See, any kind of greatness takes work. Everyone knows that. But what fewer people understand is that work itself takes faith. You have to have faith that the work you’re doing will bring about results, otherwise you’ll lose interest. Coaches like Brewer and Thomas made sure that I saw a direct relationship between my work and the results. That’s what their encouragement was. The fact that Coach Brewer took a moment to notice my grades and started treating me differently afterward, started investing time in me, made me feel like my work had value. The fact that Coach Thomas always had a kind word for me, always told me that he believed in me, made me feel like I was doing something right. That’s what I had a hard time explaining to my brother. It was true that you didn’t have to work to graduate or get by. But you had to work to see results. That was my theory, at least. But Coaches Brewer and Thomas made sure that theory was proven true. — 41: 575-581
was human nature. This game takes a lot out of you. And the idea that you might not be getting everything — 175: 2313-2314
We were a team tonight trying to figure out how to play in all our new and ever-changing combinations, trying to ward off fatigue and trying to keep mentally focused among feelings of frustration and exhaustion. — 234: 3098-3100