‘All I wanted was an opportunity’-Alex Poythress’ transformation from an ugly duckling to a swan, his family support and his great team! Read on it here!

Published on April 18, 2017 | Published By: Shahid | In Career , Interesting Facts

Table of Contents

Clumsiness to skilfulness

Alex Poythress, the great sportsperson was a skinny and awkward teenager. He had large hands and feet and hence his moves at games were awkward.

His twin sister, Alexis Poythress used to fare better than him. She got selected into the teams while Alex Poythress would be left out. But Poythress did not lose heart. He would sit and observe others play.

He would imbibe the good moves and techniques and would try to figure out how to play. His coach at Northeast High School, Al Kooper once spoke to Alex to find out what he wants to do in life. He sensed his ambition to play college ball.

He made him practice hard and gave him the usual drills and weight-lifting sessions. In a span of two years, Alex had grown into a great player.

In Alex Poythress’ praise, Al Kooper said:

“You could see he was getting ready to be a man, he just exploded.”

Vanderbilt, Georgia, Connecticut, Tennessee, and Kentucky were interested in this ‘transformed’ Alex Poythress, though Alex Poythress in 2011 chose Kentucky over the rest.

Talking about the decision, Alex Poythress had said:

“It’s a nerve-wracking experience because you’ve got relationships with the head coaches. It’s like breaking up with a girlfriend, really. You don’t want to do it, but you have to sometimes.”

When he was signed by Indiana Pacers, he said:

“All I wanted was an opportunity”.

The constant family support

Besides his wonderful coaches, Alex Poythress was fortunate to be surrounded by his supporting family members. Alex’s twin sister would also motivate him and her work ethic rubbed off on Alex.

His mother also constantly used to encourage him. His father has remained his greatest support and would often defend and rationalize his son’s decisions.

Alex Poythress was also good academically and his parents always encouraged him to complete his studies first. In 2016, Alex Poythress earned the Academic All-America honors.

He is the first Wildcat to earn this title since the American basketball coach Mark Pope in 1995. After his bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing, he enrolled in a Master’s of Science in Kinesiology and health promotion with majors in sports leadership.

His family has always boosted him up and helped him to stay grounded. He is a good brother to his younger sister, Alyssa Poythress.

He teaches her Mathematics and helps her in her studies. All five make a lovely and complete family.

The ‘other’ side of Alex Poythress

Alex Poythress is not only a favorite of all at home; he also is adored by his teammates. He is a role model for the youngsters. Alex is a good human being; totally unselfish, humble, with a huge heart, easy-going, brotherly, dedicated, and nicest guy.

He is respected and greatly appreciated by his teammates and coaches. His positive attitude and smiling face enthrall them. He works hard and at the same time motivates others to also drive forward hard.

When his knee injury forced him to be off the court, he would still sit and provide moral support to his team.

Also read John Calipari-a great basketball coach in the making, his family ties and his controversies

Who is Alex Poythress?

Alex Poythress is an American sports personality. He is a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers team of the National Basketball Association. This great sportsperson had successfully represented the University of Kentucky in basketball. He was ranked as the number 8 player by Rivals.com. More Bio…

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