THE UNSUNG ESSENTIAL

So I’m talking to this guy today who will probably play in the NBA in the next 1-3 seasons when I realize, “Yo, this dude is surprisingly humble.” And I can’t help but think that it is this one quality that will make him a great pro.

Humility is that virtue that everybody respects but really thinks is a sign of weakness. Let’s be honest. But there’s something about knowing there’s other great players in the world besides you, knowing that complacency can undo you at any moment, that stimulates a competitive drive. And as I talked with this guy, I could sense his appreciation for generosity and a place to workout. There’s a nice gym where I work so one day at the “baba” shop we had both just gotten fresh cuts when I ran into him and we traded information. He was lookin’ for a place to get some private workouts in which can be challenging when you’re an international professional player in town for the summer. So I obliged and watched his relentless work ethic. I opened the gym for him one night at 11 p.m. and he text me at 2:44 a.m. like…”thanks Norm, I really appreciate it.”

So as I’m talking to him today he’s telling me how he knows what intensity he needs to train at for it to be valuable. He said a lot of guys don’t have an imagination when they do individual training. “I’ve pretty much seen every defense that can be thrown at me so when I’m working out I can visualize what the help defense is going to do and work on moves that counter,…” he continued. What?

In sports we talk about mental toughness which usually translates to playing through pain or fighting fatigue. But what about seeing what isn’t there. Who teaches that? Who practices like that? Jonathan Gibson a.k.a. “J Gibb”does. And that takes humility. As good as he is, it would be both easy and acceptable for him to be content with a career in Europe where he’s had tremendous success already. But he respects his friends, his barber, people he’s just met, a church facility that happens to have a gym and his unseen opponents. He’s a temperate dude, the kind of guy who always looks like he’s about to smile but will destroy you based on countless hours of preparation. Ask anybody from West Covina, CA who knows hoop and they’ll concur.

Humility is as much trade craft in basketball as a crossover counter move or running floater. It is the ultimate intangible, the very skeleton supporting other virtues like tenacity, motivation and resolve under pressure. To be humble is to be acquainted with your mortality. One of the most human things one can be is humble. And while plenty of prideful ingrates have enjoyed success, the true professional is defined by humility. #JGibb2NBA