Heroes

The "Basketball for Thought" is a commentary by Kris Gardner.

September 2001

The dramatic and traumatic events of September 11 have drastically changed and altered the world's (and especially America's) outlook on life. Basketball and sports have taken a distant back seat to news, events, deaths and other more relevant stories which occurred that fateful Tuesday morning in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. In a silly sort of irony, less than 24 hours earlier on September 10, the basketball "world" and many non-sports media outlets were relaying or reporting stories about Michael Jordan deciding to return to play in the NBA for the 2001 - 2002 season. What a difference a day makes, right? The word "hero" has always been tossed about to describe athletes who kids (and adults) greatly admire for their athletic achievements. Well, "hero" is now used to describe the police officers and firefighters who lost their lives running into the World Trade Center buildings in order to rescue people. Which is right? Is one more right than the other?

Some dictionaries define a hero (and heroine) as someone who is admired for his / her bravery, great deeds, or noble qualities. Based on that definition, any athlete can be a hero because of their "great deeds" performed in their sport of choice. So, there's nothing wrong with people labeling Michael Jordan as a hero. No one can dispute his tremendous accomplishments on the basketball court. And, since Mr. Jordan will return to action this season, we will have a chance to see if his skills can compete (or surpass) the skills of young turks like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and other young star players.

Orlando's McGrady doesn't agree that players should be described as heroes, however.

"Those policemen and firemen knew they might die and leave their families behind," McGrady says. "And, still, they went in. The damn buildings are burning down and people are running out, but those guys are running in. Can you imagine?

"I play basketball. I'm an entertainer. And that's all good. But when you talk about people with courage and heart, don't put athletes on that list."

Some people would agree with T-Mac's statement; but, obviously, athletes have heart and courage because they have to overcome numerous obstacles in order to be successful. However, the courage and heart shown by athletes is different than the courage and heart shown by police officers and firefighters. Each profession has it's own unique qualities, nuances, and characteristics which make it different from other professions.

Police officers and firefighters place their lives "on the line" everyday they go to work. I believe the men and women who died trying to rescue other people from the "Twin Towers" would disagree with being called heroes. (Let me be clear. I am not trying to trivialize their deaths in anyway.) However, if given the chance to tell their story, I'm of the opinion those officers and firefighters would say "we were simply doing our job. We aren't heroes."

My personal definition of a hero is someone who does ordinary things during extraordinary times. The word hero is subjective. We can define it various ways and still be correct and not disparaging toward others. Michael Jordan is a hero to some people and simply a ball player to others. Firefighters whose friends and colleagues died while simply "doing their job" are heroes to many but, not to themselves. The men and women in our armed forces will be described as heroes because they will be defending America in any attacks the President, his staff, and Congress decide to mete out in order to "hunt down and punish" those responsible for the terrorist attacks.

One person who has clearly exhibited the noble qualities of a hero during these turbulent times is President George W. Bush. His passion and resolve have been on display each time he's spoken to the media and to the American public. Surprisingly, no one has described President Bush as a "hero"; and, to be honest, he probably doesn't want to be labeled one; but, he's clearly a hero. Despite the long, tireless hours the President has endured these last 2 weeks, and with much more tireless work to be done, Mr. Bush's heroic efforts are greatly appreciated. If Mr. Bush were asked if he were a hero, I'm sure he'd say, "No. I';m just doing my job." It's funny how most heroes are "just doing their job". Well, to all heroes, I say: Thank you. Keep up the good work.