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“The Greatest” Teaches Brian Roberts About Perseverance

By Sam Perley, hornets.com

There hasn’t been a player with a longer, more winding road to make it onto the Charlotte Hornets roster than point guard Brian Roberts. Passed over in the NBA Draft, four years playing in Europe, various Summer League stints and a couple of trades along the way have certainly forced the veteran to endure his fair share of resiliency.

With Black History Month upon us, Roberts reflected not only on the importance of this particular time of year, but also a recently passed role model who he has strived to emulate throughout his professional career.

“Black History Month is basically American history in my view,” said Roberts. “A lot of great things have come from the minds and actions of black people in this country’s history. To acknowledge that is big because it’s shaped how we are as a country regardless of color, religion or race. That’s how I view it. It’s just a part of American history.”

During a long four years of trials and tribulations between his playing days at the University of Dayton and signing his first guaranteed NBA contract in 2012, Roberts turned to one of the most prominent athletes ever of any race for guidance.

“Somebody that sticks out in my mind as far as really leading a charge and standing up for something, I look at the actions of Muhammad Ali. Obviously, everybody knows his story as a boxer but the things he talked about and did during that time were big. That’s one person that sticks out in my mind.”

Although Roberts certainly faced some challenging times on his way to the NBA, he’d likely be the first to admit they pale in comparison to those of Ali. A heavyweight champion boxer in the 1960’s, Ali was denied the opportunity to fight in his prime for almost four years after he was arrested and found guilty of avoiding service in the U.S. Army. A converted Muslim at the time, Ali’s religious beliefs strongly opposed the ongoing Vietnam War and he also objected to defending a country that continued to racially oppress African-Americans.

The death of Ali, who passed last June at age 74, fondly resonated with Roberts and other members of the African-American community who idolized the famous boxer.

“[His death] was big. Obviously, you saw how the world was affected by that just because what he stood for, what he meant not only to boxing, but the human race, people in general,” said Roberts. “He transcended his sport and became a global phenomenon based on his actions.”

Having just recently turned 31 years old, Roberts has identified a couple of characteristics in himself that he hopes the next generation of African-American kids choose to draw from him, much like he did with Ali.

“As a basketball player, I want [African-American kids] to see me personally, how I conduct myself. Show them, give them the hope that there’s something better if they’re in a bad situation. If they’re not in an ideal situation currently, there’s always something to look forward to and there’s always something to be positive about. Just continue to make right decisions and do the right things,” said Roberts.

“My journey wasn’t the easiest and I just kept after it. I had a lot of doors slammed in my face. I could have just thrown in the towel and given up but I feel like I just try to persevere. That’s one quality that’s necessary to be successful is just perseverance. Being able to withstand failure and keep plugging away.”

Although the infamously outspoken Ali had been out of the public spotlight for awhile at the time of his death, his message and quest for racial equality still continues to live on today through people like Brian Roberts. It is through them that one of the most accomplished athletes and socially influential figures of any generation will continue to have his message heard loud and clear for many years to come.