Former NHL player P.K. Subban: ‘If you’re really about it, if you’re really about sports, then you’re about two things: Your teammates and the fans. And I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter how much money you’re making. When you do not show up to play, you’re letting your teammates down. When you do not show up to play you’re letting the fans down that are paying you 40, 50, 60 million. I don’t care if you’re getting 300 million, congratulations, but these people in here are paying $2,500 a ticket, five grand, that are blue-collar, hard-working people. If you don’t get your head wrapped around that you shouldn’t be in pro sports, because how are we going to grow? How do we expect you to be an example? Well guess what, you don’t want to be? you are one. You’re on the biggest stage, you just said it, they make the most money, you’re an example. you got to show up. You gotta take that on. I’m sick and tired of making athletes greats, all-time greats, that are not the best examples. Those are the people that we want our kids, athletes to follow. That helps us in our game. Stephen A. Smith, you want athletes to be educated on this and understand this. They gotta understand the importance of showing up at the All-Star Game, and being on the court, and playing banged-up sometimes, and playing injured maybe at times, and participating. Because here’s the thing: because you’re making 100, 200, 300 million, you should be out there banged up. That’s why we pay you, is to max out. We talk about greatness and the longevity of somebody’s career. I don’t care if you play 50 years. I want your best 10. I want you on the court dominating. I want you to go all-out. I want Michael Jordan, I want Kobe Bryant. That’s what I want on every sport. That’s the guy that I follow. If you’re a different version than that, you don’t have my respect.’ -via reddit / February 21, 2025