Bryant King, Marist High Chasing the hoops dream

By Linc Wonham (Register Guard-Eugene, OR)

May 30, 2009

He's contributed to state championship titles in two different sports, and also taken a couple of the most celebrated jump shots in recent Marist High School basketball memory. But if graduating senior Bryant King finds himself attached to a college sports program next year, chances are he'll remain on the sidelines.

Which is exactly where he does his very best work.

King is so valuable, in fact, that he's already got a basketball job lined up at Southern Oregon University, and he's waiting to hear from two other schools before making his college commitment.

For the past four years, King has been the manager for Marist's varsity basketball team, and he's held the same position for the football team the past two seasons. Both teams won state championships in his junior year, due in no small part to the effort and devotion he's poured into both jobs.

King was a fixture at both teams' practices, as well as all of the home and away games. In addition to equipment care, collecting towels and the more menial-sounding duties that go with the territory, he also kept statistics, edited game films, updated the coaches on fouls and timeouts during games, and served as an invaluable assistant to the staff and teammate to the players.

"Managers don't always know so much about the game of basketball, but Bryant loves the game and knows it as well as anyone," Marist head coach Eric Orton says. "The work he puts into the job is better than 100 percent, and characterwise, there's nobody better than Bryant."

King lives and breathes sports - following his favorite teams, reading sports books, dissecting coaching strategies and philosophies.

"I've always loved sports," he says. "It wasn't until middle school that I realized I wanted to do more than just follow them. At first I wanted to become an announcer, then I started working as a manager, and I'd really love to coach basketball someday."

He also plays sports, but his mobility is limited somewhat by a prosthetic right leg that was the result of being born with a rare disorder called caudal regression syndrome. The condition affects the fetal development of the lower spine, causing King to be born with one kidney, scoliosis and his right leg markedly shorter than his left. His right leg was amputated so that he could better walk with a prosthetic and a cane, and he has undergone two kidney transplants.

"I've adapted to my abilities," he says. "I try hard and I do what I can do. I'm in an advanced fitness class, I play tennis and I'm always out playing pick-up basketball with friends. I just shoot with one arm instead of two because I have to use the cane with the other arm.

"It's definitely made me a stronger person," he adds. "I always wanted to be with the other kids playing sports in the neighborhood or in elementary school, and I just had to adapt to prove I could play. I'm always proving I can do things that people might think I can't do."

One such instance occurred recently during the basketball team's Senior Night game against Elmira. Orton had four seniors on the playing roster, but five on the team, including King. Perfect for a starting lineup.

"Bryant's given four years to this program, which is more than most people," Orton said. "It didn't seem like it was much to give, but I wanted to give something back to someone who's worked so hard for this team and this school."

Orton asked around the league to get an idea of the playing requirements, and came back to King with a memorable request.

"He asked me if I could play at all without my cane, to be in there for the opening tip-off," King recalls. "And then he asked me if I would like to start. I was like, `Yeah, I'd like that, that would be awesome!' I was ecstatic."

There's something else besides his cane that you notice about Bryant King when he walks through the halls at Marist. He is universally well-liked. He has a smile for everyone, and everyone seems to have one for him, too.

That schoolwide affection was never more apparent than when Orton called King's number again in the fourth quarter on Senior Night.

"I'd been in for the opening tip and then Coach came over to me in the fourth quarter and asked if I could shoot without my cane," King says. "The student section got all excited and started yelling, `You can do it, Bryant! You can do it!'

"I got two shots off before the buzzer - the first was a three-pointer - but they both just missed," he continued. "Everyone was standing up and yelling, it was a great moment. They were close, though; everybody thought the three was going in."

Note to any college coaches out there in need of locker room and sideline help next season: this manager is all business and all heart, and he can shoot a pretty good three-pointer, too.

MEET BRYANT KING

What's your favorite quote? "Don't give up. Don't ever give up," by Jim Valvano, the late North Carolina State University basketball coach

What are your favorite activities? ATV-ing, boating, tubing; all sports

What's your favorite movie? "Glory Road," about Texas Western College's historic 1966 NCAA championship season

What's your favorite high school memory? Starting and playing for the varsity basketball team on Senior Night

Who do you admire most? Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski

What impression do you try to leave people with? That I always have a good attitude, and that I care about others because others make me the person I am