How To Teach and How to Learn

“Tim Duncan is likely the great power forward in the history of the NBA. Five titles. Three NBA Finals MVPs. Fifteen All-star appearances. Fifteen All-NBA Team selections. Fifteen NBA All-Defensive Team selections. And he did it with a selflessness and poise that is almost unmatched.”Ryan explains why living your philosophy is so important. Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/emailFollow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and FacebookSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 📢 Share | ⚙️ Manage Subscription

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:04Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, where each day we bring you a passage of ancient wisdom designed to help you find strength, insight, and wisdom in everyday life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at DailyStoic.com. How to teach and how to learn. Tim Duncan is likely the greatest power forward in the history of the NBA. Five titles, three NBA titles, MVPs, 15 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA Team selections, 15 NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He had the most devastating

• 0:46Ryan Holiday?

  turnaround jumper off the glass that basketball has ever seen, and he did it with a selflessness and a poise that is almost unmatched. "Almost" is the operative word, of course, because Duncan was helped along on his journey to greatness by his predecessor and teammate, David Robinson. How did these two superstars connect? How did one mentor the other? Duncan, who was recently inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame, explained, "People always ask, 'What did he tell you? What did he show you? I don't remember one thing we sat down and talked about specifically," he said. "But what he did was he was a consummate pro. He was an incredible father. He was an incredible person, and he showed me how to be a good

• 1:30Ryan Holiday?

  teammate, a great person to the community, all those things, not by sitting there and telling me how to do it, but by being that." The Stoics said, "We're better off embodying our philosophy rather than talking about it." Marcus Aurelius said that "It was a waste of time to speculate or argue about what makes a good man, a good athlete, a good teammate. Our job," he said, "was be one." Similarly, the famous screenwriter's maxim is, "Show, don't tell."

• 2:00Ryan Holiday?

  And it is this that explains the incredible culture of the San Antonio Spurs, beginning with David Robinson, who tutored Tim Duncan by example, who in turn instructed Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who in turn instructed Patty Mills, the last remaining player from that championship run, who is in turn modeling for a team of newer, younger players. And this is how it goes in sports, in life, for parents. Sure, we can talk all we want. We can have great conversations, but what matters is what we model. What matters is what we are for ourselves. And of course, for those looking up to us.

• 2:43Ryan Holiday?

  Thanks so much for listening to the Daily Stoic Podcast. Again, if you don't know this, you can get these delivered to you via email every day. So check it out at dailystoic.com/email.