The Decision That Changed Everything, The Story Of Alex Campbell.

In the United States, basketball is regarded as a sport on the rise. With players such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and James Harden, we tend to take advantage or lose focus on other talents across the planet. Even though these players are arguably the faces of modern basketball, it does not give us the right to go past other players who put the work in every day. Reaching the NBA is a lot of tough work and adversity, considering how some players start their careers. Whether its spending hours in the gym or sitting down, contemplating if basketball is a primary career for anyone to follow, the world of basketball is a hit or miss. When a person shames a professional athlete in anything, they tend to overlook all the hard work or adversities they experienced. Being an athlete is stringent in this world, yet no one gives credit to the number of sacrifices professional players make daily. Even though basketball is a game, it is also a commitment to a job like a teacher or an engineer. It takes approximately 4-6 years to become a doctor, but it takes a lifetime to become a professional athlete. Professional athletes put their bodies on their line and sacrifice time away from friends and loved ones. To become a professional athlete, the first step is to accept the fact that limitations will arise. Even though millions of athletes across the world are going through these types of constraints, I came across an athlete who happened to be a member of the CEBL named, Alex Campbell.

During the year of 1993, the year started well for the Campbell family. On January 22 in North York Toronto, Alex Campbell was born. The year started with excitement and joy for the Campbell family. Nevertheless, the Campbell family did not last long in North York and instead decided to move to Mississauga.

Alex Campbell and his family endured living in Mississauga for the next few years. However, once again, the Campbell family decided to move again to a different part of Ontario called Brampton. It was Brampton that Alex Campbell and his family settled down. Unlike his previous destinations, Brampton was the part of Toronto that allowed Campbell to exceed his goal to a whole other level. As a young boy living in Brampton, Campbell lived an impactful yet straightforward life. Young Campbell enjoyed going to school and learning new things every day. He was always interested in seeking something new to learn. His creative mind and aspiration to grasp any knowledge inspired him to endure a path of teaching. Even though Campbell is a professional basketball player today, he wanted to pursue education as his primary career. However, that desire to teach suddenly changed during his teenage days as he received an opportunity to try something new.

During Campbell’s years as a high school freshman, his goals were pretty straight. Even though he wanted to be a teacher, he had other ambitions that stimulated his mind. Growing up, Campbell was pretty big on drawing and making art for his family. Throughout the years as a teenager, Alex decided to further fuel his passion for the arts and decided to take painting fairly seriously. Considering that Campbell is all about the arts, he also started practicing a different kind of art in sports. During his early teenage years, he would play soccer and track. However, once Alex entered high school, he decided to play basketball consistently. The more Campbell played basketball, the more he loved it to a point where he felt like he could never drop it. A common theme about Campbell’s life is, he was always willing to try something new to expand his skillset in various fields. It is safe to say that Alex Campbell was not your typical high school student and instead was shaping up to be an athlete with an entrepreneur mindset. Despite his ambition to become a teacher, Campbell quickly fell in love with the game and decided that this is what he wanted to do. It was a difficult decision for Campbell to make considering how much he enjoyed both paths.

Once Campbell officially decided on what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, everything seemed to be crystal clear. Throughout his senior year in high school, it appeared that Alex made the right decision to dedicate his time to the sport of basketball. From there, Campbell was inseparable from the basketball court as he would practice day and night consistently. Even though no one forced him or pressured him to practically living in the gym, Campbell had a driving force that motivated him to practice his craft.

As a young boy growing up in Brampton, Ontario, he had faint memories of his family watching the NBA on the television. During Campbell’s time as a small adolescent, Vince Carter was in his prime and winning dunk contests that would excite kids in this generation. Carter was an athletic monster who also inspired millions of kids across the world to play basketball at an elite level, including the young Alex Campbell. However, that wasn’t the reason why Campbell decided to take basketball seriously. He dedicated thousands upon thousands of hours towards the game of basketball for his family. The one memory that will forever be embedded in his mind was a time where he sat around the living room with his family watching the Raptors play. However, the person in his family who was extremely passionate about the game of basketball was his grandmother as she introduced it in the Campbell family. From there, Campbell was unable to put down a basketball and instead worked his way to the top in becoming a professional athlete. None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for his grandmother and the rest of his family watching Vince Carter dominate his opponents as a Raptor. This goes to show that everything in life has a purpose and importance to it, considering how something as small as watching a basketball game can completely change someone’s life.

From there, Campbell graduated from his high school and immediately endured into becoming an elite basketball player. During this time, Campbell still wanted to pursue education as he never thought he could make it to the professional level. Even though his real dream was becoming a professional athlete, he always had a back-up plan just in case his basketball journey failed. Even though his dreams were clear, making an income from it started to affect Campbell. He wanted to find a way to do what he loves while also creating an income to support himself and his family. As a result, Campbell decided to take basketball a lot more seriously and ended up achieving exactly what he wanted. His love for the game was dedicated to his family, and he finally found a way to repay them both physically and internally. The passion that floods his body every day was not possible if it wasn’t for his grandmother turning on the television and playing the Vince Carter Toronto Raptors.

After graduating from the University of Windsor, Campbell started to see the talent he possessed in basketball. Whether it was aggressively grabbing a rebound or nailing a three-point shot, Campbell was looking like a force to be reckoned with. His basketball dreams were slowly coming true as he was invited to a tournament in China for four weeks. Even though he didn’t get paid to play in this tournament, this opportunity is what put Campbell on the map. His skill for the game of basketball was so impressive that he managed to grasp the eyes of the NBL. This new beginning for Campbell was looking like a promising one as he was invited to join his very own Windsor Express. The fact that Campbell graduated from the University of Windsor, played in China for a few weeks, and ended up back in Windsor with an NBL team goes to show that hard work and dedication is all you need to conquer your dreams. However, one of his most significant accomplishments was when he played in Spain with a team called PEI. His time in PEI was indeed something remarkable as he managed to lead his team to gold that year.

After his time in Spain, he joined a new family in the CEBL with a team called the Saskatchewan Rattlers. The Rattlers is easily his most successful experience compared to his previous ones. Even though the NBL is what took Campbell to the next level, the Rattlers opened up a new door for him to become one of the best players in the entire CEBL. Campbell was so good during his time with the Rattlers that he managed to lead the charge in the playoffs as the third seed and win the championship. His presence on the court was so crucial and impactful that he was named as the first-ever Finals MVP for the CEBL.

Despite all of his success as a professional athlete, the number one thing that Campbell values the most about the game of basketball is, the opportunity to travel the world and meet new people. Basketball in Campbell’s words is viewed as a passport rather than a sport. The fact that basketball can grant you a chance to travel around the world and play the game you love is something significant to Campbell. One of the reasons why the Rattlers managed to win the championship this year was due to the relationships Campbell made before the CEBL. During his time in Spain, he played alongside Marlon Johnson and Shaquille Keith who were both on the roster for the Rattlers. This deep relationship and chemistry are one of many reasons why the Rattlers ended up winning it all this past summer. The fact that Campbell values relationships and travelling the world over something like money or fame are genuinely inspiring.

Today, Campbell is currently producing his very own music, designing new clothes for his clothing brand, and training kids across Canada. Despite not becoming a teacher, Campbell has managed to find a different way to affect a child’s life by teaching the new upcoming athletes of Canada. His ambition for the arts has also grown, considering how much he has expanded his arsenal of skill. Whether it’s producing a new song on aenigmaworld, or teaching the art of basketball at aementorship, Campbell has managed to conquer all of his dreams successfully.

Overall, Campbell has one of the most inspirational stories in the basketball world. To think that a simple basketball game changed his entire life goes to show that everything that comes to your path has a purpose. Whether it is failing a test or watching Vince Carter dominating his competition, everything happens for a reason. In Campbell’s case, a basketball game is what changed his life for the better as he is regarded as one of the best point guards in not only the CEBL but in all of Canada.