He notes the myriad opportunities to develop dignity under duress, to learn to sacrifice for the team, and to practice keeping emotions in check in order to maintain focus on a goal. Forty years ago, basketball protocol encouraged humility by design. A player who committed a foul had to raise his hand. If he didn't raise it high enough, or slammed it down in disgust, the referees called him for a technical foul. This rule, now long gone, required a public submission to authority, and an acknowledgment of imperfection.
Sports can lay the foundation of a drive for excellence that can extend throughout an entire life.
His shots were critical to his team's success, and he knew it. Now imagine this same young man in 20 years. He's got a child with a serious illness, and is at a precarious point in his career. Somehow, he must find within himself the grit, the resolve, and the self-sacrifice to face another day with courage, determined to make the best of it. If that day comes, I suspect this young man's moments at the free throw line will stand him in good stead.