Everybody Loves an Underdog, Until they Make it

A few days ago I watched the documentary Iverson. It’s about the life of the basketball player Allen Iverson. He was a favourite ball player in my teens, a period when I used to play the sport many times a week.

Iverson was small for a NBA player. At 6 foot tall and with a seemingly fragile frame compared to the giants he competed against, he was a true underdog. But boy was he talented. He was fast, agile, fearless, and played with a lot of soul. He gave the game absolutely everything. And for this reason it was easy to root for him, even when he went up against Michael Jordan.

Sadly, Iverson’s life was never short on controversy. The first significant setback was at the age of 17 when he was unfairly sentenced to 15 years in prison for being involved in a fight at a bowling alley. By then, Iverson’s basketball talent had made him a minor celebrity but the scuffle, however inconsequential it seemed to him and his friends, placed him in a position where the authorities saw this as a great opportunity to make an example out of him. Iverson’s sentencing was especially harsh because the authorities were notably racist. But he also received special attention because of his celebrity status and the fact that he was headed for professional basketball in the NBA.

Fortunately, a campaign by a group of people who believed the sentencing was ridiculous forced authorities to come to their senses and within 4 months, Iverson was released on the count of insufficient evidence.

This story reminds me of a line from Chip’s rap song (embedded below) and the title of this post. The rapper observes that “everybody loves a underdog, ’til they make it.” It’s a pithy observation of what comes with success. As and when someone or something starts to do well, the number of detractors waiting for an opportunity for a teardown rises.

But it’s not all negative. Significant success comes with the privilege of being able to make a significant difference in society. Moreover, individuals and organisations that “make it” have to then adopt and be held to higher standards going forward.

For instance, I work in the tech startup space and typically everyone roots for a startup in its early days as it takes on giant incumbents. At this stage companies can get a pass to move fast and break things. But as they mature and turn into giants they must become more responsible. If not, they risk attracting something akin to the big tech backlash we are now seeing, however fair or unfair it may be.

So if you’re an underdog take heed of the fact that it’s always easier to garner support on the come up. And as you become more successful you must also become more responsible. Why? Because your impact will become more wide-ranging and if you don’t keep yourself in check there will be no shortage of people who will.