By Jeremy Richards, Contributing Writer
People generally have a favorite athlete that they admire, whether it’s Patrick Mahomes, LeBron James, or the late great Kobe Bryant (may he rest in peace). I do have a basketball player who I genuinely admire, not just as an athlete, but also as a person: Jahlil Okafor.
I became an NBA fan about 2 years ago. Initially, I was interested in the Philadelphia 76ers, though I would later grow to detest the team. And I heard about Okafor, I was only mildly curious. But the more I learned about him, the more I grew to admire him. In fact, I’d go as far to consider him as my favorite player. I admire Okafor not just for his accomplishments, also for the adversity he’s had to face.
A lot of people disregard Okafor as a bust or as an outdated player, primarily because his career has been underwhelming. I think Okafor is underrated as an NBA player and I feel like I’ve been underrated throughout much of my life. I have a strong level of empathy for him, because I went through a lot of pain of my own.
My school life was exceptionally rough. While I was at Success Academy, my classmates were exceptionally rowdy and my teachers’ strict disciplinarian tactics didn’t affect them, but it affected me. I was well-behaved and I got great grades, but I was seldom rewarded for it. I did not act out like the others, but I was still at the receiving end of angry lectures that diminished my self-worth and that continues to traumatize me. I felt I was the only one who suffered from that.
For years, I was shunned by my classmates because I was quieter than they were. I felt that I didn’t belong in that social environment. Sometimes, I felt like I was a bust. The whole experience left me with years of anxiety and a short period of self-loathing. I am still traumatized at the thought of being a disappointment. Even after I switched schools, it took a while for me to recover my own confidence.
Okafor’s struggles in the NBA remind me of my school years. Even after all the success he had prior to the NBA, he still was mocked for not living to expectations. People had already given up on him by his second season in the league, and many continue to doubt him.
Despite the odds he continues to face, he doesn’t quit. I learned that sometimes I might not live up to expectations, but I mustn’t let my mentality to be hindered by my shortcomings. I can still be successful, and Jahlil can still be successful as well.