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The San Antonio Spurs will be looking to rebound in Game 2 of the NBA Finals with the help of Devin Vassell, a familiar face for many in metro Atlanta.
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The 25-year-old shooting guard graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County. As the Spurs continue their Finals run, some of Vassell’s biggest supporters are back where it all started.
“This is the Devin Vassell jersey they keep nearby — and that’s the one they will never take down,” said Jordan Griffin, head boys basketball coach at Peachtree Ridge.
The number 24 is everywhere at the school, and now Vassell wears it for the Spurs on basketball’s biggest stage.
“We have one of our own that’s in the NBA Finals representing the state of Georgia,” Griffin said.
The ball still bounces on the same court where Vassell once practiced. Today, a new group of Peachtree Ridge players runs the same drills beneath his retired No. 24 jersey hanging in the rafters.
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“He comes back every year, gives back; he gives our guys hope that they can be the next guy,” Griffin said.
Vassell came up through the Suwanee basketball program, and now his community is watching the Spurs guard compete for an NBA championship.
“I’m not surprised because of the type of person he is, but it’s just such a surreal moment,” said Kristian Collins, a childhood friend of Vassell’s who now coaches at the school.
Collins remembers when Vassell was the kid fighting to make a team.
“He got cut from his middle school team, barely made the team his freshman year, and then he just kept working,” Collins said.
Last year, the school lifted Vassell’s jersey to the rafters, making it the only number ever retired by Peachtree Ridge High School.
“I got to embrace him at half-court when he was here. That was big for everybody,” Collins said.
Vassell continues to mentor players at the school and pour back into the program that helped shape his basketball journey.
“He gives a lot of these young men a chance to see what it’s like to do it at Peachtree Ridge and potentially go on and play at the next level,” Griffin said.
Vassell will be back this summer for his annual free basketball camp in Gwinnett County.
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[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The 25-year-old shooting guard graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County. As the Spurs continue their Finals run, some of Vassell’s biggest supporters are back where it all started.
“This is the Devin Vassell jersey they keep nearby — and that’s the one they will never take down,” said Jordan Griffin, head boys basketball coach at Peachtree Ridge.
The number 24 is everywhere at the school, and now Vassell wears it for the Spurs on basketball’s biggest stage.
“We have one of our own that’s in the NBA Finals representing the state of Georgia,” Griffin said.
The ball still bounces on the same court where Vassell once practiced. Today, a new group of Peachtree Ridge players runs the same drills beneath his retired No. 24 jersey hanging in the rafters.
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“He comes back every year, gives back; he gives our guys hope that they can be the next guy,” Griffin said.
Vassell came up through the Suwanee basketball program, and now his community is watching the Spurs guard compete for an NBA championship.
“I’m not surprised because of the type of person he is, but it’s just such a surreal moment,” said Kristian Collins, a childhood friend of Vassell’s who now coaches at the school.
Collins remembers when Vassell was the kid fighting to make a team.
“He got cut from his middle school team, barely made the team his freshman year, and then he just kept working,” Collins said.
Last year, the school lifted Vassell’s jersey to the rafters, making it the only number ever retired by Peachtree Ridge High School.
“I got to embrace him at half-court when he was here. That was big for everybody,” Collins said.
Vassell continues to mentor players at the school and pour back into the program that helped shape his basketball journey.
“He gives a lot of these young men a chance to see what it’s like to do it at Peachtree Ridge and potentially go on and play at the next level,” Griffin said.
Vassell will be back this summer for his annual free basketball camp in Gwinnett County.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Continue reading...
