I don’t watch a ton of TV. But for my money, I have three favorites. The first two are Friends and Family Guy. Yes, I realize Friends was on a decade ago, but for some reason it never gets old for me.

 And I’m a firm believer that Stewie is probably the best television character ever created.

So that explains that. I’ve never been able to do reality tv, since it’s false advertising and not reality (sorry to offend all you believers… by the way, did you hear about Santa Claus?).

The third you ask? Inside the NBA. Not just because I love basketball, but also because it is wildly entertaining with the likes of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. The new addition, Shaq (The Big Aristotle, The Big Shaqtus, etc etc) has just added to the already stellar show.

I’m watching the other night and Shaq said something very interesting. He is probably the most dominating physical presence the league has ever seen. However, he was also fortunate to play with three of the top perimeter players of this era… Kobe, LeBron, and D-Wade. One of the guys asked Shaq to compare these players and in typical Shaq fashion, he went with a creative analogy (remember, this is the same guy that once compared Kobe, Penny Hardaway, and D-Wade to the Corleone brothers from the Godfather movies!) Here’s what he said…

Kobe–Scientific Dog

LeBron–Athletic Dog

D-Wade–Study Dog

Let’s start with Kobe. Everyone knows that Kobe is an all world athlete. But what makes Kobe great and most similar to MJ (I’ve made this argument many many times about MJ) is that his will and work ethic are above reproach. There have been people come through the league with more physical talent and athleticism (see: James, LeBron and Carter, Vince) but there have never been any players that have possessed the physical attributes in addition to the hard working, cut your heart out to beat you attitude. That is why MJ is the greatest, and it’s why Kobe is in the discussion of the top 8.

Why scientific? Because Kobe has made his work ethic and competitive will into a science that he has virtually mastered. He also has broken down every facet of the game and studied the game to levels that the average player can only dream of. He has taken his natural abilities, combined them with mental science, coupled that with the internal fortitude that defies logic and boom, you have Kobe Bryant.

How about D-Wade the study dog? Similarly to Kobe, Wade has taken his physical talents and studied the game immensely. You can see this when you watch him play. He not only relies on his strength, speed, and often jaw dropping athleticism, but watch the angles he plays with. Watch the way he exploits the defense, gets into holes that you didn’t think were previously there. It’s astounding to watch. The Study Dog.

And LeBron? Hmm. Not surprising that Shaq gave him this nickname. The undeniably best way to describe LeBron’s game is that he is a freak of nature. A physical specimen the likes of which the league has never seen. He is the perimeter Shaq. A body that was chisled by God himself. And when you watch him play, to this day, that is what you see. Someone who overpowers other players.

But notice that Shaq used a nickname that only implied something physical, and not mental. Never used the word “study” or “prepare” or anything of the sort. Just “athletic”. Which we already know.

Now let me ask you this…

Which of these players has won a championship?

Kobe? Yes (5)

Wade? Yep (1 and was the MVP even with Shaq on the team)

LBJ? No sir.

When you look at it from this perspective, is it really all the surprising that when you take three players that are in the same relative atmosphere talent wise, the two that have won it all on the biggest stage are the two that have studied the most, worked the hardest, and have the most inconquerable will?

To this day, the best player I’ve ever played against from the point guard position is Jon Deeb. He graduate from Sparta in 1989 and played with Chris Jent who went on to the NBA. They had a great team, to say the least. Jon was my basketball mentor and idol growing up. Since we played the same position and in the same town, I wanted to be like him. When I got to high school, I was able to begin a relationship that lasts to this day. I remember vividly getting his high school game tapes and popping them in the VCR and studying them for hours. I wanted to find out what made him so good. Wanted to see what I could learn from his game and incorporate into mine. I studied them so much that I could pop in any given tape and know exactly what play was coming up next. I just wanted to improve so badly but knew that it would take more than physical effort, especially for someone my size. I had to get a mental advantage as well.  Those tapes helped me to evolve as a player, watching and learning from someone of that caliber. I still have them today!

One last story. I was in college and it was June. The NBA Finals were on and it was the Bulls against the Jazz. A great matchup with many legendary Hall of Fame players, and even more legendary plays. As a big Michael Jordan fan I was rooting for the Bulls with all my heart and soul. Yet something was said to me as I was walking out of the gym that day, just before the game started that night. You may recall that one of the HOF players on the Jazz was John Stockton. The gritty, little, tough point guard.

 My coach caught me on the way out and said, I know you’re a big MJ fan, but don’t forget to watch all that Stockton does. It was a simple statement, but a powerful one. I can’t do what MJ did. That was never my game. But Stockton? Sure he wasn’t near as fun to watch on tv, but he was someone that I could learn from. And I did. That night, as hard as I rooted for MJ and the Bulls, I watched John Stockton even more closely.

Which dog to you want to be known as? The one who gets by on just physical talent alone and is known as underachieving? Or the one that takes all physical attributes, great or small,  maximizes them, and studies the game and themselves to become the best player they can be.

The choice is yours.

bt