Summary: When he started playing wheelchair basketball, they called Patrick Anderson the Michael Jordan of his game. Mid career, that label changed to the Lebron of the wheelchair sport. He's back with the team at the Pan Am games, trying to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics this July… so do we call him the Kawhi Leonard of his sport now? Host Anastasia Bucsis asks Anderson about the burden of being an inspiration. How to respond to being recognized as the greatest of all time in his sport? As you might expect from a true champion- he deflects that with a great deal of finesse. For one thing- Anderson is not convinced that inspiration isn't a dirty word. With the injuries some paralympians have overcome- he is acutely aware that he risks being applauded just for getting out of bed. The trick for Patrick Anderson is in trying to play the sport like it's an art form. Devising and demonstrating a perfect play, competing at the highest possible level…that's where the athletic and the aesthetic can meet. Getting there is still what keeps Anderson motivated, gold medal after gold medal later. All paralympians have interesting back stories. Patrick Anderson fascinates for a dozen reasons. He's 39 now, playing for the record books again after five years away. His thoughts on returning to the game at its highest level? The challenge is not that he's getting older, it's that the entire sport has become much more competitive, harder, stronger and faster than it was even five years ago. As Anderson sees it, that is an excellent problem to have.
