Taylor "Kuya" Statham: Through the Fire, Part 2
Taylor Statham picked up some Tagalog in the Philippines, his favorite word is "Kuya", meaning brother.
Jawhar Purdy is like a brother to Taylor and they are rivals in everything. Purdy attended cross town rival Saugus high while Taylor was at Golden Valley. Taylor is ¼ Filipino while Jawhar is 1/2 Filipino himself.
Jawhar balled in the PBA league and reminds me of a Larry Johnson of the Philippines. Taylor and Jawhar co-founded the Ball Out Youth Clinic.
J-Purdy says if their joint venture, "We are trying to get the skill level up for the kids in Santa Clarita, make their mentality fierce, make them warriors, let them loose in the hoop world. Taylor and I work feverishly to get our kids balling in college, get them known, throw showcases for them. We played pro ball, we want kids to get that feeling.”
Photo by Dave Keefer
I love Brian Cook, yes that former LA Laker who grew up in the south side of Chicago, like Antoine Walker, who I did story on in ‘04.
Those south side dudes know the game, here’s how Cook puts it down for Statham, "Great kid, works so hard, he's that shifty guard that can shoot. He's like just one scout away from seeing him, to allow an opportunity to play in the NBA. As a person, Taylor has heart, it's easy to root for him."
Yes, Taylor inspires, he balls, he lives to enrich the lives of others.
Statham's younger brother Hunter is 20 years old and showed his "bounce" at Cajon HS and Glendale JC. He idolized his big bro as he relates their childhood, "Growing up as a teen, Taylor would have me doing bear crawls till I almost threw up because he loved me. We'd play on a roll out rim, he shot so much on it, bent, dunked on it so much it bent down even more.
“He'd work out in the morning, eat a quick lunch, go back to training and balling till midnight, like 6 days a week. We'd ball at LA Fitness, it's either we win that day or Taylor's in bad mood for the rest of the day. He's wired to want to win."
Photo by Dave Keefer
T-Statham treats all the kids he trains like a "lil bro." Like 18 year old Chris Jop, who’s been training with Statham for 6 years. He says of Taylor, "He's been a big brother to me, I'm an only child. It's not just the hoop skills I've learned with him. Before he left to go overseas he told me 'it's time Chris, your time is now to show out, ball out like there is no tomorrow.’"
Surviving cancer has given Taylor this zest, urgency in life, that second chance at living. People around him get a feeling of empowerment from him, like an arc of electricity from his heart to theirs, his friends tell me.
Taylor has a coach he played for in Arizona when he went on to play a 5th year in high school at West Wind Prep Academy. His coach Scott Lovely told me about Taylor, "This youngster came to us and played on the so called ‘2nd team.’ We played a national schedule and were a strong program but Taylor made us stronger.
“He was being checked out for a groin injury and they found cancer in him. I didn't know what to say to Taylor. I love that kid, felt nervous and scared for him. But I'll never forget what he told me when he found out: 'I got this coach, no sweat, I’ll get through it, I'll be back right away.'
“Taylor did overcome that cancer, his cool under pressure really inspired me."
Taylor Statham, the second chance kid living every day to the fullest like it's his last for the rest of his life. Is that a curse, or a blessing? That's up to you to decide for yourself.
A great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.”
That's definitely true for Taylor Statham.
Photo by TaylorStatham
