Beyond the Court: Lessons from a Hall of Famer on Loving the Game and Your Faith
Yesterday, one of my basketball mentors, Chauncey Billups, was elected to the Basketball Hall Of Fame! This is a well-deserved honor for Chauncey, who is not only a basketball Hall of Famer but also a hall of fame person overall.
As I celebrated my friend and mentor's announcement, I recalled a conversation we had when he was coaching for the Clippers. Chauncey told me that many of today’s players fall significantly short of their Hall of Fame potential, not because they lack the necessary skills, but because they lack genuine love for the game.
He further explained that most players do not love basketball itself; rather, they love what basketball can bring them—fame, money, and a certain lifestyle. Consequently, once basketball grants them their desired lifestyle, they lose the same drive and commitment to excellence.
Reflecting on that conversation, I realized a parallel in our approach to faith. Many people love what they can gain from God more than they love God Himself. Consequently, when God bails them out of a dark circumstance, they abandon their prayer time, fellowship, and continued spiritual growth. The same occurs when blessings elevate them to mountaintops; they do not keep that same energy and lose the drive to pursue their God-given purposes.
Chauncey, now a Hall of Famer, provides a blueprint for achieving greatness. While not everyone may enter the Basketball Hall of Fame, we all have the potential to enter God’s spiritual Hall of Fame. To do so, we must do what Chauncey did—love the game with all our heart, soul, and mind.
When he was down - traded multiple times as a young player and labeled a bust, or when he tore up his shoulder, he still passionately strived to be his best. When he was up - winning an NBA championship and being named Finals MVP, he would still strive to be better. Even when no one was around and he and I would get some skill work in, he still strived to reach his potential, why? Because he loved basketball wholeheartedly.
Do you love God wholeheartedly? If so, regardless of circumstances, every day that God breathes life into your body, whether you're facing highs or lows, passionately pursue His purposes and reach your God-given potential in all you do.
Praying we all reach our (Spiritual) Hall of Fame potential!
Deep Thought to consider: When we love what God does for us more than we love God himself, we get what we want out of it and leave God (and His purposes through us) high and dry. In a sense, our relationship with God is a transactional one - a "what can I get out of this" relationship. Is that what you want? Or do you want to live in a way where it's "how can God get glory out of my life?"
📖 Matthew 22:37-38 - New Living Translation 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
📖 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - New Living Translation - Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.