Deep Inside

"Just listen & watch playboy! That's all you gotta do!"

Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”  Former Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jay Sam Ewing gave it to us like this, “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”

Well it looks like ole “Buster Brown” Dwight Howard has finally decided to turn up and become the beast that he is supposed to be for the Lakers. It’s taken this dun to show up and play with Kobe to learn that becoming a great player takes more than just putting on a uniform and smiling. When the Lakers initially signed him I went on record first telling boyz that he and Kobe could not occupy the same space. Go pull the tape bruh when I’m lyin’ I’m dying!

Now this cat is saying that he made a change during the All-Star break to commit himself to being better. "And I just told myself, 'I'm going to commit myself to being better for the second half of the season.' "

The problem that I’ve had with Buster Brown is that he’s the most talented “Big” in the game but he wasn’t ever dialed in to become the best that he could be. Like I always say, talent will fool you into believing that you don’t have to put in the work. It will tell you that because you’re more gifted than the rest, success is yours for the taking. That simply isn’t the case playboy!

It’s taken Dwight to finally see what talent and determination looks like up close and personal for him to understand what being great is all about. I can blast Kobe all day about being a selfish snitch but his game is solid and his work ethic is through the roof.  I respect duns that put it in at all costs.

Work ethic is more important than talent alone because it will take you where talent can only dream of going. Boyz will say that Dwight’s back is getting better and that’s why he’s averaging 15.4 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game since the All-Star break. Over the last two games he’s dominated defensively and averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds and 4.5 blocks, while the Mamba has put up back-to-back 40 point joints and thrown 10 dimes in each of the two games. Sure, Dwight’s back is getting better but he’s finally becoming a real cat that understands that in order to win championships you gotta put in the work.

See everybody wanna go to Heaven but nobody’s ready to die! It's called sacrifice playa! In order to be great you’ve got to be extremely good at doing the things that require absolutely no talent. It requires no talent to be on time, to be disciplined, to put in work when everybody else is asleep, to come into the office early and stay late, to do more research than everyone else before the big meeting etc. None of that requires talent homeboy.

However, the result of all of those little things wins championships! It’s called digging deep inside of yourself to touch the potential that God has put in all of us.

If Buster Brown wants to become as great as he can be he’ll sign that extension with the Lakers and play with Kobe until he retires. Playing with someone like that will push him beyond his normal limits. If he wants to continue to be talented and under achieve he’ll bounce at the end of the season and never live up to his true potential whether he ever wins a title or not!

The best thing that has ever happened to him was being able to share the same space with the Black Mamba! Just don’t ever be ridin’ dirty or decide to get into anything shady and give that dun a ride home after practice. Cuz you goin’ to jail by yo-self pimpin’! Stop me when I start lyin'!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport