Let’s Go Knicks! Let’s Talk about Character!

It is now familiar lore to New Yorkers, but it bears repeating.  Two years ago, Jalen Brunson signed an extension on his contract.  By signing a year early, he left $113 million on the table, leaving enough room under the salary cap for the Knicks to build a better team.  They added Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.  His unusual sacrifice helped the Knicks build the NBA championship team that we have been cheering on these past weeks.

After Saturday’s extraordinary win, Brunson did not dwell on his MVP honors or the 45 points he scored, but instead on the team’s accomplishments and even spoke about the support staff who he made sure would share in the trophy’s winnings. 

Leadership is about making sacrifices for others.  Leadership is about maintaining the focus on the team. 

This week I am reveling in the Knicks championship run—and the heart-pounding finishes to most of their games.  I am also rejoicing in their captain’s leadership.  I am reveling in Brunson’s exemplary character.  This is what defines great leaders. 

This stands in vivid contrast to Victor Wembanyama who led most of the Spurs to the locker room after their fifth game loss, foregoing the customary handshake line.  Custom is enormously important.  It fosters our spirit.  In this case it perpetuates our belief in the spirit of competition.

Brunson’s character also stands in contrast to Korah and his followers who rebel against Moses’ authority.  The Torah states, “Now Korah took himself, along with Datan and Aviram, to rise up against Moses.  They said, ‘You have gone too far!  For all the community are holy, and God is in their midst.’” (Numbers 16)

On the surface, the criticisms that Korah and his followers bring against Moses appear legitimate.  They are deserving consideration.  Do we not teach that all people are holy and that no individual is holier than another?  Then why does the tradition judge Korah so harshly?  What is his great sin? 

It is contained in the opening statement.  He took himself.  This means that he set himself apart from the community.  He stood outside the group.  Great leaders always stand with the community.  They never say that they are better than others. 

Leadership is about the team.  It is not about the leader. It is about thinking of others first.  It begins with character and self-sacrifice.  It ends with the community.

It does not always finish with wins.  It does always conclude with the team standing together. 

Let’s go Knicks!

It is always about leadership and character.