I have been thinking lately about my favorite NBA player of all time, Allen Iverson, and what he has in common with my favorite MLB player of all time, Rickey Henderson. Here is what I have come up with so far.

Individuality Over Conformity

Both Rickey and A.I. refused to blend in. They each played the games their own way, and they changed the culture of their sports by doing it that way.

• Rickey turned base-stealing into art with head-first slides, swagger, third-person confidence.
• AI redefined what a guard could be. He was small but fearless, bringing street-ball creativity into the NBA spotlight.

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Energy, Fearlessness, and Defiance

Neither man ever looked intimidated. By bigger opponents, critics, or expectations. They thrived on proving people wrong.

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Masters of Artistry in Chaos.

Both players were beautifully unpredictable.:

• Rickey on the basepaths was controlled anarchy. He singlehandedly disrupted the rhythm of the entire game, giving his team an edge in every game he played.

• A.I.’s crossovers and drives had a jazz-like improvisation that frequently “broke the knees and ankles” of even the best defenders.

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They Had Confidence and Swagger (But The Only Kind that Matters:, the Earned Kind)

Both Henderson and Iverson were confident to the point of audacity, but it wasn’t empty bravado. It was the product of relentless work and self-belief.

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So Why Are They My Favorite Players?

As I was thinking through this, it got me thinking about what this says about me. Here I what I have come up with thus far:

• I value Authenticity over Polish. Passion over Perfection.
• I have never responded well to rigid systems or “company men.” (This is why I loved the 1970s A’s and hated the Big Red Machine)
• I think is is always better to fail being yourself and doing it your own way than to “succeed” simply following the formula or directions of others.
• I love individuality and am bored by routine and sameness.

What do your favorite sports stars have in common? And what might that say about you?