The life of an athlete is an extremely tough one. Whether it’s on-court production or off-court drama, it is a life of constant stress. However, these highly skilled individuals can turn to a number of sources for comfort. Whether it be motivation, introspection, or just inspiration, they need something to keep them going. So, having a chance to dig deep into the mind and psyche of a living legend like Dwyane Wade is an opportunity not many would pass up on.
For the league leader in game-winning drives in 2022,?the Flash?became an unexpected, yet welcome, source of inspiration.
Dwyane Wade continues to inspire the next generation
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Over the years, Wade has become a mentor to a number of athletes. While most are basketball players, those aren’t the only lives that he has touched. Whether the Miami Heat or the Utah Jazz, players from both organizations have benefitted greatly due to DWade’s presence.
However, it was an unexpected team from Minnesota that got help from the 3x NBA champion. While Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves continues to draw comparisons to him, it was the Minnesota Vikings‘ Kirk Cousins that found some much-needed help in the Heat legend’s autobiography.
While his team was sitting comfortably at 9-2, the team had seen a few tough weeks. Prior to barely beating the lowly New England Patriots, the Vikings suffered a brutal loss courtesy of the Dallas Cowboys. In the match, the final score read 40-3. As a result, Cousins was at his lowest and looked for a source of hope.
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As the first-of-its-kind documentary on Netflix explains, he went to his common comfort zone. A cafe-cum-bookstore. While looking for a light-read, Cousins came across the photographic memoir by Dwyane Wade. As he explained, the 11-year veteran is prone to spending upwards of 8 hours scrolling through a book. But this particular copy brought back memories.
“I used to read books like this as a high school athlete, wondering what it was like to be at this level of Dwyane Wade… But now… More wondering how he went about his business different from me…It’s a different perspective how when you read it… You see it less like a fan and more like a businessman, or just a human being,” Cousins stated.
The following week, the 34-year-old was back to form, beating an upstart New York Jets team to improve to 10-2. However, it seems like the quarterback might need to go back to the book for some further inspiration.
Kirk Cousins snubbed by his own teammate?
The NFL quarterback position grows ever tougher. Historically, the most important position on the field continues to see big names join its ranks. So, naturally, exclusion from a top-any-number list can feel like a snub. For Kirk Cousins, he probably never expected his own teammate, Justin Jefferson, to join the ranks of detractors.
While he’s always been an afterthought for the media, a snub from your own teammate has to hurt. Gymnastic sensation Olivia Dunne’s rumored beau named his top 5 quarterbacks entering next season. Unsurprisingly, Kansas City Chiefs stud Patrick Mahomes sat atop the list. Following him were AFC stalwarts, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.
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Jared Goff & Justin fields GW drives in 2022: 5
Kirk cousins GW drives in 2022: 8 (nfl record)
I mean…come on lol pic.twitter.com/mhbqJpf6Vv
— Sean Kenner (@SK_NFL) July 10, 2023
Further, fresh off a Super Bowl masterpiece was Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, and the omnipresent Aaron Rodgers. While all the names bear merit on the list, perhaps a discussion between Rodgers and Cousins could be had. However, Aaron’s mediocre season came after back-to-back MVP campaigns. Arguing over the choice gets a little tough.
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Hopefully, Kirk can continue his stellar play from this year and claim his spot on top-5 lists the league over. At the very least, we know he has an invaluable source of inspiration with Dwyane Wade.