Professional athletes love to try their hand at other sports. And why not? Most off them are at their absolute physical peak, and many of those fundamental skills translate into other sports. Not only that, these stars often lettered in other sports during their high school careers.
Some still harbor dreams of crossing over into other leagues, in the tradition of Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson. LeBron, for instance, has often talked wistfully about his dream of playing in the NFL. But those two-sport stars are a rare breed indeed, especially at the professional level.
And sometimes, efforts to venture into other sports can have disastrous results. Take Nate Robinson, for instance. The three-time dunk champ was, by all accounts, a very gifted high school football and even tried for the NFL after his NBA days were over. That didn’t quite work out, but it also didn’t stop Nate from searching out new adventures, the latest of which ended in a brutal knockout at the hands of YouTuber Jake Paul earlier this month during an exhibition boxing match.
Still, Nate is taking it all in stride, as evidenced by his latest commercial for StockX:
Here’s more from the official press release:
“It’s important for me to partner with brands that value authenticity and credibility. As a sneakerhead myself, I know StockX is legit. For me, this campaign is a way to show people that not everything is going to come easy; you’re not going to win every time, and that’s okay. If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s the importance of standing up and continuing to fight. Through this spot, ‘Find Your Win,’ and with the help of StockX, I want people to understand that you can take an L and still stand up prideful, with your chin high and a smile on your face, ready for the next venture.”
First of all, it’s good to see he’s doing well, health wise. For all the jokes made at his expense in the aftermath of the fight, there was reason for legitimate concern for his well-being, given the vicious blow that sent him to the mat unconscious. Second, Nate deserves major props for getting in the ring to begin with, but most important, showing poise in defeat and a willingness to embrace something that could haunt for years to come if he lets it.