Not everyone can say that they’ve won an NBA championship at the age of 20. But Jrue Johnson, one of the lucky ones, was a member of the 2010 Los Angeles Clippers. As the clock ticked down the last few seconds of the game, the look on his face went from the reflection of his tough upbringing to one of pure joy and happiness. His dream had finally come true.

“Son, I’m so proud of you. You’ve truly made me a proud father,” admitted Jerome.
“Thanks dad. I just wish things could’ve been different growing up,” said Jrue.
“I know son, but I promise to be here for you. I don't want to miss any more of your life,” replied Jerome.
Life hasn’t always been easy for Jrue. He grew up in a single parent household due to his father's role in the United States Army. Because of this, he was never as close with his dad as he hoped to be. His mother, Erica, had the role of serving as both parents for much of her son’s life, and that proved to be no easy task. Jrue was constantly getting in trouble at school for silly things, which sometimes resulted in severe consequences. Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana exposed him to the dark side of the world; one that was so prominent around his neighborhood, and one that included more negatives than positives. As a young child, he loved to play all kinds of different sports, but as he grew up, he realized that his love for the game of basketball outshined the others.

Everyday after school, he would head straight to the basketball courts with his friends, and would stay there until dusk, or at least until the city turned off the lights. This became his daily schedule, and he soon realized that his dreams of one day playing professional basketball were attainable, even though it would be tough.
“Son, you’re a black male with baggy clothes. You’re inviting problems for yourself,”
complained Erica.
“That’s not fair when I see other kids wearing the same clothes momma,” said Jrue.
Jrue and his mom always differed about the way society reacted to young black men and how it was bent on crushing their dreams. Although he never thought of it to be a real issue, he soon changed his perception of this after his first encounter with oppression. While he was walking home one night, he decided to head to the convenience store with three of his black friends, but as they got there, the store owner said that only two of them were allowed to go in at a time. Meanwhile, the four boys watched as a group of five white guys walked out of the store. For the first time in his life, Jrue had experienced discrimination in Louisiana.
As a result, Jrue became a man on a mission to prove to everyone that he could be just as good if not better, whether it had to do with basketball or not. In the coming months, he was due to start ninth grade, and his drive to succeed on and off the court was the only thing that kept him off the streets. 
“I will succeed momma and I promise to you that those same people who looked down
on me will be proven wrong,” said Jrue.

Six months went by before August 20th, the first day of school.
Before he knew it, it was already time to start his high school career at North Shreveport Collegiate Institute. His local school had somewhat of a reputation of being one of the most notorious schools in all of America. This was because it welcomed rival gang members from opposite ends of Block 22. Jrue lived on the North side of the block his entire life, but had some friends on the south side that he had met through basketball.
Growing up in this part of Louisiana made him realize how easy it is to go down the wrong path without ever having a chance to turn your life around. His best friend, Jalen, who lived two doors down from him, was shot and killed two weeks after the two of them had started high school. This took a devastating toll on him and left the whole North Side of the block in shock while many suspected that this was a retaliation from the Southside. Not only was this traumatizing, but it also took Jrue down the wrong path. Moreover, there was even a moment in which he acquired a gun and was contemplating revenge before he was talked out of it by Jalen’s big brother, Joshua. This decision saved his playing career, but more importantly, his life.
“I’m bout to go shoot up their whole block man. They took Jalen, now imma take one of theirs,” confessed Jrue.
“You know how much I miss my brother but we can’t keep doing this lil bro. This s***s gonna get us all killed before we know it. We gotta draw the line somewhere,” replied Joshua.

On the one year anniversary of his friends death, Jrue played one of the finest basketball games of his career, drawing strong interest from top programs in collegiate basketball. Prior to the game, he led his team in a prayer in which he told everyone that tonight's game was going to be in memory of his fallen friend. After the game, he talked with Jalen’s mom, and gave her a hug. This was Jrue’s way of saying he was sorry.
Around three weeks after the game, Jrue’s dad called him on the phone and mentioned that he would be home within the next month.
“Son, I’m finally coming home. I already talked with your momma and she agreed that I should come back and live with you guys. Are you gonna be okay with that?” asked Jerome
“Ughhhh I don't know,” replied Jrue.
“I’m your father, and I want to be in your life, so promise me that you’ll give me a chance,” responded Jerome.
After 12 years of deployment, in four different countries, Jerome was set to be honorably discharged from the United States Army. This was an uncomfortable moment because Jrue never really knew his father. It almost seemed as though some random guy would be coming into his life at such a tough time.
Nineteen days went by before he got another phone call from his dad saying that his flight had landed at the New Orleans International Airport. Upon arrival at his house, he couldn’t help but wonder what his dad looked like, smelt like or even felt like. All he could remember was the day his dad left 12 years ago, and how much stuff he’s had to deal with without having a male role model in his life. As Jerome walked through the front door, Jrue couldn’t help but get overcome with emotions.

“Son, it's been a while,” mumbled Jerome.
“Yeah pops. Can’t believe you finally came back after all these years. Last time I saw you was when I was six years old,” responded Jrue.
Having his dad around again was tough for the first few days because Jrue felt as though he knew nothing about this guy. But as the weeks went by, a certain bond grew between the two of them; their love for basketball. Jerome was someone who played basketball growing up, but was never as gifted as his son Jrue. They shared a special moment on the day of his state championship game against their local rivals, South Shreveport High School.
“If you play your game son, you’ll win it for your school,” said Jerome.
“Love you pops,” screamed Jrue.
With all the action going on around him, Jrue suddenly looked over to the bleachers, and made eye contact with Jerome. The two of them waved at each other, and then kissed two fingers, a nostalgic reminder of his old handshake with his dad.
As Jerome stood there cheering for his son, he couldn't help but wonder how much pain his son had gone through all these years without seeing or hearing from him. His relationship with Erica diminished, but it was Jrue who was never able to wrap his mind around the idea of his dad disappearing for over a decade.
“Go on son! That’s my boy!” yelled Jerome as Jrue scored a three-pointer
Jrue’s school, North Shreveport, ended up winning the game by nearly 20 points, and he was named most valuable player after scoring a season-high 37 points. For the first time in his life, Jerome was able to watch his son play. Erica watched as her son hugged his father, and couldn’t help but shed a few tears. This was the happiest he’d been in a very long time.

A few months later, Jrue received his acceptance letter from Duke University. This was a dream come true for him, and his family. Not only were they ranked as the best team in the country, but they also had the highest success rate in producing NBA players. Meanwhile, Jrue’s relationship with his father began to improve drastically, for it felt as though he had never left in the first place. As Jrue sat talking with his dad, it became clear that Jerome had been the missing piece in his life.
“I missed you so much pops. God knows how many nights I prayed that you would just come back,” sobbed Jrue.
Despite his tough childhood, he was starting to realize that he had to move past it, and work on welcoming his dad back into his life.
As his basketball career began to skyrocket, many people believed that Jrue would get drafted straight out of high school, and forego university. This was a decision that needed to be made with his family, and so, he sat down with his mom and dad, and told them that he was ready for this opportunity.
“Momma, we been waitin my whole life for this. This my moment,” pleaded Jrue.
“We know you're ready son. I’ll support your decision no matter the what,” said Jerome.
“I’m so proud of you baby. I love you,” cried Erica.

On June 28th, Jrue Johnson was selected to the Los Angeles Clippers as the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. For the first time in his life, Jrue truly understood what it felt like to have a family. Even though his childhood wasn’t the easiest, he was still thankful to have his dad around again, and to see his mom happy.