Great athletes have a habit of looking for ways to improve every part of their game by obsessing over little things. One of those things is spending time in a film room, which is quite normal for a player, but a few take the habit even further by watching their highlights anywhere they can find them. Former basketball star JJ Reddick is one of those people, who, during a recent episode of Mind the Game Pod with LeBron James, steered the conversation from the evolution of basketball towards the topic both intriguing and taboo.
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Though initially hesitant, James begrudgingly confessed to watching his highlights or old clips on social media. King James, however, tried to deny googling his name to watch his highlights; yet, Reddick kept it real, forcing the Lakers’ player to admit the truth, as he quipped, “I see the clips! I don’t just go online and look up ‘LeBron James highlights.”
Reacting to this, former NFL wideout, Chad Johnson admitted on NightCap that he too watches his own highlights. The ex-Bengals man asserted that given that he retired over a decade ago, the younger generations don’t have any idea what a good player he was. So he makes his point by showing them his highlights. Moreover, Ocho proudly accepted that he enjoys watching his highlights and admires the talent he used to have.
“Listen, I ain’t got no shame. I’mma show you who I was. Sometimes you got to let these young folks know, you was that boy. Sometimes I watch, I sit back and watch my highlights and be like goddamn. I was really okay. I was really good and I just look at some of the stuff I was able to do and you know what’s funny, the worst part about it is the fact that I still think I can do what I see on goddamn tape,” Johnson said.
Shannon Sharpe, however, claimed that he doesn’t willingly search for his highlights on YouTube. Yet, if he stumbles upon a reel or a highlight while scrolling through social media, Unc will glance at it.
Adding a different perspective, Sharpe feels that now that he is retired, he has new things to look forward to. The 3-time Super Bowl winner asserted — now that he has his podcasts, he will go on YouTube to check the number of views he has accumulated or how many subscribers he has added. Nonetheless, to cement his argument of showcasing his highlights to the younger generation, Ocho, interestingly, used the Cam Newton situation.
Chad Johnson Uses Cam Newton’s Example to Drive Argument Home
Much like LeBron and JJ Reddick, Chad Johnson admitted to watching his playing highlights and even went on to say that he shows those to the younger generation at family gatherings to make sure they appreciate him or players like him who retired a long time ago. To give credence to his thought process, he used Cam Newton‘s recent situation on social media, where he received wrath and abuse from young kids for criticizing current QBs like Brock Purdy, Tua, etc.
Ocho felt that because there is a generation gap, the kids nowadays can disparage players like Newton because they weren’t around to watch them play week in and week out at the highest level. So they have an appreciation for them and their achievements. It is easier to discount someone sitting in the comfort of your home when you haven’t done what they used to do every day in front of millions.
During the playing days, athletes frequently analyze the game film to assess how they can become better. Athletes dedicate their whole lives trying to reach the professional level, but when the time comes and their bodies can no longer perform as they once did, letting go becomes a daunting challenge. The uncertainty of what comes next adds to the struggle, as they are left with no clear forward path.
That’s why athletes have a hard time letting go of their daily routines and that relentless drive that helped them succeed, which remains even after the end of their playing days. As a result, they find themselves at a loss, unable to channel their once-used qualities into a new pursuit.
