Heroes Are Made, Not Born
By Abe Wyett
There are moments in sports, snapshots in time, that create heroes: a buzzer-beating shot; a walk-off home run and the casual flip of the bat; a hail-mary pass, improbably caught and indefinitely celebrated. Last May, in game six of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White became one of those heroes, saving the team’s season (momentarily) with an improbable and unforgettable tip-in of a last second desperation jumper by teammate Marcus Smart.
“He got rid of it. He sure did. That’s a Celtic win, and we’re going to game seven. White!”
I was watching the game with friends in Long Island; of the 10 of us, only two were Celtics’ fans. The rest were Knicks fans, rooting for the Boston team to lose. I could feel the room rejoice as Smart’s contested turnaround jumper bounced off the back rim. I covered my eyes in despair. But then White, who hadinbounded the ball, was suddenly under the basket, the right place at the right time, tipping in the rebound to give the Celtics a one point win. After review, the referees deemed the basket good. I celebrated.
It looked like a lucky break. Derrick White was a role player. A good player. But not a headliner. How could he have made this blockbuster play? But White is also an exceptionally intelligent player. His WAR — the statistic that measures a player’s value to their team — is among the highest in the league. And he showed why in a play that will etch him into memory–at least the memory of Celtics fans, and maybe Heat fans. There were 3 seconds left in the game. The Celtics were a point down and facing elimination. White inbounded the ball to Smart. Then he ran straight to the hoop, something he’d learned over years of practice and repetition. It was no accident that he was there to collect the rebound.
There are other indelible moments— and a lot of them in Boston sports — that at first glance seem lucky but, that after a bit of reflection, turn out to be a lot more.
“Roberts is going. Posado’s throw…safe.”
The Red Sox, facing elimination against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, rallied in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. Pinch-runner Dave Roberts sparked that rally. With two outs, pinch running for Kevin Millar, stole second base to put himself in scoring position. That steal also lives in collective Red Sox memory. Just as White’s tip-in will live in Celtics memory. And Roberts’ steal seemed just as improbable, just as lucky. But was it luck that Roberts beat? On closer inspection, that ‘lucky’ steal, beating Posado’s throw by inches, was meticulously crafted. He was a pinch-runner, called up for the sole purpose of stealing second. Roberts’ calculated steal represented countless repetitions of learning how to get a strong lead, jump, and slide.
“Deep center field way back, way back, we’re tied up. The fans have come alive again.”
In the 1975 World Series, Bernie Carbo, an unlikely hero, stepped up in one of the greatest Boston sports moments. Fenway Park erupted as Carbo hit a three-run homer to tie World Series game six 6-6 in the eighth inning, cementing his legacy as a Boston hero.
Was Carbo’s at-bat luck, a gift to Red Sox fans, or rather a tactical move by manager Daryl Johnson, who inserted him as a pinch-hitter? Afterwards, Carbo said that even he felt lucky to have gotten the hit, as he’d almost struck out on the previous pitch—a nasty breaking ball up and in that he just managed to get his bat on. But Johnson pinch-hit Carbo for a reason, and his seemingly “lucky” heroics — White and Roberts as well — demonstrate skill and calculation that manifested in timely heroics, not dumb luck. Now none of these outcomes were guaranteed. But by correctly and consistently placing the right players in at the right time and place, the probability of winning outcomes are increased.
That isn’t to say some plays aren’t lucky. If you ask the fans at the 1984 match between the Boston College Eagles and the Miami Hurricanes in Miami, most would argue that Boston’s win was luck — and that Miami should have won. But, Doug Flutie had other plans, launching the football 48 yards for a time-expiring improbable “Hail Flutie.” That was closer to luck than leveraging one’s best. But if you ask Boston fans, though, the play was drawn up that way.
Fenway Park and the TD Garden aren’t the only places where these sport miracles happen. Defining moments can and do happen anywhere, from cricket fields in India to soccer pitches in Europe to little league baseball fields across the country. And in almost every case, these defining moments aren’t born of pure luck. They’re produced through consistent practice, thoughtful strategy, and timely execution. And almost any athlete is capable of these. You don’t need to be a superstar to become a hero.