Photo and story by Wynter Kimes
Silence took over the room within only 10 seconds. The clock was counting down. It was July 2, 2018, and Jacquey Davis was playing with his wolverines, his teammates in the Mississippi Basketball Association summer league. They were in the finals championship, game seven in Brandon. The outcome would determined whether the team would ever get to play against teams around the world. It was game point.
“Everything that I put forth, all the work I put in, all the effort that was put into it—it was show time now. I mean, there was no looking back,” Davis says now.
Three, two, one! He makes it.
“That moment for me was really memorable,” he says.
The team was cheering with excited people, the crowd was roaring with joy. But it wasn’t just a one-man show.
“For me, I would say the most important thing was that we played as a team,” he says.
Davis is a 15-year-old who believes in determination, teamwork and integrity. While there is plenty of teamwork to go around, Davis prefers to outshine his brother when he can. Because they both play for the wolverines, the brothers frequently face a familiar conflict.
“I honestly have to admit, I love my brother because he’s family and has always been there for me. On the other hand, I don’t like the attention that people give when it comes to me shadowing behind my brother. He also plays basketball, so it’s rare that I get a compliment without it being compared to him,” he says with a laugh. “I live in his shadow, ‘lil D’ is what they called me after my older brother Deron.”
Davis will be in the 10th grade at Murrah High School in fall 2018. He enjoys basketball and writing, but his true passions are videography and podcasting. He wants to capitalize on his opportunities to be different. When people see Davis, they frequently see his older brother, Deron.
He liked playing ball with his brother and loves the example his brother has set for him. On the other hand, Davis was good at basketball, but believes no one gave him credit for what he could do on his own. He decided to join the Youth Media Project as a means to explore his hobbies and develop his talented in videography and podcasting.
Davis lives in Jackson, and believes his city holds more potential than many people believe. He plans to study journalism next year in order to become more familiar with the writing world.
YMP student journalist Wynter Kimes is in the 9th grade at Clinton Christian Academy.
