Three Timeless Principles from Jimmy Connors

What did Jimmy mean when he said I would have learned “the game”?

One of the more inspirational moments I ever had with Jimmy Connors took place nearly 20 years ago. It was a spring day in 1996. He and I were walking the grounds of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club with where Connors and John McEnroe were the headliners for a four-man senior event.

This was the early stage of the senior tour launched by Connors. There was a large crowd and plenty of excitement. Connors was comfortable and friendly as I observed him going through his public relations obligations: the Pro-Am, the celebrity lunch, the press conference.

At that point I’d already interviewed Jimmy numerous times for nearly 15 years. But that day, having just played doubles in the Pro-Am with Connors himself, I felt more like player than a mere journalist.

I asked a question that had been on my mind for several years.”Jimmy,” I said, “If I’d taken lessons from your mother, what would I have learned?”

Connors didn’t respond. He looked away from me and stared at the Pacific Ocean. Then he turned back, leaned a foot closer to me, his hazel eyes squinting…