Most Celtics fans who read this book remember Rick Pitino's account of how he consoled Antoine Walker after Employee #8 played poorly in the national championship game. Kentucky won, Pitino told Walker, and your unselfish play was largely responsible, even if you didn't have one of your better games tonight.
What I remember more vividly , however, is another part of the book where Pitino talked about a young player on his team who had "all the talent in the world," Magic Johnson type skills, if he'd only put some effort into his off-season training regimen, if he'd only chose to elevate his game and become that type of player.
I'm not sure if Antoine Walker had Magic Johnson type skills. But Pitino was right about one thing--Magic's success was largely Magic-driven. Magic had plenty of talent, but without that inner drive motivating him to get better every year, he most definitely would not be remembered the way he is now.
And so as we watch Antoine's career spiral into oblivion, I am reminded of this passage from Pitino's book and saddened by the latest news concerning Señor Wiggle.
2 comments:
It is sad that Antoine has come to this. He always loved being a Celtic but his ego has gotten in his way more than once.
One of the reasons I have loved Perk and Leon so much as players is their work ethic. I have always said that they work too hard not to succeed. Larry Bird didn't have the greatest physical attributes for a player but no player ever out worked him.
You'd like to think that AW would understand this eventually, and go get his arse in a gym and try to add three years to his career.
He's got some Vin Baker in him, sadly.
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