The American Dream is alive and well
these days. Maybe harder to achieve, but that isn’t deterring those people who
believe hard work, dedication and faith are all they need to get their slice.
In fact, Gabon-native Therence Mayimba
said that was one of reasons he was motivated to come to the United States. The
land of opportunity, offered him just that: A chance to achieve greatness and
make his family proud.
“I came to the United States to take
advantage of being in a good school, and basketball comes second,” Mayimba
said. “That’s what I love, that’s what I want to do, that’s why I play
basketball, but school comes first.”
The second of his parents’ three
children, Mayimba said that while it was hard for his family to send him away,
the prospect of going to a great school and possibly playing basketball in
college and the NBA was enough for them to send him to America.
When he found out that he would be able
to study and play in the U.S., he said he thanked God every day for his
blessings and for being given an opportunity to show he is ready to do great
things.
“I think God responded to me, so I feel
like I have to be with him and thank him. God is everything to me,” Mayimba
said.
A product of Joe Touomou, Mayimba said
that he went to an African tournament with his country when he was approached
by popular singer, Serge Maboma.
“He saw me play one day, and he told me
what I am, what I play for and what I came from,” Mayimba said. “He told me
that if I want to be a great player he can help me, ‘cause he knows some people
who can help me to come to America.
“I tell [Touomou and Maboma] what I
wanted to do, what was my dream, what was my purpose and [coach Touomou]
trusted me. [Touomou] came and saw me play and said ‘Okay I’m going to help you out.’”
The rising junior at Montrose Christian
(Rockville, Md.) said he wanted to make his family proud of him: He wanted to
have his degree, to finish school and to then be an athlete.
Mayimba said he would like to major in
engineering in college and that his favorite subject is math. He said his dad told
him if he can do math, he can do anything and that has fueled his interest in
not only math, but subjects that deal with infrastructure.
When he arrived in the United States
nine months ago, Mayimba admitted there was a big culture shock. Coming from a
country with a little over three million people and where sports are not nearly
as celebrated as in the U.S., he said he had some major adjusting to do.
Overcoming the English language and the
regions colloquial terms and phrases were some of the biggest challenges he while he transitioned to the American game.
“I was really confused, really confused
cause it was weird,” Mayimba said. “I remember a teammate from Montrose
Christian, every morning he used to tell me ‘What’s up?’, and I was like ‘What
does that mean?’ I didn’t know what ‘what’s up’ meant.
“I have teammate named Kevin Zabo and he
speaks French, so he helped me out with English and everything. I use to tell
him not to speak too much French with me because I wanted to learn English
really quick.”
Once Mayimba learned how to explain
himself, everything became a lot easier he said. Practice, which was
challenging due to the language barrier, was suddenly much less difficult, and once
he picked up the American format of basketball, everything started running
smoothly from there.
Well-known for his superb defense and
ability to score, experts have frequently compared Mayimba to former Mustang Kevin
Durant. Mayimba, a 200 lbs, 6’7 small forward, said his defense is his strength;
whether it is help side, talking on defense or blocking an opponent’s shot. He
simply loves playing defense.
On a team with six seniors ahead of him,
Mayimba was unable to show this and received limited playing time as a
sophomore. This year, however, he is an upperclassman, and his command English
is leaps and bounds from where it used to be.
“I think I’m going to play a lot this
year and explain to myself and prove to everyone that I can be a good player,”
Mayimba said. “I know I’m going to start.”
But Mayimba said he doesn’t just want to
start, he wants to flourish against Montrose’s nationally-ranked opponents. He
said he loves playing against tough teams because it gives him an opportunity
to measure his development.
As of now, Mayimba said the main thing
he needs to work on is his shot. He said he knows that if he wants to reach the
NBA, he will have to develop a more consistent shot and offensive arsenal.
Playing for Nike EYBL powerhouse Team
Takeover (D.C.) 16U has helped Mayimba continue to refine his skills against some
of the best competition in the country. A league that has produced NBA stars
such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker, is helping
Mayimba hone his defensive skills, while steadily improving his offensive repertoire.
Mayimba’s improved play has garnered the
Scout 2014 top 60 player attention from a lot of different schools recently.
Considered one of the best small forwards in his class, coaches are jumping on him
early and trying to keep tabs on the rising junior.
“There are a lot of schools who are
interested in me,” Mayimba said. “But I just send them to my coach, because I
don’t really want to focus on college right now. I’m only going to 11th
grade, I have to focus on school and working right now.
“I know a couple schools who are
interested in me though: Indiana, Miami (Fla.), Villanova, Georgetown, Texas,
Harvard, Virginia Tech and Maryland.”
Though he doesn’t have a favorite, Mayimba
said he likes Maryland’s campus and has been to the school a few times with friends.
“I like the school,” Mayimba said. “They
have a great program, they produce great players over there and I like the
academic part the most."
Since he is focusing on school over the
next year, Mayimba admitted that he doesn’t know that much about Maryland.
Regardless, he said a school’s
basketball reputation will only be one factor in his decision to go there.
Mayimba reiterated that a school’s academic prestige will weigh the most in where
he decides to go.
“I’m not going to play basketball for my
whole life,” Mayimba said. “I will have to stop basketball one day, so I will
use my degree to have a good job and to take care of my family.”
