Donald Demarco:
There is nothing higher, for many athletes, than winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Some have said that they would give up ten years of their life if they could accomplish such a feat. This kind of exchange, however, downplays the significance of the gratitude we should have for being alive for an entire decade. Should gratitude bow to glory? Gratitude is a virtue. Glory in sports is conferred upon a person. It does not necessarily speak to his character. Bill Russell, incomparable on the basketball court, titled his autobiography, Go Up for Glory. If one “goes up” a little higher, he would find glory in heaven. We often employ the word “glory” prematurely.
All this raises the question of whether we should seek glory in our worldly accomplishments. Thomas Aquinas has stated that “Those who do brave deeds for the sake of worldly glory are not truly brave” For the Angelic Doctor, every virtue is rooted in love. St. Paul tells us that we should do all for the glory of God. Vainglory is not true glory. God is glory in its fullness.
In the world of sports, there is a certain glory attached to breaking records. And yet, when an athlete breaks a record, he often expresses his gratitude to a number of people including his coach, his parents, and various friends. In this instance, his gratitude surpasses his glory. His gratitude shines from his character. His glory in breaking a record will one day, inevitably, will be broken. Glory is not glorious if it is momentary. It is proper, however, to pay tribute to the passing of a great person with the words, Sic transit gloria mundi (and so passes the glory of the world).
Chris Paul had a most successful tenure as an NBA basketball player. Over his 21-year career, he was an All Star 12 times. But it was when he played basketball in high school that he exhibited the strength of his character in such a dramatic and memorable way that it deserves special praise and warrants retelling. He showed the world that character can be more important than accomplishment.
Paul’s grandfather was an important figure in the local community of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was the most influential person in his grandson’s life and attended every game that Chris Paul played. Tragedy struck when “Papa Chilly,” as he was affectionately known, who ran a gas station, was robbed and beaten to death. He was 61 at the time of his demise.
Paul was heartbroken and considered not playing his next scheduled game. This would be his tribute to his beloved grandfather. His aunt suggested a different way in which he could honour his grandfather. She suggested something that seemed impossible, that he score 61 points to honour each year of his grandfather’s life.
Chris Paul took to the court with fierce determination. By the second quarter he had 24 points, which stretched to 39 by the end of the third quarter. His teammates cooperated in his heroic endeavor, feeding him the ball at almost every opportunity. With just two minutes left in the game, he drove to the basked, scored and was fouled. His extraordinary accomplishment was fulfilled. He had scored his sixty-first point. Now, he was just six points away from setting a state scoring record.
What should he do? He still had time to set the record. But was hitting the 61 mark something he did not want to erase? He stepped to the foul line and deliberately threw the ball out of bounds. His point total remained at 61, honouring his grandfather. He then asked his coach to take him out of the game. He walked over to the sidelines and collapsed into his father’s arms. His tears were tears of love, not for his achievement. He had accomplished what he had set out to do: pay gratitude to his grandfather and toss aside any concern about breaking a state record. It was a case of gratitude triumphing over glory. But the glory he did achieve was anchored in love. It eclipsed in importance any record that he might have broken. Christopher Emmanuel Paul Sr, nicknamed “the Point of God,” was more interested in gratitude than glory and, ironically, achieved a very special kind of glory.
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