The following interview was recorded at Charleston Southern Thursday, the day before he left for Chapel Hill.
Christian Keeling - Through My Eyes
I first knew Christian as a rising freshman who was one of several 9th and 10th graders set to step into key roles for defending state champion Laney entering the 2012-13 season. Christian hit the ground running for the Wildcats his freshman year, helping the team defy expectations of a down season and leading Laney to the semifinal round of the state playoffs, a feat he and his teammates repeated in each of his first three seasons.
It was during January of that third season when Christian’s personality and enthusiasm began to permeate through the veins of Augusta’s basketball community. On a Saturday in January, when fans lined the street outside of Laney’s gym, locked out of that afternoon’s Laney-Josey game, the most intense rivalry our area knows, Keeling exploded into the consciousness of everybody who follows basketball in this area. Seemingly out of nowhere, the skinny, 6-2 junior guard charged through traffic, took off from a stride, glided through the air and dunked the ball with one hand over the outstretched arms of a defender, not once, but twice in the span of 30 seconds. The back-to-back dunks blew the roof off of the gym and marked the beginning of the story that for the past four years has slowly developed into the legend of "CK," Augusta's "hometown hero."
After that, he started doing such things almost every game, and I started calling him “Mr. January.” But from that day in 2015 until today, the improvement in Christian’s game, the transformation in his character and the radiance in his personality have continuously accelerated at breakneck speed.
I consider it a miracle that Christian stands in his present position, a college graduate after three years, his head high, his voice loud, clear, and confident, with two communities (one based in Augusta and the other in Charleston) of loving friends and fans firmly in his corner. Because only a couple months after he took his hometown by storm on that January day four years ago, Christian experienced the kind of tragedy that could derail the progress of the strongest young man when his mother suddenly lost her battle with cancer.
The story of his mother’s passing has been told by several news outlets over the last four years, because every time Christian accomplishes great things - whether leading Laney to a 55-5 record in his last two seasons, or being the only freshman in NCAA Division I basketball to lead the country in scoring and rebounding, or earning all conference honors twice at Charleston Southern - he makes more people eager to know him better.
Every time that story is retold, a few things happen. People who love him watch, listen closely and shed a few tears. Christian explains that his mother, whom he credits for him becoming the man he is today, is watching over him. And he reminds everybody that he is striving for greatness in her honor (#DoItForMama).
I told Christian after our interview Thursday that often, when I call him a “hometown hero,” I am referring to his being a hero to others in our community. It's my way of emphasizing what he means to so many people, young and old, male and female, athlete and fan. But before I left Charleston, I wanted to make sure he knows he is a special hero of mine, too. The consistency with which he practices his trade, the focus he puts on his goals and the enthusiasm and love he exudes in his interactions with others make him a worthy role model for anybody who wants to be a better person.
I’m excited to see what he will contribute to the storied North Carolina tradition. I have no doubt the Tar Heels are getting a special #BlueCollarKid.
Christian Keeling (@BasktballPower) will be a Tar Heel! I am so happy for him. pic.twitter.com/ABdlBveY9O— Chad Cook's AugBball (@AugBball) April 27, 2019
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