Jamal Jones story
Published on Nov 22, 2015
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My name is Jamal Jones and this is my story. Basketball saved my life and gave me the life I have now. I currently play in the NBA as a shooting guard for the Kansas City Kings. During my youth, I had a hard childhood. My dad left my mom when I was 5 years old and my sister was 3 years old. My mom struggled to put food on the table and clothes on our back. She worked two jobs and often was very tired and sad all the time. There were people that were put in my life for a reason. My mom, good friends, and coaches believed in me and my potential. They are the reason I am the man I am today.
Photo by arturodonate
Once I started middle school, I felt like I started a new life. The first day of middle was wonderful. I reunited with my best friend named Clay. Clay and I were like two peas in a pod. We had a bond that no one could break. Clay lived in the apartment above me. We have been friends since we first met in elementary school. We both come from the same background. He grew up in a very poor family also his dad actually left his family at the age of 7. We both had a passion for basketball and dreamed of a career as professional basketball players. We were apart of the YMCA program in the Brooklyn area. Everyday we would go to the YMCA facility to go work on our homework. Once we finished our homework, we both loved to play basketball on the outside court. We would shoot for hours and play one on one all the time. Sometimes it got very heated because we had a winning mentality and always wanted to beat each other. Also we played a lot of pick up games against other people at the YMCA. Clay and I could take on anyone. One game in particular, we played two kids that were in high school that played basketball. We schooled them because Clay and I had such great chemistry on the court. It was like always being in sync with each other. We loved playing together because we trusted each other and had each others back. Clay and I had a tight bond just like brothers. Everyday we looked forward to going to the YMCA.
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On one particular spring day, Clay and I went to the YMCA after school to do my homework and play some basketball. That day was a Wednesday and we always had to walk home on Wednesdays. The part of Brooklyn that we lived in really wasn't that safe. Although it was beautiful weather to walk outside, we tried to avoid being out at night in our neighborhood. Our apartment complex was in a very bad part of Brooklyn and it was not safe to be out at night. We heard tires screeching around the corner. All of a sudden, we heard gunshots. We started to run and the car was chasing after us. Soon they were shooting at us and then they sped away.
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Clay was sitting there in shock. He was shot. I ran as fast as I could to go get help. We got my mom and the ambulance came. I held his hand the whole way there. I kept praying all the way to the hospital. I stayed all night while the doctors were in surgery. That night I lost my best friend and brother and the only person besides my mother and sister that I cared about. My heart was broken into a million pieces. I said to myself, “Why Clay? Why does he have to go now?” This was hard on me for the rest of my life. He meant the world to me. School was challenging because I didn't have many friends. Life wasn’t the same. Basketball felt different now.
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I was going to start the 7th grade and and had nothing to look forward to. I had no close friends. One day while hanging out at the YMCA doing homework and shooting around, I met a man named Joe Lawson. Coach Lawson said to me, “You are a natural born basketball player. You have great ball handling skills and a nice outside shot.” He was a competitive basketball coach from the Brooklyn Swish, which happens to be one of the best club teams in Brooklyn. He invited me to come and try out for the team. I was thrilled by his encouraging words, but I was worried about the admission fee. He said don’t worry about that. The team had a scholarship fund for players that were unable to play. Here was my chance to finally be a part of a team and a step closer to playing basketball professionally.
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I went to tryouts. All the kids looked really good. I felt scared and worried that I wouldn’t make the team. They all had on the latest basketball shoes and clothes. Here I was in beat up shoes and clothes. I felt out of place. People looked at me all weird and were probably thinking that I didn't belong there. We started tryouts. I was on fire. I made every shot that I attempted. I was great at offense and defense. I felt like Clay was helping me in a weird way. I played for Clay and kept moving forward. Coach Lawson saw my potential and invited me to be on the team. I couldn't believe that I made the team. Clay would have been happy for me.
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In High School, I continued to play basketball. My teammates became my very good friends and we were all very excited for the upcoming basketball seasons. School was great and I was doing really well. I was a little short my freshman year but grew 6 inches in a year. I was 6’5 by the end of my Sophomore year. I ended up playing Varsity for three years. We took state every year. I received offers from a couple of colleges. My dreams were coming true.
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We all have a story to tell. Some stories are harder to hear than others. People can overcome obstacles on their journey through life. I had to overcome many trials. Thanks to the help of a loving family and a coach who believed in me, I am the man I am today.
Photo by hideyourarms/bigguybigcity
