One of my most meaningful experiences at Duke was taking a seminar with the late professor John Hope Franklin.
He was a revered historian of the Reconstruction era. Among his many awards is the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A building on Duke’s campus bears his name, and I still have my notes from his seminar and one of his books that he signed.
He once said, “Whatever you do, it must be done in the spirit of goodwill and mutual respect and even love. How else can we overcome the past and be worthy of our forebears and face the future with confidence and with hope?”
That course is just one example of how Duke introduced me to new people, new ideas and new perspectives and helped me understand who I wanted to be and why.
My Duke experience opened my eyes to the value of building strong relationships with people who may have very different backgrounds and points of view. It taught me that hard work, critical thinking skills and knowledge really do matter – as do strong values and empathy. These are principles that have guided my career at the NBA.
When I graduated from Duke more than 40 years ago, I thought my Duke experience was ending. In reality, it was just beginning. I have had the great fortune of shaking the hands of Duke basketball players at the NBA Draft as well as countless Duke graduates all around the world who are doing extraordinary things. I learned so much from this institution. It changed me in ways that I didn’t fully understand until years later. And it taught me to face the future “with confidence and with hope,” which has never been more important as we carry forward the mission of this great university.