Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony recently channeled his inner “Ted Lasso” when offering rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner advice after their first game on Wednesday.
The popular show, which stars Jason Sudeikis as a football coach in England, is often commended for its positive messages and uplifting themes. The series was nominated for 20 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Comedy Series and several others.
In one scene, Sudeikis’ character, Ted Lasso, was seen giving advice to a younger player, named Sam Obisanya. He had struggled in a practice drill and Lasso pulled him aside and relayed a message about having a short-term memory and moving on to the next play.
Lasso: ‘Hey, Sam! Come here a second.’
Obisanya: ‘Coach, I’m sorry.’
Lasso: ‘Do you know what the happiest animal on earth is? A goldfish. You know why?’
Obisanya: ‘No.’
Lasso: ‘They have a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish, Sam.’
The message is the same one Anthony delivered to his rookie teammates.
I just told them to keep their heads up. It’s a long, 82-game season. You can’t let one game get you in a funk for the next six games. (Then) you play seven bad games, you can’t let that happen.
You gotta have a short-term memory. It’s something my dad would tell me and I saw on this show, ‘Ted Lasso’ — You gotta be a goldfish. Be a goldfish, have a 10-second memory and forget about that. Obviously, they’ll learn from it but forget about it. Go have fun.
Suggs experienced a tough debut with the Magic on Wednesday, recording 10 points, one rebound and one assist on 3-of-14 shooting from the field. Wagner had a bit of a better first game after finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.
Of course, the team wasn’t necessarily concerned with the performances as they understand it will be a learning experience all season long. They will look to bounce back, correct their mistakes and improve as the season progresses.
Certainly, it helps Suggs and Wagner that they have teammates, like Anthony, that help them out and offer advice through the ups and downs. In the end, Anthony picked perhaps the best quote to give them.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
[lawrence-related id=41049,40552,39723]
[mm-video type=video id=01fjj3bawxszmjzrq45c playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fjj3bawxszmjzrq45c/01fjj3bawxszmjzrq45c-912a4482996b37a8c7e3c3971f82b09d.jpg]
[listicle id=41302]