From Montreal to the NBA: The Inspiring Journey of Luguentz Dort

“Dream big, never stop working, and never forget where you came from.” This quote from Luguentz Dort, which now accompanies two photos of him on a wall at Calixa-Lavallée high school, represents the professional basketball player well.

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Even though Dort had not yet arrived in Montreal to attend a very special physical education class with the coaches of the Oklahoma City Thunder youth squad, his name was on everyone’s lips Wednesday afternoon, on the eve of a preseason game against the Detroit Pistons at the Bell Center.

“In elementary school, I saw a documentary about him and he made a video for us,” said Mitchelle Larose, second secondary student. It’s also really nice of the Thunder to give us 100 balls.”

“It’s not every day that we do an activity like this at school. And it’s cool to miss class to play basketball!” added Abigail Jean-Pierre.

For her part, Abigaëlle Tambwe, also in second secondary, was eager to say that Dort was an inspiration.

“Unfortunately, I was not chosen for the school team, but as I persevered, I was given the privilege of being invited to the event. Dort is an example for me, especially when I was discouraged because of basketball.

Abigaëlle Tambwe Photo Mylène Richard

Hope

Among the people present on the floor of Montreal-North where it all began for the Thunder guard, there was notably his former teacher of mathematics, social universe and sciences of the young “Lu” of 12 or 13 years old .

“I remember he had a lot of energy to expend! But he was someone who worked a lot. He wanted to succeed, not just in the gym. It’s certain that the sporting side took priority for him, but even in terms of studies, he did what he had to do,” recalled

Kamal Kacher Photo Mylène Richard

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Even for the Calixa-Lavallée staff who had not worked with the man who changed schools several times before understanding that his studies would allow him to go and play in the United States, the pride was palpable.

“To see a guy like Luguentz Dort, who grew up in Montreal and played basketball in this school, reach the NBA, it gives hope to young people here, whether in basketball or in other spheres of their lives,” noted Junior Luke, a former Alouettes player, today coach of the Calixa-Lavallée football team.

Junior Luke Photo Mylène Richard

“Hyperactive”

His former classmate and ex-teammate Marc Charles remembers a “very silent guy, who did his business in his corner. He was shy and independent.

But as soon as friends got together, “we teased each other a lot, we laughed, we always made jokes.”

Charles also described Dort, with whom he communicates almost every day, as “hyperactive.”

“We were running all over the school! He also loved competition and we challenged each other.”

Marc Charles Photo Mylène Richard

A former soccer player, Dort didn’t have such an easy transition to basketball.

“We still developed quickly. We played at Saint-Laurent Park and in [le quartier] Parc-Extension,” recalled Charles, who could not initially predict that Dort would one day play in the NBA.

“But from the third year of high school, I started saying he could go far. He wasn’t sure, but I told him that he had the potential, that he was good and that he was starting to have the physique for the job,” said Charles about the athlete from 6 ft 4 in and 220 lb, with whom he was to spend part of Wednesday evening.

2023-10-12 01:49:00
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