Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
The older we get, the more we realize a simple truth: Some of the stuff our elders taught us is whack.
Sticks and bones break bones, but words never hurt? Please. Cheaters never win and winners never cheat? Hardly. A watched pot never boils? Keep looking.
The world of sports is full of similarly questionable phrases and metaphors. There’s no “I” in team but there’s a “me.” Don’t ever give up, but insert your subs when all hope is gone. Size doesn’t matter, but your heaviest players are linemen.
Here’s another well-intentioned but misguided saying (in sports and life): Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
Sounds good, but perhaps the author never met James Harden.
In terms of ability, there’s no deficiency in Harden, a 10-time NBA All-Star, three-time scoring leader, two-time assist leader and the 2017-18 MVP. The vast majority of players can work themselves to near death and still lack the requisite skills to surpass The Beard.
Harden is so good, it doesn’t matter if he’s hard at work or hardly working. There’s always another organization willing to bet on his seductive talent, fantasizing about the possibilities if he’s all in. That’s…
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