True basketball fans know that defense is just as important as offense. This is embodied by New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones, who was given the NBA All-Rookie Second Team honor for his outstanding performance during the NBA 2021-2022 season. The NBA rookie became a sensation for his impressive defense skills, prompting Pelicans fans to coin the term “not on Herb” to refer to his immovability on the court.
AXA Philippines, one of the leading insurance providers in the country, recently supported longtime partner NBA Philippines and hosted Herb Jones in a fireside chat to talk about his life on and off the court, including how he keeps wellness going in his own life. Here are some of the things we learned from Jones that we can apply in our own lives to better our physical and mental wellbeing:
Good defense requires versatility. Life is full of curveballs – so while planning doesn’t hurt, adapting is just as, if not more, important. If you want to be good at defense, you have to be flexible to change. “[Good defense players] have to be tough minded and just being okay with sometimes losing on some positions. But they have to be ready at all times. They have to be versatile,” shared Jones.
Never dwell on mistakes too long. We will all have our highs and lows. For Jones, he prefers to not dwell on the latter too much. He said, “I try not to get too low if I have a bad performance. I just go back and rewatch the game and try to correct the things that I did wrong and keep trying to do things that I did right.” It’s okay to let yourself feel sad about a loss or a bad day at work, but it’s important to always pick yourself back up, talk to someone, and take what you can learn from these experiences. Failures are a part of growth.
Rest is an important part of training. Even professional athletes need time to recover, and this is something Jones strictly never misses, especially after grueling matches or intense training sessions. "I try to stretch a lot. I try not to miss any therapy sessions with the team and just stay on top of my massages and get the right amount of sleep,” shared Jones. According to the American Council on Exercise, a leading nonprofit organization certifying health coaches and exercise professionals, recovery is the most important part of any person’s exercise program as it prevents injuries and allows your muscles to adapt to the stresses it just underwent in order to grow stronger.
Stay humble. While there’s nothing wrong with celebrating your well-deserved wins, it's important to not let them get to your head. Jones shared that one thing his parents always told him is that “success can be just as detrimental as failing” if you let it get to you. This can lead to excessive pride, which can cause you to stop working hard and stop learning. “After a good game, I try not to get too high on my performance. I just try to stay even-keeled,” shared Jones.
It’s okay to change paths. Did you know that Jones also played football? While he started playing basketball at four, he also played football in eighth grade but decided to focus solely on basketball. He worked hard throughout his high school years until he earned a college scholarship. Like Jones, we are free to decide which path to pursue and work hard to excel in it.
AXA and NBA Philippines have been partners since 2017 and are one in advocating for the value of powering up your game plan and having a strong defense when it comes to one’s health and wellbeing. Nandy Villar, AXA Philippines Chief Marketing Officer shared, “AXA Philippines’ goal is to make people understand that success is achieved through strength in both mind and body. Through our continuous partnership with NBA Philippines, we hope to instill this thinking to more Filipinos, who are known avid basketball fans, to help them live their life to their fullest potential.”
AXA Philippines encourages everyone to “Keep Wellness Going” by doing what you love while keeping you and your loved ones protected. It promotes enjoying a long, productive, and fruitful life by caring for one’s health and wellbeing.
