WEST PALM BEACH — The best basketball player in Cardinal Newman history returned home on Monday night.
Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins was honored during halftime of the Crusaders’ girls basketball team’s 54-43 loss to Royal Palm Beach.
The ceremony, held at center court near the scorers table, saw coaches share their memories of Collins’ time at the school. During the ceremony, the number 32 was retired, marking the first retired basketball jersey in the school's history.
Collins, whose Hawks were playing the Heat Tuesday night, was presented with a framed jersey, and a banner showcasing his name and number was unfurled in the gym.
“To have a jersey retirement like this, in my home high school, it’s really important to me, especially since I stay here in the off-season,” said Collins, who added that he still occasionally trains at the school.
His mother, Lyria Rissing-Collins, also was honored, joining her son near the scorer’s table. A kiss on the cheek from her son as she joined him for the ceremony drew an audible “aw” from the sizable crowd.
“It was very emotional for me because I supported him, I supported the school and we made friends with the Newman family that will last for life,” said Rissing-Collins.
The 21-year-old power forward took the mic and addressed the crowd before posing for photographs with the girls basketball team, the cheerleaders, faculty and staff, and pretty much anybody else that asked him for a photograph. His mother also made the rounds in the gym, chatting with several Cardinal Newman faculty members.
“You can never forget where you came from, and you can never forget all the people that helped you along the way, especially educators,” Rissing-Collins said. “A lot of times people forget to thank the teachers and professors who have guided them and helped mold them when their parents weren’t around.”
Among those in attendance for Monday’s ceremony were several of Collins’ NBA teammates, including the Hawks' first-round picks in last year’s draft, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter.
“To see his teammates come out, and I didn’t know they were coming so I was surprised, it shows the bond and the unity that they have,” Rissing-Collins said.
During his speech, Collins noted that he was unable to play basketball his freshman year at Cardinal Newman because of his grades, something that he elaborated on in the moments following the ceremony.
“Coming from a place where I wasn’t able to play because of grades, to being a first round draft pick, the road I’ve had and the places I’ve gone, especially here because the time I spent here really means a lot to me, for them to give back to me with something like this,” Collins said. “It gives me something to come back and look at and remember.”
The 6-foot-10 second-year pro out of Wake Forest was averaging 15 points, 5.8 rebounds and three assists per game heading into the Heat game. His play as a rookie last season earned him second-team all-rookie honors. Despite the early success in his pro career, he still isn’t fully comfortable being recognized as an NBA star.
“It’s surreal because I still haven’t really grasped it yet and I’m still kind of getting over the phase of just becoming an NBA player,” he said.
His mother was planning on being at AmericanAirlines Arena Tuesday night as she always enjoys going to the game when her son plays so close to home - even if it means that she has to teach some Heat fans in attendance about the background of the opponent they’re cheering against.
“Sometimes when they’re yelling against the Hawks, I’ll turn to the people in the audience and say ‘you know that’s a local, hometown kid and he’s just from West Palm,’ ” said Rissing-Collins. “Sometimes I’ll get the crowd to start cheering for him versus the Heat.”
As for on the court, Monday’s ceremony will serve as added motivation for Collins as he looked to lead Atlanta past Miami.
“I usually play pretty well, I feel like, every time I come down home to South Florida, and something like this gives me a little bit extra motivation to come out and play harder,” he said. “I got my jersey retired up the street and I get some family and friends to cheer me on down in Miami.”
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