(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Giannis Antetokounmpo - Mental Health and the Bullsh*t Athletes Face [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-27 Image free for use from wikimedia commons. Lightly edited for size. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ Many people were shocked on Wednesday when the favorites for this year’s NBA playoffs, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks, lost in the first round of the playoffs to the underdog Miami Heat. Following the loss, the Milwaukee superstar faced the press to answer questions. Almost inevitably, he was asked if he regarded the season as a ‘failure.’ I am a casual observer of professional basketball, so I am familiar with this athlete, but I don’t know him that well. Even so, his patient if confrontational reply to the sports journalist had me on my feet cheering for him. I recognize a hero when I see one. Please watch for yourself. x YouTube Video The question asked was: I just asked about the same question, but I’m curious for you, do you see this season as a failure? Antetokounmpo sighed audibly in dismay and frustration before replying. (My apologies for errors in the transcript. I have hearing difficulties, and tried to do a good job. I think I got the gist. Also please note that English is not Antetokounmpo’s first language. With Greek-Nigerian nationality, in addition to English, he speaks Greek, Yoruba (from his father’s side) and Igbo (from his mother’s side).) Okay, because I’m not that up … you asked me the same question last year, Eric, okay? (Note: when the Bucks lost in the East Semifinals to the Boston Celtics.) Do you get, do you get the promotion every year on your job? No, right? So every year you work as a failure? Yes or no? No. Every year you work, you work toward something, towards a goal, right, which is to get a promotion, to be able to take care of your family, to be able to … I don’t know, to provide the house for them or take care of your parents, you work towards so it’s not a failure. It’s steps to success, you know, and if you’ve never … I don’t know, I don’t want to … I don’t want to make it personal, so there’s always steps to it, you know. Michael Jordan played fifteen years, won six championships. The other nine years were a failure? That’s what you’re telling me? No, I’m asking a question, yes or no? Okay, exactly. So why are you asking that question? It’s a wrong question. There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days, some days … some days you are able to be successful, some days it’s your turn so this is not your turn, and that’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Some other … other people are going to win, and this year somebody else is going to win, similar as that we’re going to come back next year try to be better, try to build good habits, try to play better, not have a ten day stretch with playing bad basketball, you know, and hopefully we can win a championship. So, 50 years from 1971 to 2021 that we (meaning Milwaukee Bucks, who won NBA Championships in 1971 and 2021) didn’t win the championship it was 50 years of failures? No it was not. It was steps to it, and we were able to win one. Hopefully we can win another one. You know that … sorry, I didn’t want to make it personal because you asked me the same question last year and last year I wasn’t in the right mind space to answer the question back then, but I remember it. Next? The interview was particularly remarkable in light of the fact that Antetokounmpo considered retiring in 2020, right after he signed a five year, $228 million dollar contract extension. The story received wide coverage in part because of the growing attention paid to mental health in high profile sports. Per the sportingnews article (link just above): He had been carrying the weight of his father's death as well as the intense pressure that comes with being the face of a franchise. Playing inside of the "bubble" amid the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated his mental health problems. Then, from the same article linked … But (referring to the money and fame, I think) I don't care about that. I care about joy. I'm a joyful person. My father didn't have nothing; he had us. He was the richest person on earth because he had his kids. He had the beautiful family; he had nothing. This — to me — doesn't mean nothing. I don’t know how anyone else feels about it, but, to me, those are the words of a remarkable human being, a mentally HEALTHY human being. It sounds like a person attuned to his mental health, to his priorities in life. That was in 2020. The Milwaukee Bucks followed that up by winning the NBA Championship in 2021. Antetokounmpo is still with us, still performing at the highest level, still fighting with all he has for his family, his team, his many fans. That’s a blessing and a gift. And reporters are asking him questions to increase the pressure on him, to try to validate the idea that he should feel like a failure when his team doesn’t win everything, all the time. We’re lucky to have this man out there, this role model, this spokesperson for mental health and vitality, for honorable, dignified competition and human integrity. I thought he did an exceptional job articulating his thoughts, for so many people who needed to hear them. Thanks for reading. Update: As Al Dorado noted, below, Charles Barkley had an appreciation for the points made by Antetokuonmpo, as did Kenny Smith. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/27/2166360/-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Mental-Health-and-the-Bullsh-t-Athletes-Face Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/