We often praise athletes for their drive, competitiveness and refusal to give up. But where exactly do those traits come from? Is it something they learn along their journey? Are they born with it? Does someone teach it to them? Indeed, these aren’t just questions for athletes, but for humanity as a whole. Every person is different, of course, and for Shaquille O’Neal, the answer is his uncle Mike. As he writes in his Players’ Tribune article:
Accountability and consequences were two very important themes in Uncle Mike’s mentorship of me. Once he became a police officer, he would sometimes drive me around in his squad car to show me what life would look like if I chose the wrong path. It made me realize that no action is independent of another — what we do shapes our habits, and those habits eventually become our character.
Shaq also talks about how his uncle helped him through his hard times at LSU, where he played college ball. The constant double-and-triple-teams would leave Shaq not just worn down, but frustrated as well.
Fortunately Uncle Mike, like he often did, gave me the advice I needed to hear at the time. He told me that I needed to be my own man, and make my own decisions. …His guidance renewed my sense of ownership over my talent and gave me the confidence I needed to advance my career on my own terms and go pro.
The piece is pretty fluffy, but that doesn’t make it any less relatable. Mentors are an important part of raising a child into an adult. It can be a parent, a relative or someone completely unrelated. They teach us right from wrong and good from bad. When we go astray, the best ones don’t just admonish us, they help us correct our course. Shaq had uncle Mike to keep him on the right path and help him become one of the best players to ever play in the NBA.
(Via The Players’ Tribune)
