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4d • General discussion
Swallowing Your Pride 🏀
At this point, I was 22 going on 23. I had already played in Mexico’s top league and had been part of the Pacers G League team. Then I suffered a career-altering ankle injury and went 17+ months without playing in a league.
At that point, coming back to basketball felt like a distant thought, let alone coming back as the player I once was.
And honestly, my pride almost sabotaged the whole thing.
Once you’ve played at a certain level, you never want to go below that level. You set a standard for yourself, and for me, that standard had already been set. In my mind, the ABA was a step down. Almost embarrassing for a player of my caliber.
But I swallowed my pride and reached out to the coach.
It wasn’t just any team, either. It was a brand-new team made up mostly of guys who had never played beyond high school.
A few games in, I realized there was actually some solid talent in the league — overseas players, college guys, and even another G League player or two.
Then came the biggest challenge.
We lost our first 9 games.
I remember thinking I was too good to be in this league. But eventually, I had to be honest with myself:
If I was really too good for this league, we wouldn’t be 0-9.
That realization changed everything.
I swallowed my pride. I moved differently. I became a different type of leader and a different type of player.
We started becoming competitive. Then we started winning a few games.
And somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, I started becoming myself again.
Looking back, I realize this was always the path I needed.
Maybe the league was a step down. But I wasn’t too good for it. I wasn’t above it, and I certainly wasn’t above anyone in that locker room.
The challenge was never really the league.
It was me.
Once I understood that, everything started to come together.
I moved on to the next league, and before I knew it, I was back playing in Canada’s top league.
Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and take a step back.
Don’t be afraid of that.
Never think you’re too good for something. Never assume you deserve to be somewhere.
Prove it.
Because sometimes the step you think is taking you backward is actually the one that gets you moving forward again.
Swallow your pride. Get back to work. And let the game tell you where you belong.
Train Like a Pro!
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Swallowing Your Pride 🏀
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