Welcome back to the Mentors and Moguls podcast with your host, Heather Stone! Today’s guest is a real treat--George “the Iceman” Gervin, one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA and San Antonio Spurs legend. George is sitting down to chat with us about what makes him tick--his motivations, what gets him up in the morning, and what he’s doing now.
What gets George up in the morning is deceptively simple. It’s the sun. The longer you sleep, he says, the less you are helping somebody. He feels that his responsibility as an older man to show a younger man how to be the best they can be. Leading by example is the way to go. When he talks about mentors, he thinks we need more of them. Sometimes younger people can get lost and need someone to show them where to go.
On days when he didn’t have the motivation to get up, he is reminded of his love of life. He knows we’re here for a short time and he wants to make his impact in the world while he’s here. As an athlete, he wanted to be one of the best. That took work. It’s the same way in life. Having a solid foundation opens the way for your future.
He talks about his organization in San Antonio, where he helps underprivileged children. He opened the George Gervin Youth Center as a space to provide programming to the local community. From there, he opened two charter schools, K-12, with over 2000 students. Education is what life is all about--and giving back is the best way for George to do that.
At the end of the day, George knows he’s spending his time the right way when parents, former students, and fans come up to him and tell them the impact he has made on their lives. You can’t ask for a better gift.
Things You’ll Learn
In today’s episode, you’ll learn about what the famed George “the Iceman” Gervin’s motivations are, what gets him up in the morning, what lets him sleep at night, and the in’s and out’s of his philosophies on life.
