Fulton boy’s basketball on a redemption tour
The Falcons have nine title appearances and three championships to their name.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Fulton boy’s basketball program is no stranger to the post-season. The Falcons have nine title appearances and three championships to their name.
Last season they were one shot away from reaching the finals for the tenth time.
Denaj Kimber, a Falcon’s point guard who took the second to final shot to bring the game within two points also got the final look from beyond the arc, just slightly missed.
“After going into the first round of state I was making literally everything, then that shot just blew it all,” Kimber said. “And it’s been stuck with me ever since I missed.”
Kimber has replayed that shot countless times. But that missed opportunity has only motivated him this time.
“We can’t let up because if we do, then we’re going to fail ourselves. Because no one can really stop us from going to state, except us. Only we can stop ourselves from going there,” he said.
Of course by his side, his twin brother Taj. A bond that’s also strengthened this team.
“If we don’t build a brotherhood in basketball then we might not have anything going a step forward in grown men as we say. So us being a brotherhood is a big step for us,” Taj said.
As this team builds off of last year, they’ve started their latest title run 4-0 on the season, outscoring opponents 270-156.
“Every time we step on the court it’s got to be about whether are we going to play harder than the other team, are they going to out-toughen us, is our effort going to bet here on every possession,” Taj said.
This focus and grit started at a young age for the Kimbers as their dad was a star basketball player at Austin-East and continued his career into the college ranks.
“He knows a lot about basketball. Him knowing, him showing, and him telling us is a big step for us because he knows the big stage of college basketball because he went. But him knowing a lot about basketball triggers us in playing in the next level,” Denaj said.
And it’s still up for debate on whose high school team was better.
“He always tells us if he had his team now against this team here they would blow us out. We always talk about that,” said Denaj.
For now, the juniors are locked in on bringing a title back to Fulton and hanging up another banner.
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