“I’ve Seen A Lot Of Things That Ordinary Kids My Age Weren’t Supposed To Be Seeing But I Wanted Something Different For Myself"... The Basketball Story Of Braylon Rayson

When a person is put into a situation, they cannot control whether it is good or bad, that person has either two options to deal with it. The first option is to succumb to their situation, do nothing, or work around their situation and change what they can control. For Braylon Rayson, his situation and environment would lead some people to evil temptations, but he couldn’t control what was given to him. Instead, Rayson wanted more for himself and decided to use his surroundings to prove that he can accomplish success regardless of his circumstance. This story is about a man who was in a situation designed for him to fail but overcame it while becoming one of the greatest college players to ever play in Michigan! 

Born in Dallas, Texas, on December 25, 1994, Rayson would be surrounded by blessing, family and poverty. His mother and grandmother raised Rayson as they educated him about what is essential in life. From getting a proper education to entering extracurricular activities such as sports, the women in his life taught him everything at a young age, which sparked a passion in Braylon’s heart. While others wanted to play video games or play on the streets, Rayson would focus on getting good marks in school while finding his passion for sport. For Rayson, education was something that was consistently encouraged in his home. Without that constant reminder from his mother, Rayson would have most likely fallen into the dark temptations and evil present around his environment. But with his mother’s guidance and protection, Rayson would enter a different path and change his fate. His situation never slowed him down, and even though he did grow up in poverty, he was rich with family and blessing and started to embark on a journey to success. 

“I grew up in a single-parent household and was raised by all women from my grandparents to my mother. They made sure to teach me whats right and wrong while providing me everything that I needed for success, so their impact convinced me to stay out of trouble and focus on my future and not the streets”. 

Most kids in his community would follow the same tradition as their peers, which is to blend in with all the negative temptations and eventually become a member of it. However, from the very beginning, Rayson felt that he deserved better and quickly developed a mentality to work hard and ignore all the distractions that came to him. He wanted to be different, and as he got older, he started to witness the type of success a person can have by just playing a sport! 

“I’ve seen a lot of things that ordinary kids my age weren’t supposed to be seeing, but I wanted a different life for myself. I felt that I was placed on this earth for a different reason to give back to my community and make an impact. I needed to change, so I used sports as an outlet, and the rest is history.”

Even though Rayson grew up in poverty, his mother made sure that she would always be there for him while never letting him worry about their situation. While other children in his community had to worry about when their next meal came or if the power was still working, Rayson never had to experience that and instead came home with nothing but warm hugs and love from his mother. However, his mother also expected him to be responsible and be active. To stay away from trouble, playing sports or being attentive in school would be the keys to staying away from evil temptations. Rayson’s mother taught him values and the importance of hard work hence why he is as successful as he is today. Without his mother’s presence, Rayson, as he said, would be nothing in this world. 

“My mother was my only role model growing up. She taught me everything that I know and has been with me since day one. She never turned her back on me. In my opinion, she’s the perfect person. She always made sure I was good that I was fed. I never came home with the light off; I never had to ask for things. She made my life a lot better than it could have been. She told me that if I work hard, do well in school, and keep your respect, I could accomplish anything that I want, and once I heard that, I kept on going and never looked back. Without her, I’m nothing in this world”.

The impact that his mother had on him unlocked other passions and goals in his life, such as getting the best grades in school while finding a sport that he can dominate in. For Rayson, he could play any sport and do well, but football and basketball were the two sports where he showed flashes of superstar potential. Early on in his life, he mainly focused on playing football as that was the sport he believed he was better in. However, basketball was more of a fun activity on the side as he would play in parks against other significantly bigger players than him. Both sports intrigued him at a young age, but basketball was something that he felt he could find more opportunities in as he was fascinated with the idea of travelling the world while playing a sport that he loves. Playing sports was his passion, but the real reason why he chose to play sports over anything else is that it kept him out of trouble. Exercising and working towards his professional athletic dream was all the fuel he needed to surpass his environment and, as a result, became one of the best athletes in his community. 

“Sports kept me out of trouble. Growing up, kids after school would always invite me to join certain activities and trouble, but I was more focused on sports. I lived in a single-parent household surrounded by women in my family, so they made sure that I knew what my priorities were at a young age”. 

From childhood to teenagehood, Braylon Rayson had to decide which sport he wants to pursue for the rest of his life. Even though he was better at football than basketball, he felt that basketball would grant him more success, opportunities and an easier path to what he wanted to achieve in his life. His goal was to be in a situation where he can provide for himself and his family while giving back to the community he grew up in. Rayson wanted to be an example of showing the next generation that nothing can be accomplished in life unless you are willing to take chances and while being comfortable with change. As a result, Rayson would choose basketball and started to take it much more seriously than when he did growing up. From playing in the streets against tough competition to teaching himself certain aspects of the game, Rayson started to play organized team basketball when he was in grade seven! Although it was intimidating, Rayson would already have the skills required to make the team and slowly started to make a name for himself in his community as a future star in basketball. Once he transitioned from middle school to high school, Rayson would be a starter as a freshman and be known as one of the greatest athletes West Mesquite high school has ever seen! 

“I started on my varsity team when I was a freshman and would never touch the bench after that. During my freshman year, I averaged 18 points, and from then, my production became better and better each season. I only started playing organized basketball when I was in grade 7, so I had to work hard and learn to become a point guard because all I knew was scoring the basketball. In my junior year, I averaged 27 points and then in my senior year; I averaged 31 points”.

Rayson’s high school experience was nothing but success as he averaged record-breaking numbers and started receiving attention from other schools. However, his skill and scoring ability were all self-taught as he managed to teach himself almost everything about the game. From dribbling the basketball to learning how to score effectively, Rayson defines true talent and work ethic. Everything that he has accomplished throughout his life wasn’t given to him and instead was all achieved by his hard work. His skills and work ethic were good enough to get an offer from Central Michigan University, where he would become a superstar and a champion! But the transition from playing high school basketball to division one was one of the most challenging experiences Rayson had to go through. 

“In high school, I was probably 5’9 and about 140 pounds, which only wanted to score and not pass unless someone is wide open. In college, you have to start all over because, in high school, I was the best player and probably the only player in my region to start on my varsity team as a freshman. But college, you have to start all over again and make a name for yourself and do everything all over. In the first few weeks of college, I knew I was better than most of the players, but I had to play behind a junior at the time. Everyone knew that I should start, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to go to class, but I never knew that I would be known as a starter if I went to class. I was dominating practice and was confused, but my coach told me that you have to go to class and do well to be a starter. Thankfully I already developed that work ethic from my mother, so it was easy, and soon enough, I became a starter”.

After his college days, Braylon would work out with NBA teams and declare for the draft but was unfortunately not selected by any team. Even though teams were interested in him, their only issue was the fact that he was 5’9. His offensive skill was jaw-dropping, but general managers had to consider that defence is just as important as offence. Rayson was upset at the time, but now, he realized where they came from and appreciated the opportunity he received in trying out for certain teams. 

“My goal at the very beginning was to become an NBA player, and so I worked out with some teams. I always wanted to be in the NBA but knowing what I know now; the NBA was not for me at the time just because of the player that I was at the time. I was more of an Isaiah Thomas type player, a small guard that can score very well. I had GM’s telling me that they knew I could be one of the best offensive players in the league, but they always asked me if I can guard a seven-footer? I had to be real with myself and realized that no, I couldn’t guard a seven-footer and even though at the time I didn’t understand that, now I do”. 

Rather than feeling discouraged, Rayson would pursue other leagues and discovered the NBLC. He would first represent the Windsor Express as a bench player but made a name for himself when he joined the Sudbury 5 in the following season. In just his first year with the Sudbury 5, he would average 24 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and almost steal a game! His production on both ends of the floor was so impactful that he managed to win the NBLC MVP while being named an All-Star. In the following season of 2020, he would once again become an All-Star and average similar numbers. The most notable improvement this season was his assists as he averaged a career-high of 7 assists! 

In the end, this young star has many more years of dominance and inspiration as he defied all odds and proved that with change and courage, anything could be accomplished. Rather than scumming at his environment and situation at a young age, he listened to his mother and worked hard to get to where he is today. He changed his fate and worked out as he believed that he deserves better than what was presented to him. Without his mother’s guidance and support, Rayson would have never experienced this amount of success hence why he is the man that he is today. The lesson that can be learned about Braylon Rayson’s journey to basketball is, to be successful in this world, you have to be comfortable with the idea of change even if it seems to be impossible. Rayson didn’t let his situation dictate his future and instead forced himself to change what was given to him by controlling what he can do which is, receiving good grades in school while working hard on his goals and dreams! If you ask me that alone makes Braylon Rayson an accomplished human being in this world.