My entire life I have been asked who my favorite athlete is. You would think that as a basketball player, and because of my passion for sports, I would have several favorite players. But frankly, I admire certain traits in athletes more than the athletes themselves.

I respect Kobe Bryant for his work ethic, confidence, and leadership on the court. I admire Misty May for her competitive nature and drive. I think highly of Tiger Woods’ character and control over his mental game. I even respect Michael Phelps for how much food he can put down at one sitting.

Some people will read this and think, “She just doesn’t have a favorite athlete because she doesn’t follow specific players enough.” While that may be true, I’m not the kind of crazy fan I feel I should be as an athlete. I care more about how a particular athlete has worked to get where they are. I want to know what they have done to be better than everyone else, what struggles they had to overcome to become an elite athlete and how I can do the same.

For me, it’s not about points, touchdowns or kills. It’s about the behind the scenes work. It’s about how hard each of these star athletes work to be better every day. It’s about what they do to improve mental game. It’s about heart. Who is going to put in that extra hour to make themselves better than their competitors? Who is going to give that last bit of energy at the end of every game when they feel they have nothing left? Who is going to push themselves when no one else is looking? These are the things that make an athlete stand out. These are the things that make Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Serena Williams and Cliff Lee some the best athletes ever.