There are two moments in history that stand out as those 'where were you when....' moments for me. One was when Princess Diana died, mainly because I was in England at the time and to call it a crazy few days would be a severe understatement. The other was 9/11, waking up to see the TV on and watching with disbelief. 

I also remember exactly what I was up to when Lebron James decided he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to "take his talents to South Beach". I also remember a certain episode of the 'Footy Show' where the panel discussed/ripped in to Sonny Bill Williams for walking out on the Bulldogs to head to France.

All four of those moments were catastrophic for certain people, obviously on different levels. Cleveland said goodbye or 'fuck off' to James who was their saviour. Someone who had put the Cavs on his back and he took them to the finals - had he been able to win a Championship it would have been something else. SBW did something similar when he broke contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs and broke the hearts of the Bankstown faithful.

There aren't many sporting characters more polarizing than Lebron James and Sonny Bill Williams. While many athletes will have those who dislike them for some reason, usually because they line up against their favourite team, I can't think of two athletes who have had so much hatred directed their way.

And fair enough. I mean who else has had a made for TV event to announce a new contract? SBW obviously didn't do himself any favours by leaving the Bulldogs the way he did either. Both of these men have emerged from the darkness of hatred and are now at the forefront of world sport for all the right reasons. 

It is nearly impossible to not respect either LBJ or SBW. You have to respect their god given ability, they are both absolute freaks in terms of athletic ability. You don't have to, but it's pretty hard not to respect their work ethic. LBJ is able to post up and execute a wide range of moves throughout a game and then drain treys in the next game naturally. That's come thanks to tireless effort and work refining his skills. He didn't just move to Miami, quickly fit like a glove and inspire those around him. That also took a lot of hard work and learning to get to intimately know his team mates and organisation. It's widely known that he likes to read to relax his mind, with the Hunger Games being a favourite. More recently he's been reading books about leadership, taking what he can from them and applying them to his situation. He has dedicated himself to being the best, which takes constant learning and adaptation. Oh and hard work.

SBW is almost a carbon copy. While it may appear easy and some people might be of the mindset that if we resembled SBW, we could attract four defenders and offload with ease. But think to the Benji Marshall rugby experiment ... now compare it to SBW. SBW had the humility and wisdom to learn about rugby. He took the time to play NPC (not sure what it's now called) with Canterbury and dedicate himself to being the best rugby player he could. He didn't skip steps. He has since returned to the NRL, won a premiership and continued to be a fantastic club man for the Roosters. Not a bad word has been spoken about his nature within the NRL.

In everything they do, they dedicate themselves to being the best at it. It's one thing to want to be the best, but to dedicate yourself to be the best is a task for only a unique crop of athlete. Both these guys spend copious amounts of time learning about their team mates - not only building their confidence but also ensuring they can be relied on. They have shown time and time again the ability to adapt their gifts and assets to the changing nature of sport. They could both be forgiven for munching down Burger King once a week like the rest of us, but they don't. Instead they go the opposite direction and ensure their bodies are fueled for optimum performance. Alex Glenn reckoned he learned so much from SBW's professionalism with diet etc that he is totally off fast food and sugar while LBJ has a chef ... I mean he's definitely not taking any shortcuts.

These two men in my eyes are what athletes should be like when they're at the top of their profession. You can't reach the top without confidence, arrogance even but both have displayed a humility that has seen them go to new environments and continue to learn. When you reach their level, above your peers, you could be forgiven for not giving two shits about anyone else. They do. They give two shits because they know that despite their natural gifts, dedication, hard work and knowledge that they simply won't be as great without their team mates.

Could imagine talking to LBJ about basketball? Or SBW about rugby league or rugby? Like, just sitting there chopping it up with them? Either one, I'd be the happiest man on the planet. To be able to have them both in the same room, I couldn't describe that. They  both jumped aboard this crazy rollercoaster of professional sport, experiencing the ups and downs and the loop de loops. They will jump of the rollercoaster with their heads held high because they've achieved greatness the right way. 

Fuck da haters yo.