Solomon turns his game up, down, back around for Fairfax
A year ago, somebody or something invaded Chris Solomon’s body, stealing away character traits he’d held so dear.
Suddenly, his confidence was shaken, his decisiveness disappeared and his smile went missing.
A sophomore basketball season at Los Angeles Fairfax ended up being a step backward from his promising freshman season.
Solomon kept mostly quiet about what was deeply affecting him, a parental separation.
“It snowballed into so many things off the court,” Coach Harvey Kitani said.
Besides losing focus on basketball, Solomon ended up with plunging grades. His mother, Lejon, took the drastic step of prohibiting him from playing basketball during the spring and summer. No travel ball, no high school ball, until his grades improved.
“We took something away he really enjoys doing,” Lejon said. “But what’s the use of playing if you’re not going to be able to do it?”
Solomon became so angry that at one point he refused to speak to his mother.
Now, he says, he’s thankful for his mother’s harsh remedy.
“It was a good decision because it helped me get focused,” he said.
Alone at night in his bedroom last summer, Solomon said he did lots of contemplating about “what I wanted to do with my life and how I was going to make it better.”
He vowed to “get my act together,” and that’s what has happened this season. A 6-foot-3 shooting guard, he has moved into the starting lineup for Fairfax (16-4), averaging 9.8 points a game while becoming a more complete player.
“He’s more disciplined in his attitude and in approaching every area,” Kitani said. “Before, he wouldn’t stay on top of himself in the right way. He’s catching himself instead of dwelling on something.
“He’s played through the tough times and is slowly developing into the type of player he’s got the potential to become.”
Solomon has always been considered a good shooter, but he’s contributing as a defender and rebounder and is learning to score off the dribble.
“I’ve expanded my game,” he said. “I go to the ball instead of waiting. There’s more ways to get involved in the game besides shooting.”
There were people who told him to transfer because he couldn’t break into Fairfax’s starting lineup as a sophomore.
“I trusted coach,” Solomon said. “He told me to keep working hard.”
Kitani keeps close tabs on Solomon, trying to help him mature and fulfill his potential.
“We talk every day,” Solomon said. “When I walk into the office, he sees if I’m alert. If I’m not, he lets me know. He looks out for me.”
Solomon takes turns living with his mother and father. He loves them both, saying his father “was pretty much the person who put the ball in my hands.” And he appreciates his mother for putting him back on the path to earning a possible college scholarship.
Solomon will be in action tonight when Fairfax plays nationally ranked Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy at 7 p.m. at Santa Ana Mater Dei as part of the Nike Extravaganza, which included four games Friday and another eight today. It will be an improved Solomon on display.
“This Chris Solomon is more alert and knows what to do,” he said.
Next season, when Solomon is a senior, Kitani says his player could emerge as one of the top scorers in Southern California.
That’s the kind of talent Solomon possesses when his mind and body are clicking together.
