“God was testing me and was teaching me a lesson. Never take your blessings for granted. Now I’m back doing what I love and I couldn’t be happier.”
The game of basketball. A lot of people around the world play it. If you look closely at some movies, there’s always an intro scene where kids are playing basketball at a park. Have you ever noticed that most of those kids are always inner city African American youths? They play for fun, to compete, to brag and boast over their friends. But there’s always one kid that plays who sees the game of basketball as their ticket to a better life. That kid is Mackey McKnight.
My friendship with Mackey is going on 8 years now. Well, he’s more like a brother to me. I first met Mackey when I was a senior in high school going through the recruitment process trying to figure out what college I was going to go to. I went up to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in late October of 2010, nervous as could be because it was my first official college visit so I would be spending the weekend up there, getting to see the college and also getting to know the coaches and the players. The weekend was great and I ended up committing to Lehigh in the end. Besides all the obvious reasons such as academics and wanting to play for a Division I college, a big reason I committed to Lehigh was because of Mackey. We connected instantly on my visit. The most memorable part for me was when I was able to play pickup with the team and I saw how much fun he was having with the game and how he treated me like I was already part of the team. He kept feeding me the ball and gave me the confidence boost to shoot three-point shots (Unfortunately, I haven’t shot a three since that day, which is pretty sad). He was just a ball of energy screaming his head off enjoying the game he loved so much. From that point on, the rest is history. We’ve been friends ever since and I’m grateful that he let me do this piece on him.
Mackey was born in New Orleans, Louisiana but raised in Houston, Texas. His mom received a better job opportunity when he was in first grade, so along with his two older sisters, the family moved. Obviously, it was tough to leave New Orleans since most of his family resides there, but along with the better job opportunity came better opportunities for the kids, such as a better school system and better extracurricular activities. When asked who introduced him to basketball Mackey said his mother did. “She was a tomboy growing up and was very into sports. She showed me how to swing a baseball bat and throw a baseball. Throw a football with a tight spiral. Basketball was no different. Plus, I was very active and had anger issues so she wanted me to release that via sports instead of at school”. However, basketball became the sport that he chose and decided to pursue that with all his heart. “Recruitment was a crazy time period in my life. As it is in most young prospects lives, it’s the first big decision you’re making for your own life. Schools wanted me from all over the country, but Lehigh offered a unique situation with a good basketball program and highly ranked education. When I got to campus in 2010, they forgot to tell me that Lehigh was also a top ten party school in the country. So I had to balance sport, school, and social life like never before.”
Remember when I said that Mackey was a ball of energy? Trust me when I say that did not just apply to the basketball court (Way too many late nights with this guy). But, like most college students who are away from home for the first time in a new environment, they experience college life and have to learn to balance it as they go on. If you were an athlete, there was an even greater demand to manage everything that is thrown at you. “I wasn’t good at it in the beginning, but I got better over time with managing my college life. As I got better, success with basketball and school came at the same speed”.
Playing on the same team with Mackey for three years, I was able to experience the success he achieved on the court. One of the most memorable moments we shared together was in the 2012 NCAA Tournament when Lehigh beat Duke (or Dook to North Carolina fans).
“That was a historical moment in history for our school and my basketball career. As you saw in the NCAA tournament this year a 16 seed beat a 1 seed for the first time ever, and it captures the attention of the world. Our upset over Duke was no different. We knew we could beat Duke and to show the world that was remarkable”. Although he achieved many individual accolades over his career, such as breaking the Lehigh assist record and scoring 1,000 points in his collegiate career, Mackey expressed that “the memories you share with your teammates over the course of 4 years are the most memorable.” After his graduation from Lehigh in May 2014, Mackey then went on to chase that dream of his, which was playing professional basketball. “Playing professional basketball was always a dream of mine. I truly realized I could make my dream a reality at the end of my sophomore year of college and basketball started to become easier for me. I could see things formulate before they would happen on the court. My body was maturing and growing stronger. Then I had some connections with people in the basketball world that said I had a chance so I worked harder to make it come to fruition. I started my pro career in Ukraine in the fall of 2014. They were still at war with Russia, so it wasn’t the safest place to be. But I wasn’t letting anything stop me from playing basketball. It was eye-opening. It was freezing cold every day with snowfall. The gyms were the coldest thing I’ve ever experienced. No one spoke English there, but the one common language was basketball, which was enough for me. After that, I went to Greece for the remainder of that season. I’ve had stops in Lithuania and Mexico as well.”
Mackey was able to start his professional career and was having a decent one, but after his stop in Mexico, things came to a halt. When you are able to play the sport that you love professionally, it is truly a blessing. It gives you a strong sense of fulfillment. However, there are times in your career when life gets in your way and you cannot help but wonder what is next. “That was probably the toughest time in my life. Knowing you’re really good at basketball but unfortunate circumstances keep you away from the game that you love. I sat out the entire 2016-17 season not knowing if I’d play basketball again. It was a very depressing time, but I have a very strong support system in my family and they kept pushing me to not give up and to stay positive. God was testing me and was teaching me a lesson. Never take your blessings for granted. Now I’m back doing what I love and I couldn’t be happier.”
Mackey is now back playing professionally with the Sheffield Sharks of the BBL in England.
“It’s great. The competition is decent and a season always presents new challenges to individuals and teams.” When asked about what his goals are, Mackey said, “I hope to accomplish winning some sort of silverware. I’ve won at every level I’ve played at in my basketball career, so I want to further that with winning a championship in Europe. Personally, I want to complete my first full season with one team. Continue to show my value and hope to never take a year off from basketball again.”
Coming from someone I’ve known for eight years, I can truly say that anything that Mackey puts his mind to he will accomplish. He is one of the best basketball players and best people that I’ve ever met and I’m truly grateful that he is back playing the game that he loves. I know that he will be successful and have a long and prosperous career. We always said “AFE” to each other in college, which stands for “Acknowledging Faith Everyday”. Continue to have faith and things will work out how they are supposed to. And they are for Mackey McKnight.
Conroy's Cosy Corner 