"I Was Always The Shortest Guy On The Court But The Competition I Faced Allowed Me To Become The Player I Am Today..." The Basketball Story Of Jelane Pryce.
When getting introduced to his passion, Jelane Pryce was obsessed with competing among the best of the best. From his brothers playing elite basketball to the camps that he was a part of, Pryce was no stranger to the art of competition. However, his competitive side was never toxic. Typically when someone is competitive, a nasty side of that person is revealed. But for Jelane, his competitive nature is rather inspiring instead of toxic, considering how he always maintained respect. Jelane was determined to play basketball, but the game was much deeper than a basketball dribbling up and down the court.
Basketball was an outlet for Pryce to express his competitive side. Last summer, for instance, Pryce was a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers, where he played a significant role on his team and played incredible basketball while exhibiting an excellent competitive side. As a result, Pryce would win the CEBL’s first-ever coveted championship trophy, where he would be known as one of the most versatile players the league has to offer. From his elite defence to his jumping ability, Pryce played the perfect role for the Rattlers. However, how did Pryce become the basketball player that everyone around him respects?
Born on October 23, 1991, in Innisfil Ontario, Pryce would be introduced to basketball at a very young age. Growing up, he was gifted with a community that loved basketball and would play at the local park almost every day. Besides school, Pryce would always play basketball with his brothers and immediately treated basketball as if it was his job. However, playing was just the beginning of his passion. Pryce would always watch the NBA and was fascinated by how Tracy Mcgrady and Allen Iverson played.
“Growing up, I would watch countless tapes of Tracy Mcgrady and Allen Iverson play. Those two players fueled my passion for basketball and were also players that I looked up too when it came to playing and understanding the way basketball is played.”
Pryce loved the game, but he was always the shortest guy on the court. Growing up, he had to learn and adapt to how the game was played from the age of five! His first ever experience of playing basketball was when his brothers needed an extra person to play to make equal rosters, and for Jelane, it was a mixture of excitement and fear.
“The first time I played basketball, I was five years old, and I remember I was with my brother and his friends. When they arrived at the basketball court, they needed an extra person, so they needed me to play. That was the first time I ever played basketball”
His basketball adventure started at a young age, which was ideal for a person that had NBA aspirations. Because of how obsessed he was about Tracy Mcgrady and Allen Iverson, Jelane had fantasies where he would nail a jump shot like Iverson or dunk the ball like Mcgrady and hear the crowd chant his name. He loved playing basketball in his neighbourhood, but his family is what inspired him to play. From his brothers taking him to the courts to his parents always encouraging the path to basketball, Jelane was in the ideal situation to not only play the game but also feel motivated about it. However, in the beginning, Pryce had an issue that would later blossom into the best thing that ever happened to him in his basketball journey.
As mentioned earlier, Jelane Pryce was always the shortest kid on the basketball court. This resulted in Pryce always playing the point guard position, which helped him learn how to shoot and facilitate the ball, which would be a critical factor in his professional career. However, as the years went by, Pryce would hit a growth spurt where he would shift from a guard to a forward. Instead of focusing on playmaking, Pryce focused more on defence and toughness, considering that forwards are arguably the most physical position to play in basketball. Despite these requirements, Pryce’s strongest skill was shooting the ball and defending the perimeter, which he primarily focuses on until today. When Pryce played on the Rattlers, his role was to be a spot-up shooter that can drive inside and defend the perimeter. His skillset rooted in his growth spurt, which is something so spectacular as his height went from being a weakness to the biggest blessing he could have had. However, if Jelane wasn’t playing basketball with his brothers or his friends, he insisted on staying home and recharging his batteries to play another day of basketball!
When reflecting on Jelane’s story so far, the aspect of his story that stands out is how quickly he was able to adapt to the game of basketball. Even though he was the smallest kid on the court at times, his passion for the game was enough for him to play continually. His NBA role models helped him tremendously throughout his life as he tried to emulate and understand how they approached the game and how well they played. Jelane’s growth spurt is also something very unique considering how he flipped his situation. Instead of grieving or feeling insecure about his situation, he learned how to play as a guard by playmaking and learning how to shoot the ball efficiently and learn how to defend it. Even though basketball entered Jelan’s heart at an incredibly young age, his parents are arguably the biggest reason he continued to play basketball.
“Growing up, my mother would always give me advice over any decision I would make. Throughout my basketball journey, my parents were adamant and committed to my basketball dream. My father always used to drive me everywhere and research every day what steps to take to become a professional athlete. His dream for me was for me to become a professional athlete, so I felt obligated to make him proud.”
Jelane’s motor was always to make his family proud. However, his father had a completely different role in Jelane’s life as he was obsessed with learning how to help his son make it to the pros. As a result, Jelane’s father would make great sacrifices and drive his son anywhere to help reach both Jelane’s dream and his fathers. Furthermore, both his parents would take Jelane and his brothers to multiple basketball camps and training where he got to witness some of the best players at his age! With his competitive nature, this was the perfect opportunity to help Jelane grow as a player and as a person. However, this camp was also challenging as the coaches were brutal but impactful.
“Every weekend, my parents would take me to basketball training, where I was introduced to my long-time coach/trainer, Ken Daniels. In those camps, I remember I would play alongside Cory Joseph and other elite players, so I got to see some of the best talents Canada has to offer. That experience alone elevated my game so much more as I got to witness the best of the best.”
The basketball camps that Jelane participated in allowed him to reach the next tier of his basketball journey. Even though he loved the game growing up, he didn’t have the best skill set, but these training camps helped Jelane build an incredible skill set on the court. However, it wasn’t always as glamorous as there were times where Jelane was nervous in playing scrimmages or doing drills.
“The talent I played with or against was pretty nerve-racking. I was just a small kid trying to survive there, so I was scared to get yelled at or look bad in front of my peers. It was pretty nerve-racking, but it showed me the competition and how hard these players work when we’re doing drills or playing scrimmages.”
As Jelane got older, he would still play basketball daily but had other passions. Once he graduated high school, he went to Ryerson University, where he was caught in a bubble of not knowing what to do. Even though he loved basketball, he was also a student-athlete, so he had to take some courses and chose politics, which he found fascinating in his first year. The following year, he started to lose interest in politics and instead discovered psychology where he was instantly hooked. From there, Pryce found his second passion, which was learning psychology while also having aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player. However, psychology and basketball were not the only things that he enjoyed.
“When I was in high school, I played the trombone and had aspirations of playing in a band one day. However, basketball was my first passion, and as much as I loved playing the trombone, I had better opportunities with basketball. Last year, I was in an audition to play the trombone. However, before it was my turn to perform, I got a call from my agent saying that the Saskatchewan Rattlers had signed me, so I had to make a decision. After looking at what the outcome was, I’m definitely glad that I chose basketball over anything else.”
When interviewing Jelane Pryce, I was inspired to see how passionate he was about things outside of basketball. From his pursuit and passion for psychology to how much he enjoys playing instruments, Jelane is much bigger than a basketball player. Even though basketball is his number one passion, Jelane never limited himself to anything and instead isn’t afraid of taking risks and pursuing what he loves. If that is not an inspiration, I don’t know what is!
In the end, Pryce’s basketball journey was influenced heavily by his family and his peers. All he wanted to do was make his family proud and reach his dreams of becoming a professional athlete. He may have found other interests along his journey, but his basketball career has been nothing but a success. I am excited to see what Jelane will do after he retires from basketball!
