Since my brothers are doing their own thing now and aren’t around a lot, I’m in the house by myself a lot I need something to do which isn’t violent, which isn’t negative, and that’s what basketball is.

One thing about me is I have a horrible temper, and I run outside and just play ball, it calms me down.

My fondest memory of the game is when I was about 8 and I had a friend across the river where my auntie used to live and he had a court and his mom used to let us play there sometimes. I’m dribbling, and like the ’98 Finals Bulls vs. Jazz, when Jordan made the final shot, this was my replica of that, I’m running the ball this way and I stop, pull back, sink the shot as the other guy slides the other way and my friends was yelling, “Safe” cause this guy slid so bad it almost broke his ankle. 

After the storm, playing basketball, has allowed me to bond with people, I made new friends, I met my best friend playing basketball. Playing ball helped me bond with people after Katrina. It helped me be more normal because I almost lost my life. It helped me be happy. 

If you come to New Orleans and think about playing basketball, you better be prepared to be pushed to your limits. When you come out here you have to be tough, you have to have the right mindset.

When we have a love for something, we just put our all into it. My style can’t be beat. I’m like a kamikaze when it comes to ball, that’s my whole mindset, I won’t stop till I win. 

Interview by Will Steacy

All photos courtesy of -Wyatt Gallery
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