“We must accept infinite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. “ The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

These are the wise words from a brother, that we as the basketball community should make food for thought as we celebrate him today. Such words go a long way even in encouraging basketball mental toughness among players.

Today is the third Monday of 2016 and this day marks yet another Martin Luther King Day in the USA.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. played a major role in the struggle for racial equality in a world that constantly segregated and discriminated the black community.

He was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta and attended Morehouse College before receiving his doctorate from Boston School of Theology.

Dr. King always viewed religion as a powerful tool for social change and even after completing his doctorate, he served as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery.

He fought against racial segregation and forefronted for nonviolent action for civil rights in the south. He organized a boycott in Montgomery after the arrest of black seamstress Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white person. Later on in 1959, he traveled to India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi whose works inspired him.

Dr. King consistently used his position as a minister of the church to encourage an end to legal inequality and segregation.

Dr. King faced arrest during a nonviolent protest in Florida, Georgia, and Atlanta and it was during his time in jail that he penned and delivered his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. He thus encouraged the masses to action through nonviolent means.

His assassination was in Memphis at the age of thirty-nine, but his legacy lives on as he fought prejudice and pursued social justice in his time. He also encouraged selfless service to others.

What players said about Dr. King today?

Today, major basketball stars such as Grant Hill and Vince Carter reflected on the life of the legend. Grant noted that Dr. King changed the world landscape through love and compassion.

Vince, on the other hand, celebrated this day in Memphis and said that Dr. King to him is a symbol of hope, belief and leadership. Leadership and belief are major beacons in sports psychology for basketball and can help sharpen a player’s focus in the game.

What he stood for and his relevance to sports?

Dr. King stood for all things positive. He stood for nonviolent means to bring change. He often said that we only had two options as humans, nonviolence or nonexistence.

This man single-handedly led a revolution that saw the black community recognized as humans too.

He had excellent leadership skills that have laid the foundation for current leaders in the field of sports such as basketball.

All these skills and attributes of Dr. King contribute to the mental game of basketball and the overall attitude of a player.

The great legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lives on, even in the game of basketball

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