Spencer Jones recently made another LinkedIn update on his basketball career:

I’ve been called a “glue guy” a few times recently.

Honestly, it’s one of the best compliments I’ve received in my career.

Because most nights, the box score won’t explain why I played. Sometimes, you might see modest numbers and assume I was just… out there.

But glue guys don’t live in the box score.

We live in the gaps.

We take the toughest defensive matchup so someone else can stay fresh.

We sprint into screens knowing we won’t get credit for the shot.

We cut hard when the play is designed for someone else. We talk early on defense so a mistake never happens. We dive on a loose ball that never shows up anywhere but the film room.

Being a glue guy means you’re doing the work before the problem shows up.

What I’ve learned about this role is that it’s less about skill and more about mindset.

You have to let go of ego. You have to find satisfaction in impact instead of attention.

That’s hard in a league built on numbers, rankings, and narratives.

But every great team I’ve been part of has had glue guys.

The connective tissue.

The ones who stabilize lineups, raise the floor, and make stars better without asking for anything back.

They’re the players coaches trust when things get messy.

And they’re the players teammates lean on when momentum shifts.

Not everyone will be the headline. Not everyone will be the loudest voice or the biggest stat line.

The value isn’t always measurable, but it is always felt.

Embrace being the glue.

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