When I finally agreed to play basketball with a new group of guys—I was nervous.
I hadn’t ever played basketball on a team and had no formal training or experience. I rarely watched games or any kind of tutorial video.
All I had was what I learned playing pick-up ball in driveways and parks at various times throughout my life and a pretty solid fitness baseline.
What I saw when I first showed up was a group of guys who were organized and experienced. They were calling picks and plays and communicating things that sounded like a different language to me—and they were all good.
But, of everybody on the court playing, one guy stood out to me.
He was shorter, didn’t have the cleanest technique, and wasn’t the most talented—but he played like he belonged. And later, I came to find out he was one of the group organizers who had been playing for years and years with this squad.
Of everybody on that court, he was the one who inspired me the most. Not the most skilled player; not the best shooter; and not the player who could dunk—but, the player who I could relate to the most.
This was a really important lesson for me. You don’t have to be the best in the game to inspire and you don’t have to be the most talented to play. And even if you don’t look the part—it’s acting the part that makes all the difference.
So to the people out there who are doing things despite mismatching societal norms—thank you. Y’all are far more inspiring than you might ever know.