Ever feel like a number?
The kind of number that just feels right, that just fits right, that just wears right.
A lot of athletes never experience that.
ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s what makes Taevion Kinsey one of the lucky ones. When he joined the Marshall University menÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s basketball team as a freshman he wore No. 1. Kinsey wore it again as a sophomore.
Then, he changed to No. 24.
Why?
Let Kinsey explain it.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYeah, my number change,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ he said with a smile. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œA lot of people thought it came from Kobe Bryant (deceased Los Angeles Lakers star). But, in reality, my sister wore No. 24 in college. The funny thing was when she was a freshman in college she wore No. 1.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIf anybody remembers the number I wore before ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜24,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ it was ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜1.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ That one was actually a coincidence. That was the only number they had for me, so I took ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜1ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ and I made that a good number.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
So, why did Kinsey switch to No. 24? It was a family matter. His sister, Tajanee, asked him for a favor.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œMy sister asked me, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜Would you mind changing to No. 24? You know, just keeping it in the family.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ And I said, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜No problem.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSheÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s one of my biggest inspirations in my life. She is like ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” if I can say ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” my best friend. We talk almost every single day. So, I definitely made that change because of her. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAnd it was around the same time that Kobe passed away. It was just kind of perfect. It was definitely perfect.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
But, wait, it gets even more perfect.
Tajanee was the all-time leading scorer in girlsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ basketball at Eastmoor Academy in Columbus, Ohio and Taevion was the all-time leading scorer in boysÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ basketball at Eastmoor Academy.
Forget sibling rivalries.
This is sibling pride.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSheÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s the all-time leading scorer in our high school for girls and IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m the all-time leading scorer in our high school for boys,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Taevion with a big smile. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe both went to the same high school. She went to school before me and she ended up being the all-time leading scorer.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Taevion and Tajanee werenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t students at Eastmoor Academy at the same time, however.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThere is about five years difference in our ages,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Taevion, referring to his big sister. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSo, we were never together in high school. We were definitely not together, but she definitely was a big inspiration for me.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
And, then, thereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s the spacing. It couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t have worked out better.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYeah, definitely,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Kinsey. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œEspecially to keep that legacy going, I would say.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
And what a legacy it is.
Following in his big sisterÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s footsteps, Kinsey has played in 132 games and scored 2,118 points ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” and counting. He is the No. 4 scorer all-time in Marshall history.
Not bad for a little brother, who wanted to honor his big sisterÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s legacy, huh?
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYes, sir,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Kinsey with his 1,000-watt smile. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYes sir.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
And all because Taevion wanted to remember his big sister, Tajanee, by wearing her number.
So much for sibling rivalries.