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Ubuntu: Learning from the Celtics

Written by The Editor

Friday, 20 June 2008

UBUNTU is a humanist Philosophy that teaches the value of togetherness/selflessness as opposed to individuality/selfishness– “I am because we are.”

Bishop Desmond Tutu said:

“ A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.” Ubuntu treasures the whole rather than the part; the we rather than the I.

Ubuntu as a concept was exhibited in the recently concluded NBA finals, which the Boston Celtics won in spectacular fashion. The Celtics blew away the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has arguably the best individual player today– Kobe Bryant.

At the beginning of the season, the Celtics acquired two great all-star players, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join their resident superstar Paul Pierce. Immediately questions arose about their efficiency as a team, having three superstars with huge egos playing for one team. Celtics coach Doc Rivers quelled all questions by introducing Ubuntu. The team always chanted Ubuntu before games, reminding themselves to play as a team– work as a whole.

The three Celtics superstars and the other members of the team lived the philosophy all throughout the season, never thinking of their individual gifts and instead thought about the whole team. In doing so, these all stars sacrificed their individual stats for the good of the whole team. They were never concerned of their own greatness– they were focused on winning it all as a team. It was Ubuntu at work.

The series against the Lakers was a classic battle between Ubuntu and its opposite philosophy– individualism.

Kobe Bryant once scored 81 points and single handedly broke down every team that got ini his way. He was and still is the poster boy of individualism.

Then Bryant faced the Boston Celtics. Ubuntu annihilated Bryant and the Lakers.
The Celtics were a complete team from reserves to starters, all contributing to defeat the almighty one. It was all against one, and one was obliterated. Ubuntu triumphed.

We believe in Ubuntu. We believe in the concept of community and team. We believe that an individual can only accomplish so much, but a team working together can accomplish the impossible.

This Labor Day Weekend, we all have a chance to show Ubuntu.
We can show everyone that our community of artists in North America live on this philosophy. We can show everyone that no individual can single-handedly elevate our scene without the support of the community. We show the world, again, that we are one.

So to us here in New Jersey all the Filipino artists from, Illinois, Canada, Washington DC, New Jersey, California, Georgia, and Maryland, that are converging in New York for Rock in the Box weekend, on August 29 and 30, let the power of Ubuntu live our hearts.

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