Eighteen-year-old RJ Hampton is blazing his own trail, bypassing college hoops in favor of playing in an Australian pro league before heading to the NBA. And if you’re doubting his decision, the joke will be on you soon enough.
The best advice RJ Hampton ever got came via DM, courtesy of Kyrie Irving. The NBA All-Star followed the high school All-American on Instagram a while back, and once they got to talking, Kyrie dropped a gem. As Hampton remembers, “He basically said, ‘Be you—don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. You’re the one that’s going to define your game.’”
If you’d heard Hampton share this story when we did, a couple of weeks before he went on ESPN to announce the next step on his path to the NBA, that message from Kyrie would’ve been echoing in your brain. That was when Hampton made clear he was ready to define his game—and his place in it—and wouldn’t be limited by precedent or expectation. As he told a national audience that morning in late May, he’s bypassing college to play professionally next season with the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League. With that decision, one of the top-10 players in the 2019 class—reclassified only weeks earlier from 2020—signaled he was ready to begin his professional career, on his terms.
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Denne historien er fra September - October 2019-utgaven av Slam.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The SUMMER THAT WASN'T
Playground entry fences chain locked. Rims removed. Leagues canceled. Summer basketball just stopped in 2020. And as its effects extended beyond the blacktop, we were reminded why it's so important.
METAMORPHOSIS
The sport of basketball speaks to so many people in so many ways. Dan Peterson, the founder of Project Backboard, has teamed up with artists to use the beauty of the sport to turn local courts into works of art that are accessible to all.
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S Fire
For former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, the last three years have had their ups and downs. Now that he and the Phoenix Suns are back on the way up, DA wants everyone to know that's where they're planning to stay.
Now What?
As North Carolina rapper J. Cole transitioned from up-and-comer to full-blown vet, he came to a realization: staying sharp and fighting off complacency ain't easy. Inspired by his love for basketball and his desire to remain on top of the game, the 36-year-old has been treating music like a competitive sport while he readies his next project: The Off-Season.
ONE STEP AT A Time
NBA and G League vet Jeremy Lin and Loyola Marymount's Anthony Yu speak candidly about the ups and downs of being Asian American in the basketball world.
THE GARDEN Blooms
The Knicks are back. Deadass, they're back. A return to the tough, gritty, resilient style that made the teams of the past so dominant has allowed Saba Julius Randle and RJ Barrett and the Knicks an opportunity to compete for homecourt advantage in the 2021 playoffs. Facts.
CITIZEN OF THE World
Congolese native Yannick Nzosa played for professional teams in Italy and Spain before he turned 17. Now that his name is moving up the 2022 pre-draft boards, the former soccer player has one thing front and center in his mind—succeeding for his family back home.
STRONG Island
Mental fortitude and physical toughness are what's helped Long Island's Arella Guirantes make it all the way to the W.
KICK IN THE Door
The WNBA, now in its 25th season, is the longest-running women's sports league ever. SLAM sat down with four of the most influential players of all time Diana Taurasi, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sue Bird to discuss their part in making the League the force it is today.
Can't YOU SEE
It ain't hard to tell that supernatural vision has established Nuggets star Nikola Jokic as a clear candidate for the 2021 MVP Award.
