We are ten days away from the first NFL Preseason game so now would be a good time to get your pads and helmet dusted off. 10 days. YEEEEESH.

Lost last week was this ultra deep Joel Embiid feature: Joel Embiid sees you

It’s a 30 minute read on the entirety of Joel’s life, career, and future. It is NOT a fun read, but perhaps an important one. Embiid’s lived an isolating experience since coming to America, but also maybe has tendencies that perpetuate that isolation. He’s a homebody. He struggles to trust others. His relationship with the Sixers started poorly, got worse, and never lived up to expectations. There’s too much for me to unpack in this space, but the article reads more like something written shortly before a player retires. Embiid signed a 3yr/$192m extension last offseason. It locked up his tenure in Philly for 5 seasons (he had 2 years remaining on his prior deal). After reading the piece, I can’t understand why these two parties keep doing business with each other.

Zach Lowe broke down some of the Sixers situation in this podcast. He has no optimism for Philly’s position in the East even if they have 3 or 4 promising Young Players. To sum it up, Embiid can’t physically perform for an entire season let alone playoffs. He’s tied his contract to their cap sheet. Paul George is 35 and equally expensive. What is a team that won’t make the Finals, has good young guards, is expensive, and not entirely fun in any capacity? Woof - of the bleak situations in the NBA, this might be the most emotional.

Speaking of Nihilism, Scott Scheffler raised eyebrows by saying that winning major golf tournaments isn’t fulfilling. He proceeded to blitz the field at Portrush and capture his first Open Championship. The data behind Scottie’s run is pouring in and staggering. He’s on pace to earn $100m in the last 20 months. Scheff switched to a mallet putter 32 tournaments ago, and he’s promptly won 13 since. His game is entirely complete.

These aren’t new comments from Scheffler. He’s long held that his Faith trumps personal golf success. He’s a new father and enjoys spending time with the family. His comments could be unsettling for people my age (or older) who were raised in an athletic prism defined by Kobe, Tiger, and the Patriots (Belichick plus Brady). In reality, Scheffler could be the anti-Tiger. Tiger’s religious competitiveness on the course could have been his undoing off it. Scottie’s religious discipline off the course, his ability to separate success from self-worth, and his prodigious talent could be what propels him to 20 majors. There’s lessons to learn from all of this. For one, athletes aren’t Idols. Two, press conferences aren’t always the best medium to distill internal dialogue. Three, most importantly, Scheffler’s demeanor, thinking, and winning remind me most of John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. Scheffler isn’t the next Tiger or the next Jack, but he might be the next Wooden whether he knows it or not.