MINNEAPOLIS—How special is Isaac Asuma?
Cherry High School boys basketball coach Jordan Christianson had a hard time putting it into words, but the Tiger senior has definitely left an impression on his coach.
“There’s no one word I can use, and I don’t have enough time to go through it,” Christianson said. “He’s been voted captain since the eighth-grade. He received every vote for five years.
“He’s a leader by example, and a vocal leader. He does our team prayers before games. We call him Father Ike. A lot of kids look up to him. It’s awesome to have a kid like him that those kids can look up to. It’s been a blessing to me and the coaching staff.”
Asuma will be taking his talents to the University of Minnesota next season, so his skills will be missed on the 2024-25 edition of the Tigers.
So when it was time to remove Asuma from the Tigers’ state title game against Fertile-Beltrami, Christianson waited for the right moment to make sure Asuma got the recognition he earned over his six years on the varsity team.
“We’ll miss him next year for sure,” Christianson said. “He deserved it. We wanted everyone to give him a big standing ovation. I’ve been a head coach for five years, and my first year was with him as an eighth-grader.
“I don’t know anything different. He’s a special kid. It’s a special family.”
Asuma and the rest of his teammates also had an influence on Christianson.
“They’ve taught me to let loose a little bit,” Christianson said. “I can be a tough coach, but this is such a close, goofy, crazy, funny crew. I let them be themselves. I embrace everyone for who they are.
“That’s the best recipe for a team. Have your individuals. Have your personalities. That‘s what makes everyone mesh. Seeing them work as hard as they do, if they’re working that hard, we, as coahes, have to work deeply as hard to get these guys ready to play.”
Asuma, along with his teammates, didn’t care about statistics. They always played as a team.
That was evident in the Tigers’ game against the Falcons. He refused to get selfish to pile up the points, especially late in the game.
He finished with 12 points.
“Isaac only had six points with like eight minutes left, but he doesn’t care,” Christianson said. “He’s not going to go hunting for shots. He’s going to keep playing defense. He’s going to keep moving the ball.
“These kids want to share the ball. They want to make the right basketball moves. They want to make the play. They like to see each other succeed. There’s no jealousy, nothing stupid. It’s, ‘I want to see you succeed,’ but that’s easier said than done.”
As for his brother, Noah, and cousin, Isaiah, they will miss Isaac next year.
“We’ve played together for so long that it might be different, but next year is a new year,” Noah said. “We’ll have to get back at it without him.”
Isaiah put it more succinctly.
“We’ve grown up playing in the driveway and gym, so it’s going to be super sad to see Isaac go,” Isaiah said.
Most Popular
Comments / 0