Combining athletic ability and a good sense of humor can get you far in life. For Kia Griffin it has taken him further than many of his doubters had imagined and has helped him to become one of Texas A&M University- Kingsville’s most valuable basketball players.
“I’ve been doubted since day one,” Griffin explained. “If we go back to my eighth and ninth grade years, nobody thought I’d still be playing now. That’s what motivates me: when somebody tells me I can’t do something. I like to prove them wrong.”
Indeed Griffin has proven them wrong. At Roosevelt High School he was an all-district and all-city honoree and helped the Rough Riders to a state semifinal appearance in 2002. In junior college Griffin led the Temple Leopards to a 31-1 record before going down with an injury.
Griffin’s play is not the only thing that stands out about him but his personality as well.
“He’s a guy who’s always laughing,” sophomore guard Wendell Mulkey admitted. “He doesn’t let things get to him. He’s always in a good mood”
“I’m going to laugh and joke with my teammates even at the most awkward moments,” Griffin claimed.
“He’s the type of guy you want to have around because he has fun and cuts up,” Head Basketball Coach Pete Peterson said. “I think he’s a true teammate. He has a great sense of humor and we’ll even text message back and forth sometimes.”
Peterson recalled becoming acquainted with the easy-going Griffin.
“I remember him coming down on a visit,” Peterson explained. “There was a chemistry there that made us bond right away, real quickly. I just felt like Kia wanted to play for the Texas A&M- Kingsville program. I then had a home visit with him and his mom. I remember that it was right there on the spot when he said, ‘That’s where I want to come.’”
“I had other options in the LSC but I just like the way Coach Pete came at me and my mom,” Griffin admitted. “I really liked what Coach Pete had to say. I didn’t want to go to school at home and it just seemed like A&M- Kingsville was the best thing for me.”
Since becoming a part of the Javelina basketball program Griffin has steadily improved.
In his junior season (2005-06) Griffin started all 28 games averaging 10 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was third on the team in blocked shots with 18 and was fourth in assists with 50. Griffin scored in double figures 16 times and had a streak of six consecutive double figure scoring games during February. He had a career-high 19 points twice, first in his first game as a Javelina against St. Mary’s and again against Texas A&M-International. He had one double-double, pulling down a career-high 10 boards to go along with 17 points against Cameron. He hit all six field goal attempts and finished with 14 points against Midwestern State.
This season Griffin has started all 18 games, is second on the team in total rebounds with 83 (4.6 per game) and tied for first in blocked shots with seven. He has scored in double figures four times. Griffin tied his season-high with 17 points in a win over Incarnate Word. He also had 17 points against Texas College and 10 points in wins against East Central and Paul Quinn. He had a season-high nine rebounds in a win over Northeastern State.
Besides Griffin’s doubters, Kia had to deal with the loss of his father. After he was executed by lethal injection Griffin was left to guide a younger sibling.
“I’ve got a little brother and I feel like I’ve been a pretty good role model,” Griffin said. “It affected me to not make the same mistakes he made. I’m just trying to show that I can be the brighter side by not making the same mistakes and being smart. I think about that every day I step out of my house, out of my bed: just to watch what I do and try to be a good person. I think every day I step on the court I’m doing something a little different and I’m just being a role model right now.”
After passing a few twisting turns on life’s journey Griffin now sits with a team that he enjoys. On the court Griffin claims he’s still the same funny guy but Peterson and Mulkey see things a bit differently.
“He’s here to play and he’s here for real,” Peterson explained. “Last year he was our best defender because of his intensity. One of the main things that stand out about him is his defense and rebounding this year. There’s no doubt that he should have an opportunity to play somewhere after college basketball just because I think he has the size, he’s athletic enough and I hope and I hope that he decides to stick it out and take another year to finish up his degree first.
“He’s a very unselfish ballplayer,” Mulkey stated. “We feed off of his energy. When he’s hustling somewhere it gets everybody going.”
“I get more energy on the court,” Griffin admitted. “It’s not something where I just morph into another person; I’m still the same funny guy but I have a little more intensity and I’m a little more focused.”
Now Griffin is part of a 14-4 Javelina ballclub loaded with six seniors and he believes the best is yet to come for the team.
“I feel like the sky’s the limit for us,” Griffin admitted. “I can’t even put it into words. We’ve got such a talented team. Everybody was basically “that guy” on their high school basketball team so we all collaborate together. Coach Pete knows what to expect from us: everybody knows how to win. Last year we weren’t as deep at every position and now this year we’ve got a lot more depth. Winning is definitely more attainable. The depth makes it easier to play. We haven’t had our best game yet and we’re still sitting at a real good record (14-4). Once we get on a good streak it’s going to be something serious.”
In the future Griffin looks to continue his basketball career and there are no doubters on this squad.
“I think that he’ll be playing basketball somewhere and I don’t think he has that far to go as far as a degree goes but I think he’ll get it and I want him to chase his dream as far as it can go,” Peterson believes. “I think if he can start laying down some three-point shots that the sky’s the limit for him and what he wants to do after this. I see him successful in whatever he decides to do. He has a lot to offer as a young man.”
“He might be able to make it to the NBA because of his size and position he plays,” Mulkey acknowledged. “He has a good chance. Going overseas he has a really good chance
“I still feel like I’ve got a good career ahead of me so I definitely plan on doing some overseas things and try to make a little money with basketball,” Griffin declared. “I plan on coaching but for the meantime I’ll just play basketball. If those plans don’t work out then I’ll go into coaching/ teaching. I plan on teaching health.”
“He has a lot to offer with the life experiences he’s had,” Peterson confessed. “You can take what he did at Temple College or when he came out here: he’s just a winner. You want to have people like that in the program; they don’t care about individual glory or stats, they just care about winning and that’s very contagious.”
So who motivated this Roosevelt High School standout to get to the point he’s at? Griffin says when it comes down to it he was the one that pushed himself to become one of the top players for the Javelinas.
“I don’t know anybody that’s just straight motivated me to play except for myself,” Griffin confessed. “I always wanted to be better than the next man.”
“He just has a great attitude and never has a down day,” Peterson explained. “There are so many intangible things. He’s somebody all the guys like, respect and get along with. He has a real positive effect on people and he’s brought so much energy to the program.”
The Javelinas take the court Thursday night at 8 p.m. for a Lone Star Conference South Division matchup against West Texas A&M in Kingsville.
story by Ted Briggs
