To be honored by your peers is incredibly gratifying and I am so

Hear now the words of Dwane Casey, a leader of men and teacher of the game, who declared with humility: “To be honored by your peers is incredibly gratifying and I am so thankful to my colleagues across the league for this recognition. I’m also grateful to the talented and dedicated coaching staff I work with every day in Toronto. To be recognized with an award that bears Michael H. Goldberg’s name is very special.” In these words is the spirit of one who knows that greatness is never a solitary crown, but a garland woven by many hands.

The ancients understood this truth. To be praised by the common crowd brings joy, but to be lifted up by one’s peers, those who know the weight of the same labors, is to receive the highest form of honor. For your peers see not only the glory of your victories, but the sweat of your toil, the burdens of your struggle, and the craft of your wisdom. When Casey says it is “incredibly gratifying,” he speaks as a man who knows that such recognition is rare, and that it carries the weight of true understanding.

His words also shine with thankfulness, for he does not claim the triumph as his alone. He turns to his colleagues, to the coaching staff beside him, and gives them their due. This is the way of the noble: to share the light of honor rather than hoard it. The general who credits his soldiers, the poet who credits his teachers, the leader who credits his team—such people preserve humility even in glory. Casey’s gratitude is proof that true leaders never rise by themselves; they ascend by lifting others and being lifted in turn.

Consider the tale of Pericles of Athens, who oversaw the golden age of his city. Though the citizens crowned him with praise, he always credited the builders, the artists, and the thinkers who surrounded him. He knew that the greatness of Athens was not the work of one man, but of a collective spirit. In the same way, Casey acknowledges the staff and the team that stood with him, reminding us that all lasting triumph is communal, never solitary.

The mention of the award bearing Michael H. Goldberg’s name deepens the meaning. To receive recognition linked to a legacy is to become part of something greater than oneself. It is not only a trophy, but a thread in the fabric of history, tying Casey to those who came before and those who will follow. The ancients cherished this form of honor most, for it bound the present to the eternal. To be connected to the name of Goldberg is not just special, but sacred—a reminder that the work of today carries the weight of tradition.

The lesson, then, is clear: seek not only the applause of strangers, but the respect of those who walk beside you. Let your measure of success be the esteem of your peers, for they alone know the depth of your journey. And when honor comes, share it freely—credit your team, your friends, your family, your teachers. For gratitude magnifies glory, while pride alone diminishes it.

Practical wisdom calls you to action: in your own labors, do not work only for yourself, but for the sake of the community that surrounds you. Strive to earn the respect of those who labor as you do. And when recognition comes, whether small or great, speak with thankfulness, as Casey did, so that your triumph becomes a blessing shared rather than a crown hoarded.

Thus let the words of Dwane Casey stand as teaching: to be honored by one’s peers is the highest form of glory, to be thankful is the truest response, and to link one’s work to tradition is the noblest way to endure. The one who remembers these truths will not only win in their own season, but will be remembered as part of something eternal.