During the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs against the Lakers, Damian Lillard, point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, was scoring the basketball at a high level in the bubble—where playoffs were held. 

At La Quinta High School, there’s a Blackhawk with a similar playing style as Lillard: they both can shoot, have nice handles, and can attack the basket at a high level. 

At 6’1” and 160 pounds, Kymani Nix ‘21 is a talented point guard who plans on continuing his basketball career in college with ambitions of attending the University of North Carolina or Duke University. 

Nix said one of the challenges of being a point guard is learning how to run a team. As a point guard for the Blackhawks, he distributes the ball to his teammates and scores, if needed. He said he loves his position because he gets to run the offense and control the pace of the game. 

“Let’s get it,” he said, adding that the sport has taught him to be a competitive person. 

He started playing basketball as a starter during his freshman year but had been playing the game since he was in third grade. Nix really hopes there is a basketball season this school year so that he can play his senior year before he goes off to college. 

Due to the pandemic, this year is unlike any other—and yet despite not knowing what lies ahead, Nix is determined to show that “willingness to work every day: to put in that work to try and get what I want.” 

A lot of that motivation, and inspiration stems from his family. “The person that inspires me the most is my pops,” he said. “He’s always been there for me.”

He will continue to work hard in an effort to complete his basketball goals.

“Keep pushing because basketball is going to stop one day,” he said. “By this I mean, I am going to continue working hard because I never know how much longer I will get to play the sport I love.”

Nix knows where he wants to go and is determined to get there.

“We always talk about where we want to be in 5 to 10 years,” said Nix, “instead of working to actually get there.”

Humans of La Quinta High School is an ongoing series featuring Blackhawk students and staff. Follow us on Instagram @humansoflqhs and Twitter @lqhawkview