"The Best Things In Life Are Never Planned"... The Story Of Ryan Ejim.

During this past summer, Canada had a celebration, unlike no other. Typically in any sport, Canada gets upset until a few months ago. The Toronto Raptors shocked the world this past NBA season and managed to gain the respect they have been seeking since becoming a basketball organization. As a result of this incredible feat, Canadians have emerged to embrace basketball as if it was Hockey. This, however, is just the beginning for basketball in Canada as leagues such as the CEBL emerged to make headlines all across Canada. Despite the growth of basketball in Canada, what if I told you that Canadian basketball athletes had grown just as fast? What if I told you that Canadians are now encouraged to consider a career in basketball? Surely enough, hundreds of thousands of Canadian athletes pursued a career path towards basketball, including Saskatchewan Rattlers forward, Ryan Ejim. However, what led him to pursue a route in basketball in the first place?

On October 31, 1993, Ryan Ejim was born in Brampton, Ontario, with a vision to find success in what he loves. Life was reasonably straight forward for Ejim as he followed all the necessary steps of living a basic childhood life. Whether it’s playing outside with his brothers or doing that pesky annoying homework that no one enjoys, Ejim was living an ordinary life just like you and me. However, at a young age, Ejim found something that he quickly grasped, which was basketball. At first, Ejim viewed basketball as just a sport he would play on the side. If he wanted to take a break or hang out with his friends, basketball would be the first thing on his mind. Ejim, at a young age, only viewed basketball as an exit slip or a stress ball for himself when he would feel down or upset. For him, basketball was simply a hobby as he had other plans for what he wanted to do. (The fact that Ryan Ejim never took basketball seriously at a young age is insanity to considering what he is known as today). Even though Ejim today is known as a professional athlete, the one thing that he valued the most at a young age was education. While other kids his age viewed school as a burden or an unnecessary form of stress, Ejim enjoyed every second of it and wanted to pursue a degree or even masters in whatever he wanted to do. At this point in Ejim’s life, he enjoyed school quite a bit; however, he did not know what to do until he became older.

During Ejim’s time in high school, basketball seemed to be more of a commitment rather than just a hobby. Even though his ambition was towards school, basketball started to emerge as more of a passion for Ejim rather than just a hobby. The more he played basketball, the more connected he felt due to the love he developed for the sport at a young age. When he was upset or frustrated about anything, Ejim would revolt to playing basketball with his friends, family and even strangers. By now, basketball has been described as more than just an athlete dribbling the ball back and forth. Instead, this beautiful sport has become an iconic yet inspiring sport for everyone to share, considering how vastly immense basketball has become. However, even though Ejim truly enjoyed basketball with all his heart, pursuing education was his priority until one day, his mindset completely shifted.

Once high school was over, Ejim decided to attend York University, where he would look to pursue his dream of accomplishing a degree. Even though basketball was simply on the horizon for Ejim, becoming a lawyer was what he thought he wanted to do. When it came to basketball, Ejim joined all the teams he possibly can be apart of to fuel his passion. Yet, Ejim did not realize the amount of talent he has accumulated over the years, even though he viewed it as a mear hobby. Despite all of the skill that was evident in Ejim’s arsenal, the ambition of becoming a lawyer seemed to be the ideal choice for him to pursue. However, during one of his weekly classes at York University, a friend of his approaches Ejim and suggests a new concept that he never considered. During his time at York University, he was a member of the basketball team, which sparked his basketball career by accident. The humble Ejim gathers his friend’s suggestion of pursuing basketball into some consideration. Even though there was a huge risk to pursue basketball as your full-time career, Ejim had the skill and heart for the game since day one. All those hours of sweat and tears he put towards his craft was something Ejim grasped on when he made his decision. Even though he was hesitant about pursuing basketball, he decided to trust his gut and decided to take basketball more seriously.

The inspiring message that can be attained about Ejim’s path to basketball was his humbleness towards the game. At first, basketball was just a leisure hobby that he loved and desired. When he had a bad day or stressed about something, basketball was something that he felt automatically connected too. For Ejim, it was bigger than basketball hence the attraction. However, Ejim never realized how good he was at the sport, hence why it was such a jaw-dropping experience for him when his friend recommended taking basketball to the next step. Luckily for Ejim, he chose the right path in his life, considering how is basketball career panned out.

During his time at York University, Ejim averaged an impressive 15.4 points, 8 rebounds, and a block a game. His impact on the floor was incredible as he was a tenacious forward that wanted the ball more than anyone else on the court. Ejim was also an elite scorer in the paint as he never hesitated to drive inside or bully his way into scoring a point. His stint with York is what propelled his career into dominance. The amount of confidence he had at scoring or blocking a shot was something that led him into accomplishing new heights of success. Nothing could hinder Ejims production on both ends of the floor until one day, something devastating happened.

When interviewing Ejim, one thing that stood out about him was his motivation towards the game. Even though he always viewed basketball as a hobby, Ejim didn’t realize the opportunity basketball came with. Whether it’s travelling around the world or attaining fame and fortune, Ejim didn’t realize what basketball offered him. All of this opportunity that he was achieving suddenly opened his eyes to what his actual motivation to pursue basketball which was, to experience different cultures and relationships across the world. To Ejim, witnessing and experiencing other cultures around the world gave him the realization of appreciating what he values in this world. The relationships and joyous experiences that he attained since he became a professional athlete gave him the satisfaction to continue committing to the sport that he loves.

After this sudden realization of what motivated Ejim to play basketball religiously, Ejim joined the CEBL as a member of the Hamilton Honey Badgers. The Badgers and Ejim had differences of opinion and instead became a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers, where he would embark on a journey of success and worth. Ejim was one of the more energetic players on the Rattlers and wanted the ball more than anyone else as he managed to help the Rattlers become the first champions in CEBL history. This was a momentous time for Ejim and his teammates considering how this was the first time he won a championship as a professional. His early on success in the CEBL led him to receive a contract in Spain where he is currently playing.

When reflecting on Ejim’s story, the lessons that I learned about his story is always to stay humble and never become cocky about anything your good at. Ejim’s humbleness and dedication to basketball brought him to this point in his career, and that’s a valuable asset to have in anything that you pursue. Even though basketball was just a hobby for Ejim, he still kept grinding and played with dedication as if he was apart of an NBA team. His persistence and focus developed at such a young age, and the results are shown in the present day as he is now a CEBL champion. The future is bright for Ejim and his career as he has found purpose in his life and career.