At the next commercial break, as the replay of the dunk was shown, Bill Raftery said "Daniels was thinking 'You know what? When's the last time somebody made the cover of SI (Sports Illustrated) for making an assist?! I'm taking it myself!" That sparked a thought in my head about how role players are rarely appreciated.
I am now a freshman in college and I come from a high school basketball experience of being a role player. Grab rebounds, set screens, do the little things. My job was not to drop fifteen points a night, we had other guys that were much more capable than I was of doing that. It took me a while to get used to not being the first or second scoring option. Yet as the seasons progressed I realized how important my play was, despite the lack of recognition my role was given.
My point is this, most of the time athletes (especially at a young age) overlook the importance of role players, or of players that do not start. If you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011-2012 or the Chicago Bulls right now you would see two of the best bench players in the game between James Harden and Taj Gibson. James Harden earned the Sixth Man award last year and was just as significant to their run to the Finals as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were. He provided a spark off the bench, played hard defense, and did the little things correctly. Could he have started? Absolutely. And even though he didn't get the recognition of Durant or Westbrook, he went about his business and helped the Thunder win the Western Conference. Taj Gibson, though in the same position as Harden in being the sixth man, plays a different role. Harden came off the bench to average 16 points per game, Gibson is more of a do-it-all forward. He scores seven points and grabs five boards every game, all while shooting nearly 50% from the floor. On a team with a superstar like Derrick Rose, or a colorful personality like Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson's name does not come up often when people think of the Chicago Bulls. However, if you think Gibson is just another player on the bench you would be incorrect. Is he worthy to start in front of Carlos Boozer? Some might say yes. To me, he can't afford to be a starter because then his energy isn't there off the bench when the game comes down to the end. Anybody who pays attention to the Bulls will notice that at the end of the game, Gibson is the one on the floor for the final minutes. He's bought in to what Tom Thibedeau has asked him to do and is now one of the better bench players in the league.
Athletes need to understand that just because your name is not in the newspaper does not mean you don't contribute. Would you rather be the kid that hits five threes in a loss? Or would you rather be the kid that sets the screen for your teammate that hits five threes in a win? It really comes down to how selfless of a teammate someone wants to be. I was once told "It's not how you start, but how you finish." What's the difference between starting and being subbed in midway through the first quarter, anyway? You get your name called for starting lineups, that's the only perk. Other than that, it's still a game that you're trying to win. Raftery's comment was not negative or in bad taste at all. But what he said brought to my attention just how under-appreciated the little things are. As my last point, does anybody know who made the pass to Christian Watford last year when he sank the game-winning three to take down Kentucky? Verdell Jones, a bench player. Without him, Assembly Hall doesn't go ballistic after Watford hits that shot. Bench players and role players are just as important to the game as the starters. If you're not a starter, don't be discouraged. Keep working hard because I guarantee that you are of value to your team. It's not how or if you start a game, it's how you finish a game.
Excellent post. Great message for all athletes.
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