(Photo: ASU athletics)
Most athletes would prefer not to be compared to someone else. They would rather be their own player, play their own game and not have to worry about living up to some hype placed on them by someone else.
Others embrace the comparisons. They enjoy being viewed as a reflection of a great athlete They enjoy the added pressure of holding a certain identity that can not only enhance their popularity, but their confidence as well. Looking to fulfill his comparison is Arizona State freshman guard Kodi Justice.
Justice, a 6-foot-5 guard from Dobson High School in Arizona, was being looked at by ASU head coach Herb Sendek early in his high school career. This was also the point where he earned his nickname from Sendek.
“My freshman year he recruited me and offered me, and he came to some of my games and then I had a few flashy passes here and there, so he gave me the nickname ‘Pistol,’” Justice said.
“Pistol” Pete Maravich was a point guard in the 70s known for his scoring ability, flashy passes and showman-like style of play with the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz, and Boston Celtics. Maravich still holds NCAA records for most points scored in a career (3,667) and career points per game (44.2).
“I started calling him ‘Pistol’ because he has a ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich mentality. He kind of has a little bit of flash to him,” Sendek said. “I love giving guys nicknames, and I thought that was a pretty good one, so I went with it, and it stuck.”
As overwhelming this may be to a typical high school freshman, Justice was thrilled with the comparison.
“I just stuck with it,” Justice said. “I had to wear 44 to represent it, and to stick with the nickname all the way through.”
Justice has carried that over to his new team, sticking with number 44, and staying loyal to his comparison.
“If he averages 44 (points) a game, then we’ll let him keep that number,” Sendek said jokingly.
Justice’s passing ability was shown off in his statistics as well as on the court. To go along with his 15 points per game his senior year, Justice averaged 5.5 assists as well as 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Staying Home
The recruiting process is different for every college athlete. Some get five offers, some get 50 offers, some have to walk on, but for the majority of high schools athletes, making it to the next level is an unreachable goal. As much as it is an unpredictable experience, everything fell into place right away for Justice.
“Freshman year of high school, this was the first time I ever played AAU, and right at the end before sophomore year I picked up 10, 15 offers,” Justice said.
Despite the heavy amount of offers flowing in at once, Justice knew where he belonged, it was just a matter of when they stepped up to the plate and give him an offer.
“When ASU offered me, it was the place I wanted to be. I get to stay home, play for a great coach, a great coaching staff,” Justice said. “I’m family oriented, and I’ve always been an ASU fan since I was little, so it was always where I wanted to be.”
Although the recruiting process seemed to be smooth-sailing for Justice, he had to make some adjustments to his game in order to get where he is today. Despite the offers he received during his freshman year of high school, he had to overcome an obstacle that he had no control over.
“Starting my freshman year I was 6-foot-1, about 160 pounds, so I was real small. I was in between playing point guard and shooting guard,” Justice said. “Then I got taller, got a little stronger, put on more weight, so just developing and getting physically ready for this level was where I needed to be and what I needed to work on.”
Rate of growth can mean everything for an aspiring college basketball. If a player stops growing early on, they could watch their future as a collegiate athlete go down the drain, and there is nothing they can do about it. For Justice, he didn’t give up on his dream, and he was able to make the desired decision.
Justice, now standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 180 pounds, his physique is matched with the high-praised skill set he possesses.
The Future
When a sport carries someone this far, it can be difficult to recognize what the game has provided. After all, athletes are playing the sport they’ve grown up falling in love with, but Justice doesn’t take what basketball has given him for granted.
“It’s given me a free education, no one in my family has ever gone to college so I’ll be the first, and the first to graduate.” Justice said. “It’s always kept me dedicated, working hard, keeping up with my grades. Because if you don’t have good grades, you can’t play basketball. So its always kept me motivated and pushing me to be great.”
For whatever lies ahead for Justice in Tempe, he won’t forget about the ones that got him there. Being the first in the family to go to college, to chase his dream, and being overwhelmingly humble while doing so takes a supporting cast that has shaped who he is today.
“My family, my dad was a basketball player. And he at a young age tore his ACL, so he kind of pushed me to be great so he could live his dreams through me,” Justice said. “I would also have to say my high school coach, Coach McConnell. He’s pushed me to be a leader on the court, be a leader off the court, to be the best person possible.”
With the strong support displayed by his family and coach, expect to see a lot of confidence through Justice’s game.
Who knows, maybe it won’t take him long to have more people than Sendek comparing him to “Pistol” Pete Maravich.
You can reach Zane Hopen on Twitter @zdubhops or by email at zane.hopen@gmail.com
