The 3 Traits You NEED to Thrive in the Sports Industry

Tim Duncan’s standing among the GOATs of basketball is experiencing a revival as younger generations of NBA fans enter the conversation that may not have seen him on the court much. Following the 2016 season, Duncan retired as a clear top-15 player of all time. Yet, TikTokers and other NBA influencers look solely at his resume, filled with championships and individual accolades, allowing Duncan to creep into the top-5 convo.

How does this debate about The Big Fundamental tie into sports career advice? Well, it has nothing to do with Gen Z starting to overrate the big man’s achievements, but rather one thing that is absolutely undeniable about Duncan. He embodied three traits that separated him from his peers as a player, and they are the same three traits YOU NEED to thrive in your sports career:

Curiosity.

Coachability.

Competitiveness.

These three indispensable qualities will make you an employer’s favorite, just like they made Tim Duncan the best player to coach.

In this episode, Brian Clapp breaks down what those attributes mean in the workplace instead of on the court. He’ll guide you to strategically show off these traits by asking questions, taking feedback well, and showing your drive to succeed in your sports career. These displays of humility and motivation can sometimes outweigh raw talent in your field.

Your performance can be quantified in the data-driven world of the sports industry, but your value can exceed the raw numbers if you put forth the right attitude. Duncan put up nearly 20 and 10 for his entire career, but Gregg Popovich says, “I miss most, his presence. That’s got nothing to do with points, or rebounds or blocked shots. His presence.”

When corny job applications include language like “looking for superstars,” I immediately think of larger-than-life athletes like Lebron, Shaq, and Jordan... not the camera-shy Spurs legend, but healthy work environments in the sports industry thrive on Tim Duncans.