Milwaukee Bucks Guard Pat Connaughton on Putting in the Work When No One is Watching and Creating a Legacy Bigger Than Himself

As a high school two-sport athlete in baseball and basketball, Pat Connaughton was not getting the attention from division one schools he desired--that is, until he began putting in the work. 

In this episode, you will hear from Pat Connaughton, a current NBA player with the Milwaukee Bucks, and former Portland Trailblazer shooting guard on how he used an ultimatum from his dad in high school about whether to work construction or train from 9 am to 3 pm to grow his sports career in baseball and basketball.

You will also get insight into why Connaughton never limits himself to one area and why he’s watering the bamboo so he can build something much bigger and long-lasting that he as an individual. 

Don’t miss this insightful conversation with Pat Connaughton, a Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard, and rising real estate mogul!

Episode Highlights:

00:45 - Pat’s Water the Bamboo story 02:41 - The ultimatum Pat’s father gave him his junior year in high school 03:55 - The loneliness of putting in the work behind the scene 09:19 - Why Pat created the With Us Foundation 13:52 - How Notre Dame has changed Pat’s life 16:03 - Pat reflecting on challenges along the way 19:42 - Pat’s real estate side hustle 28:05 - Where Pat learned to work on something bigger than himself 31:57 - Comparing Milwaukee to Portland 33:35 - Advice Pat would give to his 15-year-old self 35:45 - On losing in the NBA bubble when favored to win 38:32 - Participating in the 2020 dunk contest

Guest at a Glance

Pat Connaughton is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he primarily plays as a shooting guard.

Connaughton previously played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball and men's basketball teams. He was selected by the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. The Brooklyn Nets selected him in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft and traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Notable Quotes

“My dad kind of gave me an ultimatum, he said, you can work for me on my construction sites, which I did in junior high school, or you can work in the gym and really dedicate yourself to basketball. If that's what you want, but it's going to have to be for the same hours that you would be working for me.” “You can say, I want to be a professional athlete, but what are the actions behind the scenes that you're taking?” “What are the things on a daily basis that you can continue to water and continue to get better at so that you can, can continue to grow?” “Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. What you do with those 24 hours and how you work towards whatever it is you claim that you want to achieve is going to decide if you have the ability to accomplish that.” “I want to make sure that I can use my platform to shed light on that to the next generation, in order to help them understand with hard work, with dedication, with a little bit of energy and effort there's nothing that's not attainable.” “It was really important to give back because I didn't get here on my own. The coaches that I had, the people that surrounded me, my teammates, my mentors--they helped me get to where I am, and I realized it wasn't just me.” “There's adversity throughout all areas of life, no matter who you are or what you do.” “When your goals are lofty and they're high, there's always going to be reasons why people say you can't do it. The more times people say you can't do it, the more fuel to the fire it is for me.” “My mom ingrained it in me as a kid. She always said, do your best, and don't limit yourself to one area. Make sure you do your best in every area.” On having a family-like culture on his Portland and Milwaukie teams: “That's when I think you play your best, because you're not just playing for yourself on the team; you're playing for the guy next to you, who you don't just know him as the guy that can shoot three-pointers, you know, him as a guy who has a wife and three kids.” “I want to do whatever I can to help make this guy next to me successful because of the time generosity and things that he's done for me.” “You learn a lot more from losing than you do winning[…] when you win, you go about your business[…]when you lose, all of those areas become magnified.” “It's never too late to start Watering the Bamboo.”

Learn more about Greg Bell

More than just a motivational speaker, Greg Bell is a thought leader, business consultant, and leadership coach. He provides highly engaging virtual keynotes & trainings. His popular books, What’s Going Well? and Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals, have inspired an array of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies like Nike, and Disney, to the Portland Trail Blazers and Division I NCAA athletic teams like the Oregon Ducks Football and the Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball. 

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