ORLANDO, FLA----
At Oak Ridge High School the motivation and inspiration hang all around you. Inside the Pioneers gym the 2018 9A State Championship banner is featured prominently and inspirational messages like “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” hang on the four walls.
That saying embodies senior point guard Zavien Smith.
“Point guard has to be the leader of the team. The floor general. You have to control your teammates and make sure you win at the end of the day,” Zavien says.
Zavien isn’t being highly recruited like some of his teammates. Oak Ridge features some of the top players in the state like Niven Glover. Oregon signee CJ Walker is one of the top players in the country. Both have made the Sportscaster Top 10 this season for their dunks. But don’t sleep on the 6’2 lefty. Zavien helps make this team go.
“What I like about basketball…when I play basketball I just forget about everything else that’s why I love sports so much,” Zavien says. “If I’m going through anything at home I just play basketball and I feel better.”
He plays to get away from his problems but a tattoo on his left forearm makes sure he never forgets. It reads Darcel.
“My mom means the world to me,” Zavien says. “She put the ball in my hands really taught me basketball.”
Zavien’s mom Darcel played basketball at University High School. Several years ago she fell victim to an all too common escape.
“My mom has had a bad drug addiction for probably 3-4 years now,” Zavien says. “She lost custody of us when I was in 6th grade. She’s really been doing bad on drugs, but she was doing better…then one night she overdosed.”
Darcel was found near the corner of Texas ave and Oak Ridge road just a few minutes from the high school. She was passed out under debris.
“They found her. Her heart wasn’t beating,” Zavien remembers. “They got her heart to function after an hour then she was in a medically induced coma.”
It’s been 8 months since Darcel overdosed on heroin. She’s now in a vegetative state. Zavien visits her as much as he can. He’s had to grow up a lot in her absence.
“It was a big struggle coming up because my mom was the only one that took care of us, but things changed as I got older now my dad really stepped up.”
Zavien splits time between his Dad and his Grandparents. He entered this basketball season with renewed motivation.
“When my mom first got in the hospital I was really hurt at first it took me awhile to function,” Zavien says. “Finally, I had my dad talk to me, my trainer Gary…motivated me and I started really getting back in the gym. Started going ten times harder.”
Zavien wasn’t on last years Oak Ridge team, but now a state championship is in reach. His mom can’t watch but he knows she’d be proud. All that’s left is to win.
“I’m just trying to win a ring for her. Once I win go to the hospital, celebrate, put the ring on her finger.”