After his son’s AAU basketball competition, Christopher Cherry made his way back to his Knoxville home.
Ten-year-old Shane was happy after a great vacation. His father was filled with dread as he prepared to deliver terrible news.
“My dad didn’t tell me at first,” admitted Shane, a student at Austin-East today. “He told me after about two days. When I learned, I started bawling.
In April 2016, Shane found out that his 12-year-old best buddy, Jajuan Latham, had been shot and died while in the car with his dad, who had escaped. After a celebrity basketball game with a focus on preventing gun violence, the two had gone.
Christopher had previously told his kid heartbreaking news. Seraya “Bubbles” Glasper, Shane’s 7-year-old sister, was one of three people who perished in a bus accident in 2014 that was caused by a texting driver.Shane still recalls his father telling him about his tears in the restroom.
But instead of allowing sorrow to overcome him, he developed self-motivation. When Jajuan died, he carried his closest friend’s dreams with him instead of giving up on basketball.
He’s been through a lot, and many of these experiences would have left anyone saying, ‘I’m over this. I give up. Shane’s mother, Candis Mobley, remarked, “I just can’t do it any more.” “However, I believe it was his fuel.”
Carrying Jajuan’s dream
Shane and Jajuan were bound to be close. Jajuan’s grandmother was Shane’s next-door neighbor, and Shane’s dad has known Jajuan’s family for years. They visited each other’s homes and delighted in joy rides on Jajuan’s dirt bike. The two also shared a love for basketball and hopes of going pro. Shane said he still thinks about Jajuan when he plays.
“I don’t even know if he plays basketball for himself,” Mobley said. “I think he plays basketball because he made a promise to his best friend and so he knows he’s shining down on him.”
Jajuan’s death made Shane more “dedicated,” he said. He decided that his basketball accomplishments were not just for himself anymore but also for Jajuan.
“He always vowed for Jajuan that he was going to make it,” Mobley said. “‘I’m going to do what we said we were going to do. I’m going to finish our dream.’
Playing basketball at Austin-East was in his “genes,” Shane’s mom said. Not only did she and her oldest son play sports there, but about eight other relatives also attended.
Austin-East basketball coach Denard Bertram’s first impression of Shane was memorable. Bertram was an assistant basketball coach at Concord Christian last season when they played the Roadrunners. Shane, who was just a freshman, scored 30 points.
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