The New York Knicks are the 2026 NBA Champions. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 1. After 53 years, the Knicks are NBA Champions, again. Jalen Brunson is the 2026 NBA Finals MVP.
Billionaire, NBA Hall of Fame, 5-time NBA Champion Earvin “Magic” Johnson was guest on ESPN First Take with Hosts Stephen A. Smith and Shae Cornette. Magic is the basketball savant as both former NBA player and NBA executive. Magic is the Greatest of All-Time NBA Point Guard.
Magic discussed the New York Knicks NBA Finals run. He said, “Play your game. Play Team Basketball.” The Knicks played together as a team. The San Antonio Spurs led by superstar 7’ 5” center Victor Wembanyama, played like a collection of individual stars.
6’ 2” point guard Jalen Brunson led the Knicks in their NBA Championship run. Magic said, “That’s what Brunson does. He galvanizes a team. He gets them to play better than they think they can play. Now, that’s what a leader does. Tom Brady, (Patrick) Mahomes, you see these guys. They’re great at what? Making their teammates better.” Magic knows.
Teammates play better in the effect of great leaders, like Magic Johnson, like Tom Brady, like Patrick Mahomes. Their NBA Championships and Super Bowl Championships speak for themselves. Magic, Tom, and Patrick inspired their respective teammates to play their best. They created the space for them to become as great as they can be.
I’ve trained in Aikido for over 35 years, for over half my life. I’m Godan (5th degree black belt). In Aikido, I can’t make someone do anything. I certainly can’t make someone be great. That comes from within themselves. They do the work. They put their heads down. They work on themselves, not on others. Greatness is their responsibility.
In Aikido, I apply the technique to myself, not to the attacker. O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victor over oneself.” It’s me against me. I’m my greatest opponent, my greatest enemy. I overcome myself, not others.
I enter the attack, enter what I fear. I take a glancing blow if I have to. I’m not always going to get away scot-free. It’s one time. The safest place to be is under the attack, in the danger. I hold my position. Make my timing. I open up. I let go my fear inside that I’m not good enough. My fear of Dad when I was a little boy. I let go my fear over, and over, and over again. Although that fear inside never completely disappears, when I enter the danger, I let go more of my fear. I free myself. I’m quiet inside. I’m as great as I can be.
As I train to be as great as I can be, that creates the space for others to train to be a great as they can be, too. I work on myself, not on them. They work on themselves, not on me. They put their heads down. They do their reps. They practice over, and over, and over again. Practice makes the unnatural natural. In my experience, greatness doesn’t come naturally. Well at least, not for me. I just train. It’s not like you have to get somewhere or be someone else.
From a distance, that all may look like I make others better, make them great. Really, I just work on myself, not on them. Just train. I generate the space for others to just train. They’re the only ones who can make themselves great. They have to do the work.
When I made Shodan (1st degree black belt) in Aikido, that was one of the happiest days of my life.
I said to the late Mizukami Sensei, “Thank you, Sensei!”
Sensei smiled. He said, “I didn’t do anything. You did it! ”
The late Mizukami Sensei was the Humblest Man on Planet Earth, who I knew. In the years since, I got what Sensei said. He did his very best to teach me. I put in the work. I put my head down. I got yelled at, because it was my time. I got back up when I failed, when I fell down. Just train.
We create the space for others to be as great as they can be. They put in the work. They work on themselves, not on others. When their greatness arises from within, they did that. That along with those, who believed in them when they didn’t believe in themselves. We don’t make the journey all by ourselves. Anyway, who wants to?
We bring everyone up with us. I work on myself, not on others. That creates the space for others to work on themselves. When we all work on ourselves together, we can become as great as we can be. The world becomes a greater place, too.
—
Photo: iStock
