The Ethics of Hard Work

In 1905 German sociologist and philosopher Max Weber published his most famous essay “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism“. In his essay Weber claimed that Protestantism, due to its nature, leads to the creation of “Protestant Ethics“. This ethic suggests that self-salvation should come through hard work. The phrase "work ethic" used in modern commentary is a derivative of "Protestant Ethics" discussed by Weber. But at this point you might ask, what does a 19th century sociologist has to do with modern basketball? And here’s your answer:

During pre-season many players brag about their hard work in off-season. Maybe it’s a basketball cliché, but some players talk about their intense training as if they were expecting an award for it. And each of those seemingly never-ending interviews demonstrate Weber’s claim that hard work is considered as virtue by society and, in this case, by basketball players as well.

But when it comes to basketball, hard work is not a virtue. It is a must. Hard work is the main means to develop and sharpen your talents. No player has ever received a million-dollar contract just because he is working hard. It is the talent that makes the difference. However of course, you have to work hard in order to strengthen your talent and keep it growing. Hard work is therefore not a virtue, but rather a necessary requirement for the job of a professional basketball player. Coach Charles Barton once described it well: “Hard work should be like having a driver’s license, it allows you to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle“.

The pre-season ends now. When the season, the real deal, will begin we will be able to figure out who really worked hard during summer and who just bragged about it.