We truly love Butler University and Indianapolis and are very

Hear the words of Brad Stevens, spoken with a heart full of humility and reverence: “We truly love Butler University and Indianapolis and are very thankful to have had the opportunity to celebrate so many wonderful things together.” In this statement is not merely the reflection of a coach on his time at a university, but the testimony of a man who knows the power of place, community, and shared triumphs. For it is not only victories on the court that Stevens remembers, but the deeper bonds formed in the spirit of unity and gratitude.

The ancients knew the sacredness of place and community. In Greece, the city-state, or polis, was not just a dwelling but a living body in which each citizen played a part. To speak of loving one’s city or university is to echo this ancient loyalty, the recognition that the soil beneath one’s feet and the people by one’s side shape destiny. Stevens’ love for Butler and Indianapolis is an acknowledgment that greatness is not born in isolation but in communion with a people, a tradition, and a shared dream.

Consider the tale of Leonidas and Sparta. The king was not merely proud of his soldiers but bound by love to his homeland. When he and his three hundred gave their lives at Thermopylae, it was not for their names alone, but for Sparta and all of Greece. Their sacrifice and their unity turned their homeland into a symbol of defiance and hope. In much the same spirit, Stevens’ words reveal that Butler’s triumphs were not his alone; they were a shared victory of coach, players, university, and city, all joined in one heartbeat.

The phrase “very thankful to have had the opportunity” reveals another ancient truth: that greatness is never owed, but entrusted. Stevens does not claim his time at Butler as entitlement, but as gift. Gratitude transforms success into blessing, reminding us that behind every celebrated moment lies the support of countless unseen hands—the families, the fans, the administrators, the city itself. His thankfulness is a shield against pride, and a testament to his awareness that he stands on the shoulders of many.

The words also carry the tone of farewell and remembrance. When one departs from a beloved place, the temptation may be to speak only of one’s own achievements. Yet Stevens does not recount his victories but the shared wonderful things—moments of joy, unity, and growth. This is the way of the wise: to remember not only what one did, but what was experienced together, to cherish the bonds of community above the trophies of the individual.

From this reflection emerges a lesson for us all: honor the places and people that shape you. Do not take lightly the soil where your roots were planted, nor the companions who celebrated your victories and endured your defeats. Speak gratitude often, for it is the thread that binds past to present and ensures that memory lives on in honor, not in bitterness or pride.

Practical wisdom follows: in your own life, look back upon the places that gave you strength. If you have a school, a city, a workplace, or a family that carried you, speak of them with gratitude as Stevens did. Celebrate not only your achievements but the shared journey. And when it comes time to move on, leave behind not silence, but words of love and thankfulness, so that your legacy is not only in what you did, but in how you honored those who walked with you.

Thus, Brad Stevens’ words rise as more than the farewell of a coach—they are a teaching for the ages: “We truly love … and are very thankful to have had the opportunity to celebrate so many wonderful things together.” This is the creed of all who walk the path of humility: love your community, be thankful for your opportunities, and celebrate not alone but together—for in unity, life’s victories are made eternal.