Column: Onyeka Okongwu is Chino Hills’ middle man
6-9 sophomore is more than just good basketball player
Up and down the court, Chino Hills players race in their usual frenetic pace during an intrasquad basketball scrimmage. About the only player not scoring is 6-foot-9 sophomore Onyeka Okongwu, who is perfectly content just blending in.
Then comes a wide smile after he blocks a shot and makes a precision pass leading to a layup.
“Winning over everything,” he says.
When Chino Hills went 35-0 last season, much of the credit deservedly went to Lonzo Ball, who is now at UCLA. But in truth, the Huskies became a different team in the postseason when Okongwu suddenly became a force in the middle.
He played like a senior instead of a freshman. He’d run the pick-and-roll to precision; make crowd-pleasing dunks; convert mid-range jump shots; swat away shots as if they were flies.
At 15, Okongwu is just getting started with his basketball career and his life, but he’s so much more than what you see on the court. He has already endured a family tragedy, the death of his oldest brother, Nnamdi, who was 17 and a promising basketball player when he fell off a skateboard, suffered a severe head injury then was removed from life support on July 17, 2014.
Every Sunday, Okongwu goes to church. A little hint about his faith and maturity comes out when he expresses himself by passing on words of wisdom via Twitter.
“Don’t take anything for granted; appreciate now.”
“I didn’t appreciate him as much as I wanted to,” he said of his brother. “That was my main supporter. I still love my brother. I take my time to think about him and appreciate all the things he done for me before he passed.”
“Life is your own story; don’t let anyone write it but you.”
“Don’t follow what anybody else is doing,” he said. “Do what makes you happy.”
“Basketball doesn’t define me.”
“People just know me from my skills on the court, but I do a lot more things than just play basketball,” he said. “It doesn’t define me. Hopefully people know me as that good kid around the block.”
“Everyone got ears but nobody wants to listen.”
“People have ears but they don’t want to listen,” he said. “It goes through one ear and out the other. They hear it but don’t want to listen.”
Chino Hills returns four starters, led by 6-6, 240-pound LiAngelo Ball, a senior headed to UCLA who will take over for brother Lonzo at the point guard position. There’s also 6-3 sophomore LaMelo Ball, who has grown four inches, plus 6-6 Eli Scott. The plan is to shock and awe again under new Coach Stephan Gilling.
“People have already doubted us that we can’t do what we did last year, but our main focus is to prove to people we can be as good as last year,” Okongwu said.
Meanwhile, he’ll keep coming up with tweets to inspire himself and others.
“Stay real and stay loyal.”
“Many will switch up on you. But the real will always stay.”
“The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.”
Nnamdi would have turned 20 on Sept. 20, and there’s a photo of Onyeka as a 12-year-old with his big brother’s arm wrapped around his right shoulder.
“He’s my main purpose for doing all this hoop stuff,” he said. “He still supports me in the clouds. I still love my brother.”
Twitter: latsondheimer
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