In
the days of deadlines, boardroom meetings, and events, I sometimes forget that
there are many people my age who have chosen a less conventional path, one that
has nothing to do with reports, ROIs, and even positions.
A
good example is the Philippine Basketball Association’s most popular rookie of
2013-2014, Gregory “Greg” Slaughter. I first knew of Greg through my good
friend slash die-hard Ginebra fan, Von. For friendship’s sake, I asked Greg for
a fan video for Von during one of my dad’s function and was surprised at how
soft spoken and well-versed Greg is.
Greg
is currently one of the league’s most dominant centers, raking up extremely big
numbers across all the boards for the Barangay Ginebra Kings. Greg, who has an
Ateneo De Manila University education tucked under his belt, chose to forego
the typical yuppie path of suits and ties in favor of a red and white jersey,
and a gym, instead of a corner office.
When
asked why, he was quick to say, “I love playing basketball. I wouldn’t want any
other job. It’s fun being able to compete with others, and see the progress you
make.”
And
while others might see his typical two to three hour “working” days as “the
life”, Greg is quick to downplay it, “The biggest misconception is that we live
easy lives, we work just as hard as anyone.” For Greg “a day in the office”
means spending hours in the gym after practice, making sure to improve his
craft.
And
just like any yuppie just starting out, he himself has experienced
disappointments, “It can be tough when things aren’t going your way, but the
good thing about the sport is it’s my own stress reliever. So if things aren’t
working out the I want them to, practicing is actually the way for me to feel
better.”
Despite
the similarities, it is quite true that basketball players in the Philippines
live quite a privileged life, from the fame, money, and to the many adoring
fans. From a struggling yuppie’s perspective, it can be quite wonderful, but
for Greg, the perks have never been the focal point of his life, “Basketball
players play basketball. If one can’t pride themselves on that and keep that as
their number one priority then they probably won’t do very well in it.” He also credits his humble, and down-to-earth
nature to how his parents raised him, he says it’s this that helps him to not
be overwhelmed with the fame and everything else attached to it.
Those
who spend the entire days in the office may think that Greg, along with other
athletes, live the perfect life. It has always been in our human nature to think
that, especially on challenging days.
However,
sitting down with Greg along with stories from my dad and younger brother
opened my eyes to the real world of basketball.
It’s
not all rainbows and butterflies, and the insurmountable pressure felt by one
can be extremely overwhelming and can only be overcome by genuine love and
passion for what you do.
And
as a footnote, I’d like to share the biggest stereotype Greg smashed into
pieces for me: the “athletes without depth” stereotype. Not only is Greg eloquent
but was also an honor roll student in high school and took advanced placement
classes.
Truly,
when you make the effort, you’ll see that people are never the way you assume
them to be.
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