In time of crisis, many athletes are taking central role in pulling people together and encouraging the community spirit. Greg Monroe talked about his experience during a life-threatening crisis in New Orleans, which was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The veteran center talked to EuroLeague.net about the maturity the situation brought up to every man and woman involved in the situation.
“I definitely looked at life through a bigger lens after that,” Monroe said as he was just a teenager as Katrina hit his hometown in New Orleans. “I appreciated things more. As a teenager, I was still maturing, and growing as a person. But I was old enough to understand everything that was happening and to go through something like that gave me a different outlook on life. Everyone who went through it came out more mature. You have to. You have to come out stronger in order to continue living your life.”
More specifically, Monroe underlined the importance of athletes as role models during the crisis. “And a lot of the sportsmen in the cities were great role models. Guys like Drew Brees and Chris Paul…the way they embraced the city and helped out in any way they could to speed up the recovery process. The city will always be grateful for what they did and the leadership they showed.
That stayed with me and now I try to give back as much as possible, carry myself in the right way and understand that being a professional athlete is a privilege. We have people looking up to us, so it’s a duty for us to set a good example for younger people,” Monroe added.
