Re: SPURS STORIES: An In-Depth Look at Our Team
Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 2:59 am
Sports is our Business
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“You’re probably wondering how I got here....”
As early as elementary school, when I told adults what I wanted to be when I grew up, they’d make sure to tell me that most people don’t make it to the NBA. They’d always be like, “What’s your backup option?”
I remember the first time my dream was tested.
As early as elementary school, when I told adults what I wanted to be when I grew up, they’d make sure to tell me that most people don’t make it to the NBA. They’d always be like, “What’s your backup option?”
I remember the first time my dream was tested.
I was in middle school, and it was my seventh-grade year. The middle school is seventh and eighth grade, so I was basically trying out for the eighth grade team.
We’re going through the tryouts, and I’m killing all the drills, killing everybody in front of me.
I’m like, Oh, I’m set.
After tryouts, the first roster gets released. I made that cut, so I’m like, Oh, yeah. I know I’m straight.
Next day, the second roster gets posted. I went to look, and my name wasn’t on there. My first thought was literally that it was a mistake. I went to talk to the coach thinking, There’s no way my name’s not on there. But sure enough, they’re like, “Yeah, sorry. We just don’t think that you have the ability to make the team this year.”
And the kicker: “But you can be a manager.”
I’d love to say that I took it really well. But I’d have to have been some extremely mature seventh grader....
And if it wasn’t bad enough that I didn’t make the team, the assistant coach was also my social studies teacher. So I had to see this man every day after that!!! He’s asking the class about British parliament or whatever and I’m just steaming.
I finished out the school year, and that summer, I transferred schools. I went to our rival school.
I’m lucky to be close with both of my parents, and they’ve really tried to prepare me for everything that’s ahead of me. We’ve had a lot of talks, but mainly their message has been to stay grounded. They told me, “Be who you are, stay humble, and remember where you came from.”
I’ll never forget those lessons....
And I won’t forget that no matter whether I won or lost, or when I didn’t make the team, they never stopped believing in my dream....
People are gonna tell you that you’re not gonna make it because you might not be the biggest. You might not be the fastest. You might not be the strongest. They might even want you to be the team manager.
But it doesn’t matter if you put in the work.
I just put it in the work and stuck to my dream.
Everything I’ve ever done, every experience I’ve ever had, every challenge I’ve ever faced, has led me to this moment.
And as I sit here writing this, in my blue 2020 NBA Draft Combine polo shirt, I want to remember it all.
When my sophomore year at FSU finally came around, I said to myself, Well, you said you were only going to be here for two.
This is two.
It’s time.