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The background of the "dream"speech I posted above.
If I were Donald Trump's speechwriter, this is the team talk I would suggest
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The president seems incapable of uniting the country. So, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on America, I wrote him a speech
@KAJ33
Tue 12 May 2020 20.00 AEST Last modified on Wed 13 May 2020 01.52 AEST
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John Wooden coached Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at UCLA. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive
There’s a moment near the end of most sports movies when the coach gives a heartfelt pep talk right before the crucial game. The coach will use words like “heart,” “honor,” and “teamwork”. Everything that happens on the court or field after that is a bit of a letdown because victory – whether on the scoreboard or of the spirit – seems inevitable after the speech. To movie audiences, these moments may seem corny, but in real life, when someone you admire and respect speaks, their words can have a great impact. I certainly listened when coaches I respected, such as John Wooden, spoke at crucial points during my career. Inspiring people to be their best is what great coaches – and great politicians – do. It’s one of the qualities that makes them great.
For the past few months, this country has faced a formidable opponent in Covid-19. It’s been kicking our butts across every state and the statistics are only getting worse. America has a deep bench of expertise and we know how to come together as a team when we need to. Yet, faced with uncomfortable truths and frightening inconsistencies in leadership, we’ve started to unravel here and there. Rather than pull together in a crisis, we’re fighting each other. And that’s leading to even more deaths.
One thing we could use right now is a passionate rallying speech from our president that inspires us all to do the right thing, not just for ourselves, but for our country. It is the speech Trump should deliver, not because he wants to be reelected, but because it would address the country’s major concerns, end the political squabbling, provide a reasonable plan going forward, and give Americans confidence that their government is working to protect their health and economic concerns. It needs to be the speech of a statesman not a, well, Trump. If I were Trump’s speechwriter, using the lessons I learned from great talks I heard in my basketball career, this is what I would give him to deliver:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/may/12/kareem-abdul-jabbar-covid-19-donald-trump
If I were Donald Trump's speechwriter, this is the team talk I would suggest
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The president seems incapable of uniting the country. So, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on America, I wrote him a speech
@KAJ33
Tue 12 May 2020 20.00 AEST Last modified on Wed 13 May 2020 01.52 AEST
Shares
1,679
John Wooden coached Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at UCLA. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive
There’s a moment near the end of most sports movies when the coach gives a heartfelt pep talk right before the crucial game. The coach will use words like “heart,” “honor,” and “teamwork”. Everything that happens on the court or field after that is a bit of a letdown because victory – whether on the scoreboard or of the spirit – seems inevitable after the speech. To movie audiences, these moments may seem corny, but in real life, when someone you admire and respect speaks, their words can have a great impact. I certainly listened when coaches I respected, such as John Wooden, spoke at crucial points during my career. Inspiring people to be their best is what great coaches – and great politicians – do. It’s one of the qualities that makes them great.
For the past few months, this country has faced a formidable opponent in Covid-19. It’s been kicking our butts across every state and the statistics are only getting worse. America has a deep bench of expertise and we know how to come together as a team when we need to. Yet, faced with uncomfortable truths and frightening inconsistencies in leadership, we’ve started to unravel here and there. Rather than pull together in a crisis, we’re fighting each other. And that’s leading to even more deaths.
One thing we could use right now is a passionate rallying speech from our president that inspires us all to do the right thing, not just for ourselves, but for our country. It is the speech Trump should deliver, not because he wants to be reelected, but because it would address the country’s major concerns, end the political squabbling, provide a reasonable plan going forward, and give Americans confidence that their government is working to protect their health and economic concerns. It needs to be the speech of a statesman not a, well, Trump. If I were Trump’s speechwriter, using the lessons I learned from great talks I heard in my basketball career, this is what I would give him to deliver:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/may/12/kareem-abdul-jabbar-covid-19-donald-trump