The Hustler

By Kevin Woo for BrianGrant.org

When I was a teen I played basketball.  I wasn’t the best player on our team so I was relegated to the role of sixth man, the first player off the bench.  I did a lot of dirty work – I took hard fouls, fought for rebounds against guys three times my size, and, most importantly, I hustled.

It didn’t take long before I began to resent my role.  I wasn’t content coming off the bench, I wanted to start.

I made my feelings known to the coach, who had a double title.  You see, the coach was also my dad.

I made my case about joining the starting line-up, but despite my efforts the coach wasn’t buying my pitch.

He asked if I knew who John Havlicek was.  I knew.  “As the sixth man for the Boston Celtics he was asked to sacrifice his own ego for the good of the team,” the coach told me.

“When Havlicek entered the game his job was to inject the team with hustle, grab loose balls, fight for rebounds and score.  In other words, he kept everyone on the team moving because nothing good can happen if you stand around feeling sorry for yourself. I need you to be our John Havlicek.”

I didn’t buy the story at the time, but as I matured I began to understand the value of self-sacrifice for the good of the team.

Havlicek died a few weeks ago.  He was 79.  The cause of death has not been confirmed but news reports indicate that he was “known to be suffering from Parkinson’s.”

I find it hard to accept the death of someone famous who was “known to have Parkinson’s.”  There’s a part of me that wants certainty.  I want to know if they suffered, if their family showed unwavering support.  I want to know if their friends and family continued to visit.

I also find the death of a famous person with Parkinson’s difficult because their spotlight shines bright and I wish they’d use it to generate research funds for us.

The shock

Havlicek’s death was a shock. When I read the news, I called my dad.  We talked about the lesson that Havlicek taught me.

As the Boston Celtics’ sixth man Havlicek was part of eight championship teams.  He ranks 16th on the all-time scoring list, and was selected for 13 all-star teams during his 16-year career.  He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Havlicek accomplished all of this without starting a single game.

He once said in an interview that he didn’t mind not being a starter.  “It’s who’s on the floor at the end of the game that matters and I was always in at the finish.”

Havlicek has been part of my life for more than forty years.  Without knowing it he taught me to hustle, play hard, and always put the team ahead of myself.

Were he able to do so, I think Havlicek would tell those of us with Parkinson’s, our family members and our caregivers to keep moving because nothing good can come from standing around.