NBA Finals MVP's Statement Points To Ancient Wisdom

News Peg

The Milwaukee Bucks were crowned NBA champions Tuesday night, defeating the Phoenix Suns in an exhilarating Game 6. Led by the 2021 Finals MVP and two-time season MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks defeated Chris Paul and the Suns 105-98. Antetounmpo’s leadership and 50-point final game was met with applause, praise and celebration.

But in the midst of the competition, celebration, hype and fandom, Antetokounmpo also drew attention recently for something he said off the court. He gave a short response to a question during a post-game press conference that caught the attention of fans everywhere.

His insightful comments can make us all think about the power of introspection in our lives and the powerful mindfulness in sports and beyond.

What He Said

After a Game 4 Bucks victory 109-103 tying the series at 2-2, Antetokounmpo was asked by a reporter who taught him why “the ego part” of the sport is so important.

The Bucks superstar’s response quickly became viral for its insight and honest wisdom.

“From my experience, when I think about like, ‘Oh, yeah, I did this, I’m so great,’ … usually the next day you’re going to suck. Simple as that. The next few days you’re going to be terrible,” Antetokounmpo said. “When you focus not he past, that’s your ego…’I won that in the past.’ When you focus on the future, it’s my pride….like ‘next game, I’m going to dominate.’ That’s your pride talking.”

Antetokounmpo said it was life experiences and many mentors in his life that taught him this mentality.

“I like to focus in the present, in the moment. And that’s humility. That’s not setting no expectations. That’s going out there and enjoying the game, competing at a high level...that’s a skill I tried to perfect it, master it.” Antetonkounmpo said. “It’s been working so far. So I’m not going to stop.”

What This Means

The Greek Freak’s response teaches us about not only his mentality and the game of basketball, but also and more importantly an ideal philosophy for life.

While the NBA superstar may or may not be a student of philosophy, one can clearly look at these comments beyond the realm of basketball. More importantly, it is clear - it’s his life experiences that have taught him, as he says it himself. But it just so happens, that this is the very truth that the ancient sages and yogis have been pushing the common man to understand.

Okay, let’s take a simple look at what was said…

In a sense, the game of basketball can be used as a metaphor to better dissect the importance and spiritual depth of his comments. As the star said himself, the moment he becomes expectational for future results like becoming the greatest player or winning the championship or winning the MVP award, his mind wavers and thus one’s “pride” takes over. Many times, it is anticipation and worry related to the future - what will happen? What if this happens?

And the fear of the unknown in the future can eat an individual apart. When the athlete focuses on his past successes or woes more than his current obstacle, his mind is not focused on the moment and thus can be easily derailed. One’s attention is thus constantly jumping between the past and future and not fully honed in on the moment at hand. In terms of the game of basketball, when he does focus only on the present, not only does he compete at a “”higher level,” but he is also a happier person because he is neither overconfident nor worried about the future, and neither arrogant nor regretful of his past.

A Deeper Look

The beauty of this concept briefly stated by the superstar is that it's a life philosophy consistently preached in the ancient wisdom of yoga and other spiritual traditions. Let’s take this a little deeper…

The Yoga Sutras, the most ancient text describing the tenants of yoga philosophy, speaks of the essence of meditation and yoga. It describes yoga as the “state of not being fluctuated” by the thoughts of the past and future, but staying fixated on the present - when awareness and presence exists alone.

According to the Dhammapada, one of the most ancient Buddhist texts containing several Buddha sayings in the form of verses, it is said: “Give up the past, give up the future, give up the present. Having reached the end of existences, a mind is freed from all.”

In the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred Indian scripture from the Mahabharata epic, Lord Krishna, the dear friend and teacher of the distraught warrior Arjuna, says - “don’t be attached to the results of the future and the role of doership. Be present and perform your duties.”

The renowned Sufi poet, Rumi, says “My friend the Sufi is the friend of the present moment...this is now, now is all there is.”

These aren’t merely quotes pulled out randomly from these scriptures but are the essence of these spiritual practices and foundational tenets taught by these life guides.

Yoga traditions and other spiritual philosophies point to helping us understand that learning to consistently be present in the moment and living “in the now,” not only do we perform more efficiently but we also live happier lives.

In fact, according to an NCBI research study, “ greater perceived ability to savor the moment and mindfulness predicted higher levels of daily positive emotions, which in turn predicted incremental increases in psychological health.”

Even more so, we see a rise in athletes adopting mindfulness practices to help them stay present during high pressure situations and to nurture the mentality of focus - from Lebron James to Novak Djokovic to Russell Willson and more who have stated how helpful yoga and meditation practice have been in their attempts at staying driven and focused.

The Essence of It All

But ultimately, one does see that along with helping one stay driven, industrious, focused and “zen” in their endeavours and goals, this philosophy of “being present in the now” is actually what makes us more empathetic, calmer and more human.

The renowned spiritual leader, Ram Dass, stated the essence of these deep spiritual traditions in the simplest way - “Be here now. Don’t yearn for things of the past. Let the past go with forgiveness and the future go with no anticipation…when we’re identified with awareness, everything is present,” he says in his book, ‘Be Here Now.’ “I think the message is that you don’t need to go anywhere to find what you are seeking.”

Again, the beauty of this philosophy is that Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t need to be a yogi or a saint or a learned philosopher to understand the basic foundation of what we one is meant to introspect on. It was his experience that taught him or gave him a glimpse of the potential of this mentality if utilized in his career. But, as we see from the teachers, that is only one aspect of the potential.

The beauty of the wisdom preached and taught by countless thinkers is that it was experienced and realized. It teaches that detachment from the concept of ego and pride is ultimately a detachment from worries or anticipation of the past and future.

Thus, living in the present is not only cultivating humility but helping us reflect on the very essence of our existence.