Adonal Foyle on C-SPAN

This is why I am a Brian Lamb fan. He has a gift for knowing where life and politics intersect. This week's Q&A is an hour with Adonal Foyle, basketball star with a forty-million dollar contract who is plowing his money into making young people aware of politcs via an organization he sponsors called Democracy Matters. Five minutes watching and anyone will become an Adonal Foyle fan, too. One of the most upbeat, inspiring young people I have come across -- and articulate, bright and well-educated as well.

Do yourself a favor. Either catch a rerun on C-SPAN or take time to watch at least fifteen minutes or so of the archived program. This kid is irresistable.

....my first year in Union Island, which is where I went to meet my mom because that’s the only way I could afford to go to high school was to go stay with her.
So my first day there, my first day of school, I was like, I was going to school. I had long black pants and blue shirt on. And I was tall, skinny, but tall. And I remember my first day of school I was walking up to the school and this kid just out of nowhere just starts screaming, you have got to play basketball! You have got to play basketball! You have got to be on our team!
And I’m like, I don’t even know what basketball is. And it’s my first day of school. It’s hard enough, and you know, he’s screaming that, you know, and bringing attention to me. I’m already like, you know, six-three, six-four and now he is bringing all this attention to me.
And I remember he pestered me to go onto the basketball court for the whole first week. And I said, all right, fine. I will just go try this stupid thing and then you will just leave me alone after that.
And I went out to the court and he explained all the rules to me. And, you know, this is how you play. Pass me the ball. And I make lay-ups and other stuff. So I was, you know, doing it for a while.
And then I decided to, you know, do a little bit of my own. So I grab a rebound and I run down the whole length of the court and I lay it up. And I was looking back – and I thought I did very well, I was looking back to get some – you know, some respect. And what I got was just laughter of all the kids on the playing field.
Apparently I had forgotten to dribble the ball the court. So that was like my entry into basketball. And I was like, I have had enough of this stuff, you know.

(LAUGHTER)

LAMB: And how old were you right there?

FOYLE: I was about 15 then. That was – my first basketball was at the end of my 14th year right into my 15th.