Remember the old Gatorade commercial starring Michael Jordan? It had the jingle, “Like Mike, I wanna be like Mike.” Well, I think it’s time to change the jingle to “Like Steph, I wanna be like Steph.”
Steph Curry has recently made headlines again, not for his video game like play on the court, but his attitude of contentment off the court. In a world of apparent NBA divas and superstar snubs, Steph Curry stands out and breaks the mold.
If you don’t know, Steph Curry is a two time NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Champion and all around representative for the “little guy” in sports. Standing at 6 foot 3 and weighing just 190 pounds (both small in NBA standards) He plays for the Golden State Warriors, and is known for his unbelievable ball handling skills, 3 point range and unreal acrobatic shots. He is becoming more known for his humility and down to earth attitude among the stars.
It is becoming a well talked about fact that Steph Curry is the 4th highest paid player, not in the league, but on his own team. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant all earn more money than Curry does. In 2012, Curry signed a four year deal worth $44 million dollars. That’s a ton of money for sure, but members of the media, other players and the social media world have been making much about this apparent pay discrepancy.
Many people believe Steph might be the greatest shooter of all time. He’s the only player to ever be voted unanimously as the MVP. That means people like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlin, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and more, never received a unanimous MVP like Steph has. He is not only the leader on their team in points, but he is their leader in emotion, preparation, energy and more. With all that in mind, people have started asking Steph about him being “under paid” compared to his team mates.
In a world where we have players holding out for more money, demanding more money, complaining about more money and comparing to other people’s money, Steph Curry’s respponse is a breath of fresh air:
“One thing my pops always told me is you never count another man’s money,” Curry said. “It’s what you’ve got and how you take care of it. And if I’m complaining about $44 million over four years, then I’ve got other issues in my life.”
A couple things I see here from this one quote.
1. Never count another man’s money — If I focus on what other people have I can’t be thankful for what’s already in my hand. I know it’s hard for most of us to think of $44 million dollars, but the principle here remains the same. I can’t control what other people have or don’t have, I can only control the attitude toward what I’ve already been given. You might say, “It’s easy for Curry to not be upset, he has $44 million.” But my attitude about money doesn’t change based on the amount. I’m either grateful for what I have or I’m not. The advice Curry got from his dad is something we should all take to heart.
[Tweet “If I focus on what other people have I can’t be thankful for what’s already in my hand.”]
2. It’s what you’ve got and how you take care of it — So many people think they would be more generous if they just had more, or be a better money manager if they just had more or not be in debt if they just had more. Generosity is a financial decision not a financial position. Debt is a lifestyle choice not a financial condition. More money won’t make someone a better manager, it will just expose all of their mistakes. If I learn to live on what I have when it’s a little, I won’t have any problem when it’s a lot! Stop focusing on what you don’t have and start caring for what you’ve got! Why would God bless someone with more if we aren’t being good stewards of what He’s already given?
[Tweet “More money won’t make someone a better manager, it will just expose all of their mistakes.”]
3. If I’m complaining…I’ve got other issues in my life — For the vast majority of us, what we don’t have should be the least of our concerns. Again, I know that 99.9% of us can’t fathom $44 million, but more than half the world can’t fathom $50,000. There are so many other things in our lives to be concerned over than what we don’t have. Complaining will keep me from my calling. If I’m so focused on what I don’t have, complaining about what I wish I had, it can keep me from being a better Christian, husband, father and pastor to our church. Complaining steals our focus and destroys our joy. It truly does expose other issues in our life.
[Tweet “Complaining will keep me from my calling.”]
I’m thankful for superstars like Steph Curry. Yes, at the end of this year he will get one of the biggest contracts in NBA history, but even if he didn’t he wouldn’t let it effect his life. He’s not going to count another man’s money, he’s just going to take care of what he has. I wanna be like Steph.