The Class of John Salmons

[.GR]

The NBA is a select group of the finest basketball players in the world. They have the great fortune to play a game they love and make a pleasant living doing it. Despite their tremendous talent and fame, they are normal people. People you and I can relate to. John Salmons is one of the most versatile swingmen in the NBA, but what he stands for is far more admirable than his ability on the court.


Inside a nice hotel room, looking out to the picturesque mountains on the horizon of the cityscape that surrounds the Victorian confines, John Salmons is discussing life. Not the state of the Kings, offensive and defensive sets, not even the impending game just hours away. Simply put -- his walk in life.

Resting in his Kings uniting adidas athletic apparel, with his legs stretched out on the marble floor, Salmons sits comfortably in an old fashioned chair. The chair doesn't look like a comforting piece of furniture, but Salmons, himself, is comfortable in it. He has every reason to be. He married his long-time sweet-heart Taniesha just one year ago, he plays professional basketball for a living and he's playing the game better than he ever has at the highest level.

Despite the NBA clothing that marks his belonging and the plentiful surroundings the game has provided, John's maturity is something that has developed.


John grew up dreaming of being where he is today. In fact, his dream was shared by his friends that he still maintains. They've always called him Buck, short for Young Buck. He was bestowed the nickname as the youngest of the crew he hung out with as a young boy. Together they learned to play and love the game of basketball.

"We would play the game if there wasn’t an NBA," Salmons said. "So playing is always great. But I think that the privilege of playing in the league is the greatest thing about being in the NBA. There are only 400 people a year in the league. I have people, who are close to me, and we grew up having the same dream of making it to the NBA. And they didn’t make it. I see the other side, when you dream and you get out of college and you don’t make it. I think that’s the biggest thing. The greatest privilege is to be in the NBA and put on a jersey everyday."


With such a tremendous gift and devotion to the game, John grew emotional with wins and losses as he matured. Unfortunately his emotional rollercoaster, due to wins and losses, took a toll on him and his teammates. As everyone does, new to the workforce, he had to improve his ability to handle the highs and lows that come with tremendous competition.

"I try not to get too high or too low," Salmons assured. "When I first got in the league, I was all over the place. If I had a good game, I was super hot and if I had a bad game, I was super low. If I was miserable, everybody else was going to be miserable. But the older I've gotten, I've learned. Now I just try to stay even-keeled."

While his emotion doesn't get the best of him like it once did, 82-plus times per year, John still doesn't take losses lightly. He, literally, cannot stand losing. Following a loss, John, routinely, will be the last guy sitting in the locker room slumped in his chair with his towel draped over his head and his entire uniform still on. The look isn't synonymous with his emotional state -- it's just his way of reflecting.


"One thing I do know, it all comes with experience and growing," Salmons said relating the game to life. "As a Christian and as a man, I just know that God is going to do what he does. It’s not me. If I’m averaging 20 points, it’s not really me doing it. I enjoy it and I want to play well. When I play bad I’m mad about it, but I know that at the end of the day He’s going to do what He does."

Embracing his God-given ability, John sets out to play as best he can with the knowledge that he was given the tools to excel in basketball.

Is it tough to live the NBA dream with that at the forefront of one's every action? Absolutely, John said, but there is a reason he is able persevere.

"I wouldn’t be able to do anything, if I didn't have faith," Salmons said compassionately. "I would be lost. That’s all I got. The money, the NBA, the cars and all that other stuff – all I got is faith. All that other stuff doesn’t do anything for me.


He leads by example in life and on the hardwood. For Salmons, one of the greatest aspects away from the game itself is the relationships he's built with his teammates.

"We talk about basketball a little bit," Salmons said of his friendship with Shareef Abdur-Rahim. "We talk about whatever’s going on in the world. We talk about religion a lot. We talk about Muslims and Christianity and we talk about the differences."

Having teammates with varying beliefs expand his knowledge and reality -- something that playing the game with people from all over the globe does too.

"It helps me see their side of it," Salmons said. "They keep me accountable of my beliefs, and that’s a good thing."

No matter what the daily conjecture is, John and his teammates are a cohesive unit. Comrades with an even stronger bond because of the turbulence they have preserved through to begin the 2007-08 season.


"I think we’ve grown because we’ve had so much adversity early," Salmons said. "With that, it's helped us come together and grow as a team."

Having support through the trying times is something that everyone can appreciate. The bond is one aspect that makes the Kings a unique team. Not all teams are a close-knit bunch. Those relationships, along with making a positive influence on others, truly inspire John. It has taken all 28 years of his life to gain that noble perspective.

"I just want my teammates to say, 'he was a good teammate'," Salmons said humbly. "I want to represent my family, represent my faith. Anybody who comes to the league wants to leave their mark. They want to be all-stars and all that stuff. I have aspirations to do all that stuff, but I think that the more I grow, that stuff is not really anything. It would be nice, but at the end of the day, I would rather just be a good person, a good player, a good teammate. That’s it."

In life, like Salmons does on the court, he puts his head down and bravely goes about it, striving to grow and learn every day. Ultimately, the Kings fans win, because they get to see him put on performances like he did against the Jazz -- scoring 13-straight points to helps spur the Kings to victory at ARCO Arena.

Whether he's living life to make a positive impact on those around him, or putting his trademark headband on and driving to the bucket, one thing is certain -- John's class outshines all else.

nba.com

 

[.GR]

We need more of these types of players in the NBA.