Hansel Enmanuel paused for a moment and then reached for his left leg.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 going to show you something I havenB次元官网网址檛 shown nobody,B次元官网网址� he said, slowly lifting the leg of his sweatpants until the leg is exposed to the thigh. B次元官网网址淟ook.B次元官网网址�
He pointed to scar after scar after scar down the length of the leg of an for Northwestern State who stands 6-foot-6. It is the physical evidence of a grim time etched deep, a lifelong reminder of a journey that has brought him to Division I basketball.
B次元官网网址淵ou see all this right here?B次元官网网址� he asked during a recent interview at a Houston hotel. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 because every time I fallB次元官网网址� (that) happened.B次元官网网址�
He shook his head before continuing.
B次元官网网址淭hat time was too hard for me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hat was crazy because I didnB次元官网网址檛 think it was going to happen.B次元官网网址�
The 19-year-old Enmanuel has drawn attention for several years now after videos went viral showing him dunking with ease in high school. Dribbling past opponents intent on shutting him down. Draining 3-pointers. Sinking turnaround fadeaways.
All with just his right arm.
It looks almost effortless when he plays. ItB次元官网网址檚 not. It never has been.
Enmanuel was 6 and living in the Dominican Republic when he playing with friends, climbing a wall. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 stable and it fell over him, pinning his left arm. He was rushed to the hospital, but doctors couldnB次元官网网址檛 save his arm and it was amputated several inches below the shoulder.
He was hospitalized for about six months. It was a dark time for Enmanuel and his family.
B次元官网网址淲hen the accident happened, I was thinking like: B次元官网网址榃hat am I going to do now?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 was thinking: B次元官网网址業tB次元官网网址檚 over for me.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
By the end of his hospitalization, Enmanuel said his mental approach had improved thanks to his relationship with God. Slowly, things got better.
Small things became huge victories. He vividly remembers the first time he tied his shoes. Months after the accident, Enmanuel tried basketball, too.
His missing arm left him lacking balance. With his equilibrium off, every time he tried to run, heB次元官网网址檇 crash to the ground, falling on debris strewn across the makeshift courts he played on. The scars piled up. So did his confidence as he gained experience.
By 13, he started attending camps and tournaments in the United States and he began to realize just how good he could be. He first dunked at 14 and it wasnB次元官网网址檛 long before his internet celebrity started to grow along with
He played high school ball in Kissimmee, Florida, and was considered a top prospect as a senior, when he averaged 25.9 points, 11 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 3.4 blocks per game.
It wasnB次元官网网址檛 the highlight-reel plays that piqued Northwestern State coach Corey GipsonB次元官网网址檚 interest. He liked his attitude and the way he carried himself on the court.
B次元官网网址淗ansel is a very resilient person, which makes him a very resilient player,B次元官网网址� Gipson said. B次元官网网址淭hat mindset translates to the game. When you see him on the floor, you just see a formidable force that doesnB次元官网网址檛 take anything for granted.B次元官网网址�
, Enmanuel has seen limited minutes. But he has shown flashes of the skills that made him famous before he stepped on campus.
On Dec. 10 against Louisiana-Monroe, Enmanuel scored the first points of his collegiate career, finishing with five points. A layup, a free throw. But he capped the performance in stunning fashion when he missed a free throw,
Gipson and EnmanuelB次元官网网址檚 teammates understand the interest in him is amplified because heB次元官网网址檚 missing an arm. To them, heB次元官网网址檚 just one of the guys.
Gipson, who is also in his first year at Northwestern State, shared a story from early in camp that perfectly illustrated that point. When a player makes a mistake in practice, Gipson makes them do fingertip pushups. He ordered Enmanuel to do it after a miscue, then immediately felt bad and said he could do sit ups instead.
Enmanuel refused: B次元官网网址淣o, coach.B次元官网网址�
As he struggled to complete the task, teammate Cedric Garrett sprang into action, grabbing his midsection to help.
B次元官网网址淎nd when they grabbed him by the waist, he got down and he did it. He dug down and he did it,B次元官网网址� Gipson said. B次元官网网址淎nd from that moment on, the team, the staff and everybody (said): B次元官网网址楬ey, we are all on the same page. NobodyB次元官网网址檚B次元官网网址� asking for entitled treatment, but, dadgum, if Hansel is not asking for any favors, nobody else betterB次元官网网址� ask for any.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Northwestern State President Marcus Jones was instrumental in Enmanuel signing with the school in Natchitoches, Louisiana, because heB次元官网网址檚 fluent in Spanish and helped assuage the concerns his Spanish-speaking parents had about his transition to college.
B次元官网网址淲e had an opportunity to talk about the university and what they wanted to see happen to their to their son,B次元官网网址� Jones said. B次元官网网址淭hey didnB次元官网网址檛 want him to be treated as a number and just as a showpiece.B次元官网网址�
The reaction people have had to Enmanuel playing college basketball has overwhelmed Jones.
B次元官网网址淗aving a Hansel at Northwestern, you cannot imagine the number of calls and emails and messages that IB次元官网网址檝e gotten from individuals who have children who have disabilities and saying how great it is to see Hansel essentially overcome that and be able to play at this level,B次元官网网址� he said.
EnmanuelB次元官网网址檚 celebrity has also led to endorsement deals with adidas and Gatorade, among others. He has high goals, too, including the NBA.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the big goal,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣obody is going to stop me. Only God.B次元官网网址�
Another aspiration is to one day become a motivational speaker so he can share his story.
B次元官网网址淚 think thatB次元官网网址檚 my perfect B次元官网网址� destiny God gave to me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭o be that person so I can inspire some people and motivate a lot of people. Yeah, I can be a positive.B次元官网网址�
___
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press
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