because it also encouraged Russ to speak his mind on what it means to be great.

Russ addressed this idea of being great without a championship ring. He said “I don’t say much…I won’t allow people to create narratives, constantly talking shit about me, because I lay it on the line every night. I use my platform to be able to help people all across the world. Nobody can take that away from me. I’ve been blessed.”

Russ continues “A championship don’t change my life. I’m happy. I was a champion once I made it to the NBA. I grew up in the streets. I am a champion. I don’t have to be an NBA champion. I know people who have championships, and they’re miserable. They’ve done nothing for their community. My legacy is not based on what I do on the court. My legacy is what I do off the floor. How many people can I impact and inspire on my journey. That’s how I keep my head down and keep pushing.”

To me, Russ is a model for how to approach life. If you haven’t accomplished all you’ve set out to do, you’re not alone. Don’t let that stop you from finding happiness along the way.

Take it from a Champion

Manu Ginobili, a retired NBA player with 4 championship rings backs up Russ’s sentiments. He was on Ryan Holiday’s podcast, The Daily Stoic, talking about cycling, chickens, the Jordan documentary, and of course Stoicism.

Manu, an Argentinian, was drafted 57th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 draft. He had a 23 season long career in the NBA and made the playoffs every season. He could have just as easily had 0 NBA rings if he was drafted by another team.

On the podcast, Manu talks about how reading helps him escape the constant analysis of his performance. We don’t need someone telling us we aren’t great because we haven’t accomplished something. It’s human nature to pressure ourselves to be the best we can be. When we inevitably fall short, it can be quite challenging to try again. But we need to try again. Humanity will let us do no less. That constant need to be great, or at least better, can lead to a lot of misery.

Manu recalls replaying mistakes made on the court over and over. You might do something similar. Have you ever noticed negative thoughts popping into your head without warning? Whether that be an embarrassing moment, a mistake you made, or a regret that lingers in your mind. You might notice these negative thoughts popping into your head more when you’re in a poor state of mind.

Humans are predisposed to negative thinking. It’s helped us survive as a species. Since survival is no longer a threat for most of us, negative thinking no longer has the positive outcomes it once had.

Sports shine a spotlight on the human condition. In basketball, there are thousands of opportunities to make mistakes and hours of post-game analysis. Towards the end of the game, things slow down. Every dribble, pass, shot, or movement of the body can lead to a basket or a turnover. When we look back, it’s easy to think I should have shot, passed, drove to the basket for a layup instead of jacking a 3, or pushed a little harder on defence. This thinking is not limited to the basketball court.

Noticing mistakes can help us improve. But dwelling does nothing for our personal growth. We recognize a mistake to correct it the next time. This thinking serves us if it leads to improved performance. It can also have the opposite effect.

Can You Be Both Great and Happy?

Humans didn’t evolve to be happy with what they have. This acute awareness of wanting more is heightened in our youth. As you evolve and grow you learn that there are ways to maintain competitiveness and desire while enjoying the ride.

For the first 18 years of Manu’s career, a loss would stay with him for a lot longer than it would the last few. After being eliminated from the playoffs, which happened 19 times in his career, he talks about how an entire summer could be ruined by constant thought about what could have been. His perspective is that it wasn’t helpful, and in the latter stages of his career, even though he was no less hungry for a championship, he found ways to enjoy the summers (even after being swept in the 2016–2017 Western Conference Finals by the showboating Golden State Warriors).

Michael Jordan, the most ferocious competitor to ever hoop, famously invented stories in his head about other players to get himself mad as he thought it gave him an edge. This led to a lot of anger and misery for not only Michael but his teammates. Russ takes an opposing stance by choosing to be happy while still bringing it on the court. Russ doesn’t have the rings Michael has, but his lack of misery is not the issue.

Russ doesn’t carry a loss with him for very long. That doesn’t mean he is less competitive. His competitiveness is obvious every time he touches the court and that is why he’s recorded 184 triple-doubles and counting.

Why do you carry your losses with you? As a human, your reason for living is to try your best to do what you love, be a good human to others, and be happy. It’s not to beat yourself up, or let others define your greatness.

Russ knows that winning a championship has many variables outside of his control. He won’t let his quest for a ring dampen his mood, his attitude, or his effort on or off the court. Not letting our stumbles affect how we approach life is a challenge we all face. Manu marvels at the fact that no matter who you are, an author, a basketball player, a Roman emperor, we all share common struggles. Hopefully, you have more in common with Russ than you do with Jordan.

The lack of a thing (not having a championship) can be motivating. In the past, we needed that motivation to find food or to ensure we outran our enemies. We no longer need that animalistic drive.

In modern society, we get to choose what we do. By choosing to do the thing you love, there is built-in motivation. You no longer need to make yourself miserable, like MJ did, to get yourself motivated. Separate the negative feelings of not having something with the positive feelings of doing what you love. Use your interest in the thing to keep getting better.

You can be both great and happy as long as you’re not using what’s missing in your life as the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.

Bigger Than (Insert Whatever Industry You Are In)

Russ’s impact on the world will be felt long after he leaves the NBA. He created The Why Not Foundation, which aims to tackle societal issues like; mental health, poverty, financial literacy, workforce development, and the challenge closest to Russ, helping underprivileged youth.

Russ was on Trevor Noah’s show talking about the foundation, and very little about basketball. In the weeks leading up to the show, Trevor talked to a friend who was surprised to learn about all the philanthropic work Russ does. This friend, surprised about Russ’s off-the-court activities, said isn’t Westbrook was an asshole. Russ faces this assumption every day because of how he’s portrayed by the media. It’s no wonder his wife took a stand. I’m glad she did because we got to hear from a great man about what it means to be a champion, ring or not.

Russ is fighting a battle about what is left unsaid about him. Perhaps that inspired him to work on a docuseries about the atrocities that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. Some say The Tulsa Massacre is “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history”. The Greenwood District, otherwise known as Black Wallstreet, was destroyed by a mob of white men armed by city officials. If that wasn’t enough, they also used private aircraft that helped destroy more than 35 city blocks. The number killed is contested but records show after the massacre 6,000 black residents were interned for several days.

If Russ never wins a championship, he will be slighted by those who rank NBA players. To some that would mean a wasted career. Not to Russ. All it means to him is that he didn’t win an NBA championship. It doesn’t mean he didn’t work hard enough. He is not a worse human because of it. He is great, and he is happy. Whether he gets a ring, we will have to wait and see.

Regardless of the career you have chosen, like Russ, you face a challenge. You can chase greatness at all costs, ignoring your happiness, and potentially the happiness of those around you. Or you can choose to be happy as you pursue your greatness.