When I got to school on the first day, I knew it was going to be a good year. Then my coach called me into his office. I thought he was going to warn me about my grades like always, but then he said,
“Trevor this is your senior year and I know you are talented enough to play college ball, but you need to get those grades up if you want to play.”
I responded like I always did. I promised to stay eligible.
“I will help you try to get a scholarship to college, but you need get those grades up,” he repeated.
“I will try my hardest this year coach. I promise,” I said.
Then he dismissed me. I thought about what he said. I knew I was good but was I really good enough to play college ball? I thought about it some more. I was going to try my hardest to get a scholarship to college for basketball. I was also fortunate to go to one of the best academic high schools in New York.
After the first week of school, I was already behind.  The only thing I did after school was my homework trying to catch up. And it helped. At the beginning of the second week I was caught up.
Later that week, I contacted colleges about scholarships. Most said they didn’t have a scholarship to offer me. A few said they would have to see game tapes and school records of me. After I sent them all they needed I waited.
A few days later I had only one division 1 school interested in me. They said they would be in contact.
I was really excited. So I told my mom and dad.
“I’m so happy for you, Trevor,” my mother exclaimed.
Then a few minutes later the Texas University basketball coach called.
“Hello, my name is Charles Johnson and I heard you were interested in our program,” he said.
“Yes, I would love to be a Longhorn.”
“Well I love the way you play the game of basketball. A tall 6 foot 7 inch kid that can run up and down the court as fast as a point guard is very valuable. Also your defense and offense are amazing, but I have to be honest with you. We are looking at several different people just as good as you for a scholarship. All we need from you is to play hard and make sure you keep those grades up,” he said.
I told him, “Sir, I am very happy and honored that you called and I will try my hardest to keep my grades up.”
Then he told me more about him and the school and that was it. I was scared about the part that he was considering other players too. I tried my best to put it in the back of my mind, but I couldn’t.
The next day I asked my mom about getting a tutor to help me with school. She thought it was a great idea and started asking around to see if anyone knew one. She ended up finding one that she really liked.
We met and started the next week.
After the first month and a half I had 2 A’s, 2 B’s, 2 C’s and a D. Those were the best grades I ever had. I was really happy. The end of the term was close, and those were some good grades.
When report cards came out I had 2 A’s, 3 B’s, 1 C and a F. I was still happy even though I had a F. I made a copy and mailed it to Coach Johnson.
A week later I got a response from him congratulating me. He also told me to continue the hard work and get ready for basketball season.
When tryouts began I was one of the tallest and fastest kids on the court like always. Our coach always made us bring our report card. At that time I had 3 A’s, 2 B’s, 1 C and a D.
After the first week of tryouts we already had our team. I was ready for another hard season. Since I was a captain I got up and told everyone how the season would go.
“This is going to be a long season, but it will be a good one if you try hard. We won the state title 2 years ago. We need to win it again. To win we need to practice and play hard. Are you up for the challenge?”
“YES,” everyone yelled.
Then we hit the court. It was a simple practice, but it was enough to get to know the team. During practice I was thinking that this was a really good team. We were very athletic, we could dribble and shoot. We also had really good defense. We were an all-around team. I believed we could win the state tournament.
At the end of practice we ran a scrimmage. Towards the end of the scrimmage I went up for a layup and came down hard on my ankle. I screamed in pain.
Coach Mike took me to the hospital. When we got there they did x rays on my ankle. After they did x rays they said I had a broken ankle. They said it would take around six weeks to heal. I would miss six games and tons of practices. I would miss half the season. I freaked out. I thought about my scholarship. Did I still have a chance to get it? I hoped I would have a fast recovery.
A couple of days after the incident I returned to school. I had a lot of work to catch up on.
Two weeks later I was behind on school work. My grades were going down. Coach Johnson said if I don’t get back on the court soon he won’t be able to give me the scholarship. I was stressed out.
For the next week I was focused on school work. I got my grades back up to 2 A’s, 3 B’s, 1 C and 1 D. Then I went to the doctor and they told me I was recovering faster than they expected. They said I could possibly be on the court in two weeks.
Two weeks later I was back on the court. We were getting ready for a game against Parkside. Coach let me know that I was going to start. I was pumped.
At the end of my first game of the season I was exhausted. I was not used to running that much. I scored 21 points, got 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. I sent those stats to Coach Johnson. He said great job and to keep up the good work.
When my parents got home they congratulated me.
“I heard you had a great game, Trevor,” my mom said.
“Great game son,” my dad said.
At school everyone congratulated me on the win. Some of them even congratulated me on the return to basketball.
Two weeks later we were 6 – 2. This was the second best in our league. If we kept this up we would be in the playoffs.
Coach Johnson said my team would need to make it to the playoffs. So that’s what we were going to do.
At the end of the season we were 8 – 3. Second best in the league. We made it to the playoffs. We were ranked 5th seed in the state playoffs.
We played Rockville in our first game. After the first quarter we were up by five. At halftime we were down by 8. We ended up coming back and winning by 12. I scored 23 points.
The next day we had a game at 1:30. We played Mikestown. Their best player got hurt in the game before us. We knew we were going to win. We ended up winning by 15. I had 28 points.
Our next game was against Charleston. They beat us earlier in the season. If we won this game we would go to the championship. They were a really good team. They were ranked 2nd in the state.
We knew it was going to be a hard game. We played our hardest. We ran a lot of fastbreaks. During the first quarter we ran as fast as cheetahs. In the second quarter both teams were already tired. When the final buzzer sounded we were up 63 – 60.
We were going to the championship! We were going to play the best team in the state. They had a lot of great players. They were from Garfield.
After the first quarter we were down by 5. At halftime we were down by 15.
“We need to get out there and play hard. We need to play with more energy. We need to shoot better,” Coach Mike said.
We went back out there and gave it our all. By the end of the third quarter we were down by 6 points. With 8 seconds left in the game we were down by 2. I dribbled up the court. I pulled up at the 3 point line with 2 seconds left. I shot the ball. The buzzer went off while the ball was in mid-air. The ball went in with a SWOOSH.
Everyone jumped around and celebrated. We were awarded with our trophy. I was named tournament MVP. We went and celebrated as a team.
When I got home I sent an email to Coach Johnson. I told him all about the tournament. Then I waited for a response.
The next day he responded. He said he will make his decision by next week. He also congratulated me.
When I got to school everyone was congratulating me and the team. This was a great day. We had a celebration in the big, sweaty smelling gym.
The day Coach Johnson was going to make his decision I was nervous. I was shacking all day. When I got home I saw I had some mail. I opened it and it read:
“We are very happy you applied to Texas. But we are very sorry that you have not been accepted for a scholarship. Trevor, I really wanted you but the other player was chosen. Have the best of luck in the future. And you can still come but you will be a walk on.”
It was from Coach Johnson. I was really upset. At first I cried because I didn’t make it. Then I was mad because they didn’t choose me. Finally I settled down.
When my parents got home I told them all about the letter. They said they were upset that I didn’t make it but they knew it would turn out alright.
I finished the school year with 3 A’s, 3 B’s and 1 C. Those were the best grades I had ever had. I got a scholarship offer from a smaller Division 2 school. The coach was really nice. I had a spot on the basketball team.
It was about 2 hours away from my house. It was a nice little college. I already had my schedule and met my teachers. They were really nice. I knew I was going to succeed there.
Succeed is what I did. I was a starter for all 4 years I went there. I was the best player on the team. I averaged a 3.8 GPA there for 4 years. I earned a degree in business.
After my senior year I declared for the NBA draft. It was an amazing time. I wasn’t picked, but I was signed to a team in the Chinese league.
And that is what leaves me here as a rookie in a Chinese league. I know I will succeed.