“Be the person who cares. Not because it’s strategic. Because it’s right.”-Bob Goff
This week the New York Knicks did something that’s never been done.
Down 29 points in an NBA Finals game, they came back to win.
It was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Madison Square Garden lost it’s mind.
And then came the moment nobody’s talking about.
An hour after the final buzzer, Jalen Brunson , the captain of the New York Knicks, known as the King of New York , sat down at the press conference. Every camera in the world pointed at him. He decided to shine the spotlight on someone else.
Before the 1st question, he stopped them.
“Before we start, my thoughts and prayers are with a friend of mine I got to meet. Jonathan from North Carolina, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation .”
The foundation has asked Brunson to record a video for Jonathan, a young boy with a serious heart condition, as his final wish.
Brunson said no to the video .
Not because he didn’t care.
Because he wanted to do more.
He FaceTimed him instead.
A call. A real conversation. Face to Face.
Jonathan got to see Jalen Brunson, not a screen recording, but live, looking right at him.
Brunson paused. His voice broke.
“I found out some news today. May God rest his soul.”
Then he had to stop talking.
The King of New York used that first moment to shine the light on someone else.
Here’s what I can’t stop thinking about.
They asked him for a video.
That would’ve been enough.
Nobody would’ve questioned it.
But something told him to Make the Call.
To show up. Not halfway, but fully.
And because he did, a young boy didn’t get a recording.
He got a connection.
We all have that version of that video .
The text would be fine.
The email that would technically work.
The gesture that would check the box.
But convenient has never changed a life
Connection has.
Dash of Courage:
This week, Make the Call.
Not the text. Not the email. Not the comment on their post.
The actual call.
The person you’ve been meaning to check on.
The friend going through a hard time.
The teammate who could use a voice, not a notification.
Because Jalen Brunson could’ve sent a video
And nobody would’ve known the difference.
Except Jonathan.
Courage over comfort,
Garrett
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For two decades, Garrett has studied courage in every corner of the globe—uncovering what the world’s most courageous people do differently in business, leadership, and life.