Jared Sullinger is doing a regular diary for ESPN Boston. In his latest installment, he goes into dealing with the departures of various teammates in Danny Ainge’s mad dash to own every pick in the NBA draft.
The most interesting thing is the lesson he learned from his former captain, Rajon Rondo:
I would have to say the biggest lesson I ever learned from any player in my career so far is from Rondo. He taught me to never let them see you sweat. He said that you have to understand that this is a business. The more you complain or argue or disagree, the more you’re writing your ticket out of this league. At the end of the day, the coach is always right.
Kind of funny considering all of the ways he’s been accused of subverting his coach.
Personally, I love this aspect of basketball, because it’s never really discussed. Players are supposed to be as loyal to their teams as fans are, even though, as we’ve seen with Danny Ainge, they can be discarded when they no longer suit the team’s needs.
This is, and always will be, a business. Their business is entertaining fans by playing a game. Their business is creating a unique event that can never be duplicated in an effort to entertain a city and a fan base. Players are employees. GM’s and owners are the employers. Employers make business decisions on a daily basis, and employees could find themselves in situations they don’t like, regardless of their years of service or loyalty to the company. We hear stories about it all the time.
So it’s good advice to any player. Fans don’t like to hear it because the business of basketball can be a messy, confusing thing. But that’s what it is.
