Powe Knows Struggle; Powe Knows Perseverance
Leon Powe has dealt with more struggle by the age of 24 than most people encounter throughout their entire lives, experiencing set backs both in life and in sports. However, it is not the emotional struggles, nor the insurmountable adversities, that make Leon Powe who he is... it is his perseverance to overcome such problems.
When Leon was just 2 years old, his father walked out on him, his mother, Connie Landry, and his younger brother, Tim. Growing up in the poor slums of Oakland, California, Leon had more important things to worry about than dreaming about hitting the buzzer beater in Game 7 of the NBA Finals or even simply playing professional basketball. He and his mother tried to hold down jobs to keep a roof over their heads and to support baby Tim. Leon would often take on the role of an adult while his mother was working, taking care of his siblings in every facet imaginable. From changing diapers to feeding his family, Leon "was forced to be a man before he really had the chance to be a boy"(quoted from Hubbard's article). In spite of what he had to deal with, everything seemed to be headed in the right direction until one day in 1991.
On that fateful day when Leon was just 7 years old, Tim was left to the watch of his grandmother in the family's three room duplex while Connie was at work and Leon was at school. Left temporarily unsupervised, Tim found a box of matches and accidentally set their North Oakland home on fire. The apartment the family worked so desperately to be able to call home was gone. Leon and his family were forced to the streets. Said Powe of his early life, "We lived all over the place. All over Oakland — East, West, and North Oakland. We lived in Berkeley and even Vacaville." For the next seven years, the family moved from place to place including homeless shelters, run down motels and relatives' homes. Unable to maintain a steady job and becoming immersed in legal trouble, Connie lost custody of her two sons in 1998 and they were put into foster care.
It seemed as though life would never change and would just get worse until Leon found basketball. For the first time, Leon was not burdened with immense weight of responsibility; he did not have to be the sole carer for his family or worry about where he and his brother would sleep that night. It was during this time that Leon met a man named Bernard Ward that would change his life. Ward was the brother of Powe's best friend growing up, but Leon never really got to know him early on. That all changed when Leon took the initiative to ask Ward to "work him out" and assess his basketball skills. Ward, a local former basketball superstar, was hesitant to do so until he witnessed Powe's incredible work ethic. Recalled Ward, "I told him to go up to Santa Fe Middle School in our old neighborhood, run seven laps, and then shoot jump shots until the sun went down." Needless to say, Powe listened. Although Leon did not realize it at the time, his love for basketball and constant drive to better himself kept him off the streets and out of the gang life.
Powe would go on to become a McDonald's All American and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, all leading, of course, to being selected by the Celtics in the 2nd round of the 2006 NBA Draft. Now in his second year in the NBA, Leon is finally living up to the immense ability he showed at Cal., coming off pick-and-rolls perfectly, backing down bigger opponents in the paint and rebounding like a beast. If Powe hadn't injured his knee, he would most likely not be a Celtic right now as he was a surefire first round pick prior to ACL injuries. We are just starting to realize that getting Leon in the second round was a steal, and at only 24 years old, we should see a lot more from "The Show" in coming years. Although different people tend to prefer different players, one thing we can all agree on is that Leon Powe is a guy we can all root for.
Manny Ortez is a co-creator and senior writer for Boston Sports Buzz.
When Leon was just 2 years old, his father walked out on him, his mother, Connie Landry, and his younger brother, Tim. Growing up in the poor slums of Oakland, California, Leon had more important things to worry about than dreaming about hitting the buzzer beater in Game 7 of the NBA Finals or even simply playing professional basketball. He and his mother tried to hold down jobs to keep a roof over their heads and to support baby Tim. Leon would often take on the role of an adult while his mother was working, taking care of his siblings in every facet imaginable. From changing diapers to feeding his family, Leon "was forced to be a man before he really had the chance to be a boy"(quoted from Hubbard's article). In spite of what he had to deal with, everything seemed to be headed in the right direction until one day in 1991.
On that fateful day when Leon was just 7 years old, Tim was left to the watch of his grandmother in the family's three room duplex while Connie was at work and Leon was at school. Left temporarily unsupervised, Tim found a box of matches and accidentally set their North Oakland home on fire. The apartment the family worked so desperately to be able to call home was gone. Leon and his family were forced to the streets. Said Powe of his early life, "We lived all over the place. All over Oakland — East, West, and North Oakland. We lived in Berkeley and even Vacaville." For the next seven years, the family moved from place to place including homeless shelters, run down motels and relatives' homes. Unable to maintain a steady job and becoming immersed in legal trouble, Connie lost custody of her two sons in 1998 and they were put into foster care.
It seemed as though life would never change and would just get worse until Leon found basketball. For the first time, Leon was not burdened with immense weight of responsibility; he did not have to be the sole carer for his family or worry about where he and his brother would sleep that night. It was during this time that Leon met a man named Bernard Ward that would change his life. Ward was the brother of Powe's best friend growing up, but Leon never really got to know him early on. That all changed when Leon took the initiative to ask Ward to "work him out" and assess his basketball skills. Ward, a local former basketball superstar, was hesitant to do so until he witnessed Powe's incredible work ethic. Recalled Ward, "I told him to go up to Santa Fe Middle School in our old neighborhood, run seven laps, and then shoot jump shots until the sun went down." Needless to say, Powe listened. Although Leon did not realize it at the time, his love for basketball and constant drive to better himself kept him off the streets and out of the gang life.
Powe would go on to become a McDonald's All American and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, all leading, of course, to being selected by the Celtics in the 2nd round of the 2006 NBA Draft. Now in his second year in the NBA, Leon is finally living up to the immense ability he showed at Cal., coming off pick-and-rolls perfectly, backing down bigger opponents in the paint and rebounding like a beast. If Powe hadn't injured his knee, he would most likely not be a Celtic right now as he was a surefire first round pick prior to ACL injuries. We are just starting to realize that getting Leon in the second round was a steal, and at only 24 years old, we should see a lot more from "The Show" in coming years. Although different people tend to prefer different players, one thing we can all agree on is that Leon Powe is a guy we can all root for.
Manny Ortez is a co-creator and senior writer for Boston Sports Buzz.
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