Charles Abouo on Basketball

Where would you be without basketball?

I don’t know where I’d be without the game of basketball. Basketball is something that I love to do and ever since I was 11-years old I’ve wanted to play seriously. It was a huge motivation for me because I knew that to get to college and the next level I had to do well in school to be able to play basketball. To be able to get a basketball scholarship I had to also do well in school. It really helped motivate me in middle school and high school to do well on the court and off the court with school and to stay out of trouble. It’s been a very big influence on my life and bringing me to where I am today.

Why Basketball?

Early on I was a soccer player but I fell in love with basketball one day when I went to play with a bunch of my friends and they were a lot better than I was and there was nothing I could do about it. I loved playing basketball but I really wasn’t any good at it. I wanted to get better and I saw it as a challenge because I was really behind. That’s what motivated me to start playing the game seriously and I fell in love with it ever since.

Why do you love basketball?

I’d have to say that when I’m not playing basketball I feel like something’s missing in my life. It’s a game and it’s a hobby but at the same time I’ve been doing it for so long and spending a lot of time with it that it’s become part of who I am. When you take a day off you feel a little different and want to get in the gym and get back at it.

What is your favorite sound in basketball?

My favorite sound would be when after a big play happens and the coaches and the players get excited. I don’t know if it’s a specific sound but the different sounds from that I really like because it shows that everyone’s excited and everybody’s celebrating some form of success that you’ve had and everyone’s doing it together.

Any advice for young players?

It’s clich but it’s true – you’ve got to do well in school and stay out of trouble. If you want to play basketball at a high level, do it because you love the game of basketball and because you like playing, not because you want a jersey and be in the limelight. Respect the game and take it for what it is and keep working at it.