The Curious Case of Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is teetering on the precipice of unchartered territory.  He is on the verge of a complete transformation in my eyes from the antihero to the superhero, and that just doesn't happen.  Normally, my initial assessment of an athlete sticks.  Forever.  Sure, my love or hatred of said player can vary from year to year, but it never flips from one end of the spectrum to the other.

By most accounts, I should have loved Russell Westbrook from the get-go.  The aspect I value most in a basketball player is his heart, and RW's heart is probably half of his body weight.  But his basketball IQ left much to be desired, especially coming from the point guard position.

Russ entered the league with unmatched brashness, which I typically adore, but unfortunately, that personality was shackled with poor shot selection and headshakingly-ridiculous decision-making which came at the severe detriment to the rest of his squad.  He was, and perhaps still is, the personification of a double-edged sword, as you can fall in love with him and want to kill him all within a 5-second span.

The Oklahoma City Thunder never had a chance against the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals.  We all knew it, especially with Scotty Brooks flailing as the head coach, but more glaring to me was the fact that Russell Westbrook wasn't ready, nor did I ever think he would be.  He was built for war, but he wasn't a leader of men.  Instead, he easily fell into the petulant youngest child role -- throwing mini tantrums accentuated by dumb fouls, never playing completely under control, and carrying around a gigantic chip on his shoulder for no apparent reason.

But sometime this past season, someone pulled a switch, and something clicked.  Russell is among a handful of people in the world who can not only play basketball when he's angry, but now he is actually better when he's angry.  And just like the Hulk, Russell Westbrook is always angry.

Watching Westbrook hoop now is a reenactment of that scene on a never-ending loop.  He has learned to control his fury and channel it against his opponents.  He still relies a bit too much on his athleticism at times, but that is a luxury that few can enjoy.  He's nowhere near a traditional point guard, but he is morphing into the dynamic hybrid guard that his team needs him to be.

I can't believe I'm saying it, but Russell Westbrook is about to make the impossible jump from my hated list to my top 10.  I said four years ago that RW would never win a ship, but he is clearly not the same player he was four years ago.  He has been an exemplary case study on the evidence of maturity and a reminder to all of us of one of the most beautiful qualities of human nature: the ability to change.

Some of you may not understand the significance of this development, but ball is life.

On Jealousy, Schadenfreude, and FOMO

I hate that "jealous" has become a common response on social media to something good happening to another person.

Obviously it's meant to be harmless, but jealousy in and of itself implies a sense of envy, and truth be told, we've probably all been programmed for the word to be more than just a joke.

A couple months ago, I learned the word "Schadenfreude" from a sermon at church.  It basically means that your happiness stems from someone else's misfortune.  There were a few chuckles here and there throughout the congregation at this concept, but at a time when everyone is constantly comparing their lives to those they see on social media, it can easily become the norm.

I was in Kansas City for most of February for training, and every morning I'd stop by the hotel drugstore to pick up a couple snacks for breakfast.  It got to the point where the guy recognized me, and we would chat for a couple minutes before I had to scamper off to work.

We had some good conversations throughout my four weeks there, ranging from the Super Bowl to the folk music convention in town, and it was all pleasant until one day he pointed to an article in the local newspaper which mentioned that certain poorer areas of the city would get free Google Fiber.

My first reaction was that this would be a great thing for Kansas City.  But then I saw the outrage on his face and heard the anger in his voice as he complained about a situation that didn't even affect him personally at all.  It just made no sense to me -- why was he mad about it?  Or furthermore, why would he even care at all?

Maybe it's all an extension of FOMO.  Ironically, the oversaturation of social media in our lives has led us to be more inward focused instead of outward.  Don't let this happen to you.  Celebrate when good things happen to other people.  Sympathize when bad things happen to other people.  Let's spread love, not jealousy.

Disdain for Intolerance

The one thing that two sides of an argument have in common is intolerance. You observe this in the recent obsession with the Presidential race, not only in televised debates, but among borderline awkward family discussions and light-hearted conversations with friends. The greater the knowledge a person attains, the more intolerant they become towards other viewpoints... which is kind of absurd, isn't it? The more we know, the less accepting we become. The more educated, the more stubborn.

Those who are at the forefront of a cause are so emotionally intertwined that they are rendered incapable of understanding the opponent. What results is intolerance: an "unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect [contrary] opinions or beliefs." It's a nasty word. It is inflexible, rigid. It is hostile towards the target. It has no issue with eradicating its enemy. It sees no value in the competition. Intolerance too hastily results in hate.

So how do we stay steadfast to our beliefs while still retaining our humanity, our goodness? How do we make ourselves heard while still showing love? The moment that we shift to intolerance, we become no better, no less despicable than our counterparts.

I only use politics as an example because it is readily available, but intolerance is everywhere. Intolerance is the basis of wars, deaths, genocide, broken families, smoldering bridges, and cyclical hurt. I think a fundamental human right is being entitled to an opinion. Not every opinion is just, morally acceptable, or a desired social norm -- but every opinion is valid in its existence. Intolerance is constructed when we unilaterally deny someone the immovable human right to have an opinion.

Recognizing that everyone is afforded an opinion is the beginning to learning how to stand for principles while not hating others who also dutifully stand by theirs. We must be able to conserve dignity as we advocate passionately. Martin Luther King Jr. has become ubiquitous in portraying peaceful fighting that I hesitate to quote him -- in case we have become numb -- but his words are too prudent to not repeat: "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." (Martin Luther King Jr., 1967. "Where Do We Go From Here?")

Personal Finance 101

Not to get all political up in here, but every second that Donald Trump continues to be anywhere near the top of the polls is yet another painful reminder of how ignorant this country can be.  Unfortunately, for many of us, that ignorance often rears its ugly head when it comes to personal finances.

This is a topic that is rarely talked about, and people just end up taking on the same spending/saving habits as their parents did, for better or worse.  So today I just want to touch on 10 quick-hitters related to personal finance.  If this helps even one person out there become a better steward of their money, then I'll be thrilled.

(And at the risk of sounding too preachy for the rest of this blog post, let me just start out by saying that I am not a perfect financial guru by any stretch of the imagination -- I've made mistakes with my money just like everybody else, and this is just a way for me to share some of what I've learned.  If nothing else, this will help me get some of my thoughts onto paper and get me back into the swing of this whole blogging thing.)

1. Any debt is a priority

I was fortunate enough to have a few scholarships and college savings help from my parents to walk away from college debt-free, but I know that is not the case for most of the nation.  ANY interest you pay on debt is STEALING money from you that you could be using on yourself/others.  That's the way you have to think.  You should cut out any discretionary spending until you get this paid off.  I could go on and on about this, but I think my man Mr. Money Mustache sums it up rather nicely here.

2. Budget monthly

The easiest way for you to lose money is for you to not keep track of your spending.  You gotta know your numbers!  At the end of every month, I break up all of my family's expenses into 4 main categories: tithe, bills, food, and discretionary.  Then I subtract these out from our income to see our net savings for the month.  I also have three more categories for insurance/taxes, vacations, and miscellaneous expenses, but the important thing is that you have to know where your money is going.  If you are reading this and would like a budget template, just let me know.

3. Load up on your 401K and Roth IRA

Now that you know where your money is going and how much you really spend every month, it's time to calculate how much you can put away into your 401K.  Of course, the bare minimum you should contribute is whatever your company matches -- that's just free money.  The maximum annual contribution is currently $18,000, and I suggest working your way towards that max.  After that, you should also max out your Roth IRA account with $5,500.  The difference between these two?  401K is pre-tax, which means you pay taxes later when you take out the money during retirement, when your tax bracket will likely be lower than it is currently.  So as a bonus, you lower your current taxable income and pay less taxes now.  For the Roth IRA, the money is already taxed before you put it in the account, and the income is tax-free from that point forward.

4. Pay extra principle on your house monthly

If you're currently renting, you should be saving up for a house downpayment, unless you live in an area where prices are ridiculous and it actually makes more sense to rent indefinitely.  If you're about to buy a house, see if you can afford the 15-year mortgage; compare the amount of interest between a 15-year and a 30-year, and you'll see why.  If you're already a homeowner, consider making extra principle payments monthly.  A mortgage is the only "good" debt, but interest is still interest -- better to pay off the balance sooner rather than later.

5. Minimize your checking account

The interest rates for money left in your checking or savings accounts are a joke.  And if you have more than a 6 months cushion worth of living expenses in those accounts, the joke is on you.  Any additional money you have shouldn't be lying around lazily, it should be working for you.  I dabble in individual stocks now and then, but for the most part, I know that I don't have the time, energy, or knowledge to follow the market that closely.  I recommend a set-it-and-forget-it strategy with index funds.  Personally, I have a Vanguard account split into four different funds ($VFIAX, $VTMGX, $VBIRX, $VTSAX) with dividends being automatically reinvested.

6. Treat your credit card like it's a debit card

Credit cards are not evil items.  They're a convenient way to pay for stuff, and you can get rewards back in the form of cash or miles.  The wife and I both have Chase Sapphire and Freedom cards at the moment.  But you gotta view your credit card like it's a debit card.  If you don't have the money to pay off your entire credit card balance, then you shouldn't be making that purchase.  Basically, only spend money you already have.  That "pay minimum amount" option they have on credit card sites is the worst thing ever.

7. Give yourself an allowance

Yeah, I know it doesn't feel like the grown-up thing to do, but giving yourself an allowance each month helps you to be wiser with your spending.  It doesn't have to be an end-all-be-all with self-loathing and punishment inflicted upon exceeding the allowance, but your discretionary spending amount should go hand-in-hand with your budget.

8. Don't borrow for cars

When did it become customary to borrow money to buy cars?  Why would you take out a loan on such a highly depreciating item?  If you can't afford to purchase a car with cash, that car is too expensive for you.  You don't want a monthly car payment hanging over your head for the next 5-10 years.  Refer back to #1 way up at the top of this post if you need to.

9. Find a money-making hobby

I'm a huge proponent for everyone having three kinds of hobbies: a fitness hobby, a creative hobby, and a money-making hobby.  These should help keep both your body and mind in shape, as well as giving you ideas for what you can do with your time once you reach retirement, where you won't have an 8-hour block of time siphoned off for your day job.  This money-making hobby can also end up funding some of your discretionary income or vacations, which is always useful.

10. Be generous

I wrote this post in hopes that people will worry LESS about their money, not MORE.  The topic of money should never consume your mind, and when you're not worried about your debt or your spending or your savings, you find that you actually have a lot of money leftover that you can be generous with.  Give to your church.  Give to organizations that are doing good work.  Give to causes that hold special meaning to you.  Give presents and pay for meals.  Give freely with your time, too.

Nobody ever reaches retirement by accident -- you have to plan for it.  If you get to retirement age and have nothing to show for it after working your butt off for decades, you have nobody to blame but yourself.  It's never too late to start good personal finance habits!

Deja Vu All Over Again

So far in 2016, it's been deja vu all over again.

This time last year, I was traveling from Houston to Denver to train with people whose jobs I was essentially taking over.  It was a sticky situation where I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, as those toes were soon officially losing their employment status.

Fast forward to today, and I am in the midst of my third week at my new company in Sugar Land, but they've sent me to Kansas City to train with people whose jobs I will essentially be taking over.  Yet another potentially awkward set of circumstances.

But in both instances, the people have just been so warm and welcoming.  Not that I had anything to do with the loss of their jobs in either case, but they could have just as easily seen me as the bad guy who's not only taking away their livelihoods but also forcing them to teach me how to do my job.

It's a delicate balance, and one where I am thankful to have met such resilient and big-hearted people at a time when our economy is anything but stable.  Thanks, humanity.

5 Fast Break Thoughts re: the NBA

I'm still on an MLB hangover, with most of my remaining energy left to the NFL, but here are a few quick thoughts regarding the Association.

1. I'm not sure if it's only this year, but I had no idea people were so excited about the NBA season starting.  So many random people were downright giddy like kids the night before Christmas.  Aside from my hopes with the Astros getting crushed, I just wasn't in the mood to go all gung-ho with the first tip-off, mainly cuz I don't think playoff seeding matters at all in the West.  Also, it's gotten to the point where I have very little interest in watching a random NBA game that doesn't involve my squad, with two exceptions -- the San Antonio Spurs and the Atlanta Hawks.  Man, those teams play some beautiful basketball.

2. I'm still pinching myself that Kevin McHale got fired.  Not simply the fact that he's now gone, but the fact that he's gone so soon.  Pushing the OKC Thunder to 6 games a few seasons ago had the unfortunate effect of McHale getting much of the credit for it, and I was afraid that the Rockets "surprisingly" making it to the WCF last season would bear the same disgusting fruit.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Rockets made it to 2 games from the NBA Finals IN SPITE of McHale, not because of him.  Some of you may hate Mark Cuban, but he is right more often than not, and him calling Houston "predictable" was nothing out of the ordinary.  We were as predictable as the Texans running a draw play on 3rd and long.  Our offense was entirely dependent on James Harden.  And our defense was entirely dependent on Dwight Howard.  Both had to play at respective MVP and DPOY levels for the team to compete, and that is obviously not a lasting combination in this league.

Also, for anyone saying that Harden is having an "off" year because of distractions like his girlfriend or because he's not practicing hard enough... please.  The dude has added drastically to his repertoire every single offseason, from becoming the best foul-drawer in the game to developing the best Euro-step in the game to harnessing the best step-back in the game, and now he's included the ability to post up effectively.  Just try to imagine carrying a team offensively for a whole year, with few teammates scoring or making any plays without your help.

3. Maybe it's his mere proximity to the most annoying guy in the league in Draymond Green and the most overrated guy in the league in Klay Thompson, but I can't stand Stephen Curry these days.  I loved him way back in Davidson when he was this small, David vs Goliath teen, but now?  Dude is a brat that somehow still gets tagged as a humble hero.  And for everyone hating on Harden getting questionable calls, most of the time, the Beard gets hacked, and he embellishes it.  Meanwhile, anytime Curry gets into the lane and there's even a hint of physical contact, he gets the whistle.  But I guess that's how the golden child face of the NBA is treated.  I'm still happy that he didn't get the players' vote for MVP nor the Finals MVP last season.  Cuz I know it eats at him, too.

4. I couldn't sleep last night, so I stayed up watching the Warriors-Clippers game.  I can't pinpoint exactly why I'd put myself through that duress, as I despise both squads, but it still brings me joy seeing the Clips falter.  Nepotism is the downfall of that organization.  You just can't have Austin Rivers play a significant role on your team and expect greatness.  It's like Doc felt obligated to watch all his son's games, but he also didn't want to spring for NBA League Pass.  The Clippers stay the Clippers.

5. For what it's worth, Blake Griffin is no longer on my hate list.  The starting 5 for that recognition are Chris Paul, Draymond Green, Kevin Garnett, Matt Barnes, and Terrence Jones.

Land of the Free, Home of the Not So Brave

I love America.  I love this country so much that my mind can't compute why anyone would choose to live elsewhere.  I love everything the stars and stripes stand for.

Which is why it is painful to see where we are headed.

I see racism thriving at the University of Missouri.  I see xenophobia highlighting Donald Trump's presidential campaign.  And now I see ignorance rejecting Syrian refugees.

How did we go from one nation under God to shutting out the people who need freedom most?

I realized a long time ago that the general public can be rather ignorant.  It's why the media has so much power to mold minds and warp opinions.  And obviously, under those circumstances, it's only a matter of time before fear takes over in light of the terrorist attacks in Paris.  Nobody wants another 9/11.

But this is the home of the brave, and bravery is not complete absence of fear, it is your character in spite of fear, no matter how unfounded those fears may be.

I thought we could rely on our leaders to be voices of reason, but instead of welcoming those without a place to call home, our governors are increasing the level of hatred and ignorance of their constituents.

I guess life is so much easier when you don't have to care about other people.

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave.