04/13/23

Playing In The Biggest Leagues

on unconventional paths, exceptionality, and the power of story

I had the privilege of attending an early screening of the Steph Curry documentary: Underrated (coming this July to Apple TV+). 

I cried like a baby. 

Mind you, I’m not one who’s ever followed basketball. I went to my first NBA game ever this year in January – New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks at MSG. My friend who is a basketball player brought me to the game. He primarily wanted to see Giannis Antetokounmpo play. 

Giannis and Stephen were both underdogs, but in opposite regards. Giannis is a towering figure, standing at 7 feet tall and weighing 243 lbs, while Stephen is deemed short for an NBA player (and was once considered too thin earlier in his career), standing at 6 '2 and weighing 185 lbs. 

“I was scrawny, skinny, short, but I knew I could shoot”
— Steph Curry on being an underdog

Curry's journey to becoming an NBA superstar was anything but conventional. He played college basketball at Davidson College (Wildcats), a small liberal arts school in North Carolina for coach McKillop, who was the only one at the time that noticed Curry’s drive and emotional strength. He saw, in Steph, the Wildcats' greatest modern player and future two-time NBA MVP. Despite leading the nation in scoring his junior year, most NBA scouts doubted his ability to succeed at the professional level due to his size and limited experience playing against top competition.

Antetokounmpo, also known as the "Greek Freak," was considered an underdog early in his basketball career. Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Antetokounmpo grew up in a family that struggled financially, and basketball was a way for him to escape poverty and provide for his family. 

Curry and Antetokounmpo are now two of the most accomplished players in the NBA. Both have overcome incredible odds and faced tremendous adversity to get to where they are. Despite their differences in background, height, weight, and playing style, what they had in common on their come-up was their unrelenting drive to succeed and their unwavering belief that they belonged in the league.

As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but reflect on the power of being an underdog, underrated, and having a unique story. Our stories are intrinsically linked to our work, and we cannot separate them from who we are. 

In an NCAA game, Davidson College was down 17 points. Curry’s coach, McKillop starts smiling at his players when they look stressed. They were looking to their coach to know how to feel and what to do.

His smile told them that they’ve done this before. They’ve been through the worst and come out winners. They’ve been underestimated their whole lives.

What happened? They ended up beating the other team. 

Being an underdog, underrated, underestimated, having a unique story is a superpower. Someone once said to me to stop leveraging my story if I wanted to play in the big leagues, to essentially dilute myself to look just like everyone else. 

Steph and Giannis’ stories took them to the big leagues. 

Steph’s difference, his less-than-ideal physique, made him hone in on his shooting. He was constantly criticized about his body. He is now considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, with three NBA championships, two NBA MVP awards, seven NBA All-Star selections, and a scoring title. He's also the only player in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player by unanimous vote and has set multiple records, including the record for most three-pointers made in a single season.

Giannis’ odds of success were low due to his background. How can a refugee in poverty and no immigration paperwork compete with players who have been practicing this game since they were babies? He had trouble learning the game. He thought he wasn’t good enough. The Bucks gave him a chance and he led them in all five major statistical categories in 2016–17 and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics of total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

Steph and Giannis’ respective stories made them devoted to their craft. They didn’t just become another player in the NBA. They became the best of the best. 

The mode profile of people in the 80-99th percentile is always what you’d expect. The 99th to 100th percentile is unexpected. It’s never the ivy-leaguer. It's not the one who trained with a professional coach at the age of 5. The average person at Goldman Sachs went to Harvard. But the CEO of Goldman, David Solomon went to a small liberal arts college and was first rejected from Goldman. The 99th percentile often have to prove themselves.

If Stephen or Giannis didn’t have their story, would they be who they are now? Would they have wanted to strive for more if they were comfortable being good enough? Did they want to be successful, or did they need to be exceptional? 

Their unconventional paths and unique stories played a significant role in shaping their characters and fueling their drive to succeed. Without their stories, it’s hard to say whether they would have become the NBA superstars they are today. 

There is no one-size-fits-all path to success, and sometimes the road less traveled can lead to the greatest achievements. 

This piece is 13/50 of my 50 days of learning. Subscribe to hear about new posts.