In Mind the Game Pod with Lebron James and JJ Redick, Lebron discussed the Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Series loss to the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets, 4 games to 1. Lebron said, “We had a lot of opportunities.” The Lakers lead by double digits scores in 3 of their 4 losses. In the end, Lebron said, “But the better team (Nuggets) won.”
I believe that Lebron James is the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) NBA Player. I’m in the vast minority. Michael Jordan is universally considered the NBA GOAT. For one thing, Michael has 6 NBA Championships. Lebron has 4 NBA Championships. MJ has long since retired. Next year, Lebron plays in his 22nd NBA season, turning 40 years-old in December. Maybe, he wins his 5th NBA Championship. Who knows?
MJ has 6 rings to Lebron’s 4 rings. So, MJ is better than Lebron? Many absolutely agree. From what I can tell, Lebron is good with that, too. He has and continues to work on being the greatest that he can be. That is still one of the Greatest of All-Time.
During his 16 year NBA career JJ Redick averaged 41.5% from 3-point range. JJ is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA history. No, he’s not Steph Curry. Still, he’s great. In Mind the Game, JJ readily admits that Lebron is a better NBA player than he was. Much like Lebron acknowledged that the Denver Nuggets were better than the Lakers. Does knowing someone is better than you really matter? I’m just asking.
I love listening to JJ and Lebron on Mind the Game. They provide profound insight into the art of NBA Basketball. Lebron was drafted Number One out of high school. JJ played at Duke University for 4 years under the legendary Coach K. Given their varied backgrounds, Lebron and JJ are both basketball savants. They possess very high basketball IQs. They’re just smart.
Lebron will be in the NBA Hall of Fame. JJ may not. Regardless, Lebron and JJ have only mad love and respect for each other. That Lebron is better than JJ doesn’t matter, at all. That’s respect. That’s love.
There are so many people who are better than me. I’m the GOAT of absolutely nothing. My heroes are better than me. In acknowledging my heroes, I don’t go to “I suck.” They being better than me, inspires me to work on myself. If they can do it, it’s possible I can, too. They have nothing but my profound mad love and respect.
Michael Phillips, Film Critic for the Chicago Tribune, is my dear friend. Michael is my GOAT Movie Critic. As the resident Movie Reviewer for The Good Men Project, I aspire to be a great as Michael. Michael is the acclaimed professional journalist and movie critic. I’m not. I write movie reviews for fun. Michael is better than me. Truth.
I read Michael’s movie reviews, and he reads mine. We compare notes. He writes back to me about my Good for the Soul posts on The Good Men Project. Michael suggested a narrative style change on my part that I embrace and use. Several years ago, he gave movie recommendations for my Match dotcom date. No, that relationship didn’t work out. Still, Michael and I remained friends over the years. We emailed each other about our lives and our love for movies.
Michael and I finally met at the Filmspotting Event in Los Angeles. We hugged and spoke for the first time. Michael introduced me to one of his film critic friends. He said that my movie reviews were insightful and balanced, because of my Aikido training. Respect.
After hugging goodbye at the end of the event, Michael said, “Keep writing.” That coming from my Hero was meaningful. Yeah, Michael is better than me. That doesn’t matter. He makes me better, too. We have only mad love and respect for each other.
Ishibashi Sensei is my Sensei, my big brother. We have been friends for over 35 years. The late Mizukami Sensei taught us Aikido until he passed away several years ago. Mizukami Sensei was a father to us. Who we are is because of Mizukami Sensei.
Ishibashi Sensei is better than me in Aikido. He has a mastery for detail and can teach it. His Aikido technique is powerful and precise. No one on Planet Earth works harder on being the greatest that he can be than Sensei. He inspires me to do the same. We just train. Sensei makes me the better person, the greater man.
Much like Lebron and JJ love talking basketball, Sensei and I love talking Aikido. Sometimes we talk for an hour after Aikido class about refining technique and philosophy. After an evening Aikido practice, Sensei showed me that when I invite the attacker to grab my hands, I extend my hands from my body. I don’t bring them to my chest.
I said, “I keep my feelings out.” Sensei smiled, “Yes.” That’s what the late Mizukami Sensei taught both of us over the years.
Sensei said that Mizukami Sensei and Hanshi gave us their gifts of Aikido. Sensei and I know that our time is coming to a close, too. We’re both in our 60’s. We pass on all that we got from Mizukami Sensei and Hanshi to the next generation so that they can carry that forward. We do so out of mad love and respect for Mizukami Sensei and Hanshi. That represents Ishibashi Sensei and my mad love and respect for each other, too.
Ishibashi Sensei reminds that it’s all about training. When the bigger, stronger, better man attacks, I apply the Aikido technique to myself, not to the attacker. When the attacker punches to my face, I wait it out. I enter the attack and take a glancing blow if I have to. It’s one time.
Under the attack, I apply nikkyo (wristlock) to myself and match the attack with yoko-iriminage (strike to the side of the attacker’s head). I choose to let the attacker pass or end the attack. The attacker chooses to take the fall or stand down. The attacker who is better than me does not matter. I work on myself, not on the attacker. O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” It’s me against me.
There’s always someone who is better than me. That’s just life. That’s the human design. I have nothing to do with what goes on inside someone else. I have a lot to do with what goes on inside me. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do.
Those I have mad love and respect for who are better than me, inspire me to work on myself. If they can do it, maybe I can, too. I’m forever grateful to them for helping me become the better person, the greater man. They have nothing, but my mad love and respect. Always.
—
Photo by Yassine Khalfalli on Unsplash