It's (not) all about the money

152,605,576 million dollars. That’s the incredible amount of money that in last summer made Mike Conley the highest paid player in the NBA (even if just for a few weeks), laying a discrete pressure on his shoulders and starting again infinite talks about how many money ends in NBA players’ pockets. What is never highlighted enough, especially on this side of the ocean, it's how the sports' commitment - as we saw, properly compensated - is associated with social work, with local hospitals and structures, private associations and foundations. And can you guess who is one of the most committed players about this? Right him, Mike Conley.

Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard is unanimously considered as one of the most sportsmanlike people in the NBA, both in and outside the field. Ohio State’s product has already won two times the NBA Sportsmanship Award, a sort of alternative MVP for players who prove themselves attentive to community’s need and involved in activities organized by NBA Cares, the league’s program which takes care of this sort of things. Conley’s efforts in supporting his community are many, from raising awareness about rare pathologies to giving shoes to unprivileged children, stepping by the dozen of basketball clinics hold in his free time.

And maybe this awards can satisfy Conley even more than other ones more prestigious. For sure, Grizzlies’ number 11 is determined to conquer those as well, even if this year his team won’t likely be in championship talks. Even with his determination during games, Conley managed to avoid a single technical foul on the court in his whole career, an amazing stat. To be fair, he got called for a technical once, but that got rescinded after the game. For everyone who thinks that NBA is “just business”, that’s a nice demonstration of the opposite, even more meaningful as coming from one the highest paid players in the league. For sure Conley is hoping to win something sometimes for his work on the court, but in the meantime, he has already conquered a special place in people’s hearts that are important to him: his supporters and all the citizens of Memphis.