What makes you an exceptional athlete?
Many of us would argue it has to do with your stats and figures, the number of games you win, and whether you have longevity in sports.
For me, as a life-long NBA fan, it really comes down to two qualities.
One has to do with your on-the-court performance, and Steph Curry has proved he is one of the best ever. He is so far ahead of everyone in terms of three-pointers (with 3,302) at this stage in his career that it’s doubtful anyone can ever catch him.
More than anything, I’m just enthralled with his whole demeanor on the court, his defense, and his electric shooting ability. I became a Golden State Warriors fan a few years ago now primarily because of Curry.
Yet, it’s also worth paying attention to the character of a player. Curry seems like the type of athlete who enjoys supporting other players and watching them succeed. He was the recipient of mentoring and now he wants to pay it forward.
One recent example? A tweet about how Mac McClung won the NBA slam dunk competition shows how much pose Curry has. It’s a hat tip that should not be missed:
McClung wrote back on his own feed thanking Curry and calling him the GOAT. It was a cool exchange to watch, and one of the reasons social media still has a chance to rise above all of the constant flame wars and criticisms we see so frequently. (If you haven’t watched the dunk yet, it’s also available all over Twitter, including this recent post.)
I’ve written quite often about how social media needs to figure out how to pull itself out of the cesspool, to start moderating content that is abusive and downright scary. When there’s a post like the one Curry did about McClung (e.g., one famous person congratulating a rising star), it restores some hope that there is a way for these platforms to offer something of value.
And here’s the thing about that tweet. McClung is currently playing in the G League for the NBA and has appeared in two NBA games in his career. (He recently signed a two-way contract.) Steph has around 17 million followers on Twitter but many millions of fans outside of social media. This one tweet could be a huge for McClung, who is currently a trending personality on all social media.
(By the way, one quick look at Curry’s cover image on Twitter and you’ll notice he has a photo of himself as a young player standing next to Kobe Bryant. That means something. It’s Curry’s way of saying he has risen to fame on the backs of other superstars and likely wants to help others experience that same stardom in their own careers.)
Here’s a challenge for all of us.
Will you consider a quick shout-out to someone you know? A rising star at work, or maybe in your family? If you do tweet, use the hashtag: #forbesrisingstar
It doesn’t take much effort.
Just a simple post showing appreciation for the accomplishments of others. Curry didn’t have to do that. Neither do we. But it shows how these social media channels can be an avenue for something good and not just sharing sour grapes.
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