Probably my favourite quote from Friedrich Nietzsche, a philosopher, cultural critic, composer and poet who contributed profoundly to the world view dominating most of the world at present. Friedrich draws much from Greek mythology, curiously choosing to focus on the harbinger of ambiguity and maybe even a bit of chaos Dionysus (ancient Greek God of wine, religious ecstasy and fertility) as opposed to Apollo (music, poetry, light, prophecy and medicine). He was also one of the first thinkers to really consider what a secular society would look like, not just for individual but for a broader society that may possibly be untethered from a common set of religious values. In an age where so much of the focus was on the afterlife, this new focus on the here and now was profound.

His legacy was somewhat tarnished by his sister’s association with the Nazi regime and subsequent reposturing of his works after his passing to suit that purpose. According to those that have studied his works this was completely against the spirit of his work.

Some consider the Thus Spoke Zarathustra to be the intellectual arc of his work. The concept of the Ubermensch or Beyond Man is introduced in this work. Nietzsche intended for this concept to stand for and an individual living by his own moral code and a steadfast purpose. In this enlightened position, the Ubermensch is dedicated solely to the advancement and betterment of humanity. The idea has of course been interpreted in many ways, the most pertinent leading this concept being the basis for Superman, the comic superhero most are familiar with. The Ubermensch was not intended was intended as some kind of a basis for a superior human being physical or otherwise, but this has not stopped people from interpreting it in this manner. The idealisation of sports stars also at times some thing that would fall in that ambit.

Living in a world still in the midst of Covid-19, the Netflix chronicle of Michael Jordan The Last Dance for all its criticisms (see later) has probably been the pop culture high point to a world that has been starved of sports. An avid basketball fan and resident couch commentator I must say I have quite enjoyed how the sport entered the mainstream of the conversation recently. My personal favourite moment was the beginning of episode 6, MJ hits a turn around fade away jump shot over a 19-year-old Kobe Bryant. For superstar shooting guards entering the league, post moves are traditionally one of the last skill sets acquired by them, so this particular shot was seminal in my mind. MJ welcoming Kobe into the league with a skill he has yet to acquire. The two would go one to develop a very strong mentor, mentee relationship.

Beyond the Netflix series though the sports industry has a life of its own, billions of dollars with a 24-hour narrative. In my quiet moments I have wondered what could be so absorbing about someone’s ability to run faster than the next person, get a ball in a basket or dribble past another person to kick a ball into a net.

There are many answers, ranging all the way from the need to coalesce around certain banners, ideas, area codes and flags to the joy the comes from seeing someone execute a skill at a very high level. At its best there is an element of artistry in the way Zinedine Zidane could caress a ball or LeBron James’s ability to pass the ball exactly in the pocket required by a teammate. Perhaps we are also all misinterpreting the Ubermensch again, these are after all the strongest, fastest and most skilled amongst us. In many quarters The Last Dance has been criticized for not only telling a very once sided biased story but also attempting to make a myth out of a man who was fallible like all men.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

Another Nietzsche gem influencing my personal view on the issue, behind every winner and champion lies an obstacle they had to overcome be it circumstantial or perceived. For Michael Jordan it was the Bad Boy Pistons, LeBron the pressure of expectation in 2011, Jerry West the 1960s Boston Celtics he lost to six times and Pele poverty earlier in his life and the later weight of a country traumatised by the unexpected loss of a home World Cup final in 1950. To me the high point of what an athlete can be and what sports can come to represent is Mohammed Ali. Nimble, entertaining and the peak of his powers the best. All that while being acutely aware of what he represented to many across the world.

Consciously or not these stories of overcoming are reference points for own challenges, as for a moment perhaps these athletes become the Ubermensch that Nietzsche intended, digging deep to find clarity to execute to the best of their ability, the best of ourselves.