I love a good story. Whether reading it, watching it, or listening to it, a good story can capture my attention in a way that very few things can. In June, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship and boy, do they have an amazing story to tell. Steph Curry finally got the respect he deserves and won MVP. Klay Thompson made a tough recovery from an injury just in time to contribute to the Warriors championship run. Years ago, when the Warriors were dealing with a lot of injuries and other challenges, talking heads had completely counted the Warriors out. People said that the Warriors team, as it was, would NEVER win another championship. But they did! It was a roller coaster to watch, with lots of highs and lows, but in the end the Warriors prevailed and I’d be willing to bet that their story is not over yet.
From their 2022 championship season, the Warriors have so many stories to tell. There is the franchise story and the team story, along with many individual stories. But my favorite story out of them all, is the Andrew Wiggins story. His is a story of finding the right place, the right people and the right environment to truly THRIVE. I loved watching him step into his own with the Warriors and prove all of the haters wrong. He had explosive games during the finals and was a consistent force on the court, both offensively and defensively. He wasn’t perfect, and every game wasn’t his best, but regardless, he was supported and encouraged by his team. You could truly tell that the Warriors believed in him, and as a result, Andrew Wiggins believed in himself and rose to the challenge he was presented with. He was an integral part of the Warriors team and had come so far from his time playing with the Timberwolves.
I’ll tell you what I learned from Andrew Wiggins. He is the same person that played for the Timberwolves and the Warriors. With the Timberwolves he was considered an underachiever, a disappointment. People said he wasn’t playing up to his potential. Some even called him lazy. When he joined the Warriors, he was the same person, but he had the fire and the motivation that seemed to be missing with his former team. That spark he was missing was ignited by the championship pedigree of the Warriors. He finally found himself in an environment where he COULD reach his potential. He found himself surrounded by teammates who called his greatness out. They welcomed it and embraced it, because on the Warriors, everyone gets the chance to shine and share the spotlight.
I might be filling in some blanks here, but I think that with the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins felt like he mattered. He felt like he was important and that people were counting on him. Maybe that helped him find his motivation and made him want to do better. Ultimately, I don’t know what the key was to cause this shift in Andrew Wiggins. Maybe it was one thing, or maybe it was a lot of little things. What I do know is that he found the right place for him. I know that the environment a person is in matters. The people a person is surrounded by matters. When things aren’t clicking or you’re not thriving where you’re at, a lot of people will try to convince you that you’re the problem. They’ll assume that something is wrong with you. And I’m not arguing against personal accountability. We all have our own inner work to do. This is not permission to never take responsibility for yourself and your part in things.
HOWEVER. As someone who, in the past, lived a lot of my life believing that things unfolded in certain ways because something must be wrong with me, I can attest to the fact that it’s not always on you. Sometimes you can be doing everything right but still not experience success because of the environment you are in. You’re not always the problem. Imagine if Andrew Wiggins believed all the negative things people were saying about him when he was with the Timberwolves. What if he convinced himself that he was the problem and, as a result, decided to give up on basketball. He never would have found his way to the Warriors. He would have missed his opportunity to redeem himself and become a champion. He would have missed out on the sheer joy of finding a place on a team where he fit just right. It’s okay to move on and to keep looking for your place in this world. There is a place for you. A place where you don’t have to change a thing about yourself. Where people don’t see only the negatives or constantly bring you down. A place where you are motivated to do and be better. A place where you belong and people aren’t afraid to let you know it.
I hope we all have an Andrew Wiggins moment in this life where we can say, I’m seen, I’m known, I’m valued, and I’m celebrated. I hope we all find that safe place where we are accepted as we are, while also being lovingly pushed to be all that we have yet to become. There is greatness inside each and every one of us. Let’s tune out the noise of the haters, ignore the criticism of others, and seek the people who uplift us. The people who welcome our shine instead of trying to dim it. The people who see even our weaknesses as assets. That means that for every person who thinks you’re too sensitive, there is someone who will appreciate how deeply you feel. For every person who thinks you’re too intense, someone will appreciate your passion. For the one who thinks you are too much of this, or too little of that, there is the one who thinks you are just right. Get yourself into the right environment. Surround yourself with the right people. Find your team. Then get out there and thrive. And when you find the joy that comes from being where you are supposed to be, I hope your life shines like an Andrew Wiggins smile.