Meet Ardrey Kell HS basketball player Delani Hammonds
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —聽
ATHLETE INFO
Name: Delani Hammonds
Age: 16
Sport: Basketball
Years in current sport: 12 years
Team: Ardrey Kell High School, AAU Team Synergy 2023
Pre-Game Ritual: “I listen to Bryson Tiller and pray before every game.”
Basketball has been a part of Delani Hammonds’s life for almost as long as he can remember, and he is far from growing tired of it. “I love everything about the sport, from the shoes squeaking on the court, to the way the ball goes through the net,” he says.
Though he plays with a natural ability, you might not guess that he is a basketball player at first glance. “I’m 5’11”,” he explains. “Most everyone in basketball is over 6’3″.” Though this has been a challenge for him at times, he is ready to prove to other shorter players that you can still be successful on the court. Delani says that much of his success has boiled down to confidence.
“Without confidence, you can never reach your full potential. Even though I still struggle with this at times, I know that when I’m confident in what I’m doing, it excels my game exponentially.” Delani remembers one particular moment that illustrates his point. He was playing in a high-stakes game and airballed his first shot. Instead of coming down on him, his coach encouraged him to have confidence and keep shooting. “I made the next five 3’s I shot,” Delani says.
When Delani is not on the court, he enjoys lifting weights, playing video games, and hanging out with friends. He says the biggest lesson he’s learned in being a part of a team is how to be selfless. “It’s not always about how many points I can score. It’s about what I can do to help provide a win for my teammates.” We are confident that that lesson will benefit Delani far beyond the basketball court!
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