Oakland high school basketball star credits his grandfather ahead of graduation and collegiate journey

OAKLAND, Calif. - When 17-year-old ArDarius Grayson walks across the stage at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre on Tuesday night to receive his high school diploma, he will close the end of this period in his young and already accomplished life, leaving a lasting and positive mark on his Bulldog community and his city.

The Oakland Technical High School senior and star basketball player is headed to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, for college, where he’s received a scholarship to play for the Wildcats men’s basketball team.

As part of his high school basketball career, the two-time Oakland Athletic League MVP led his team to the Division II state title last year. This past season, the Bulldogs made it to the Division I NorCal semifinals.

During his senior year, the point guard averaged 17.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. 

With Tech's 2024 historic state title, Grayson said he reached one of his high school goals.

What they're saying:

"I think my greatest accomplishment is just, you know, winning the state championship. That was the first one in school history, so that was one of my biggest goals when I first got to Tech, to win it all," the teen told KTVU on Tuesday, just hours before his high school graduation. 

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With a 3.5 grade point average, he's also done a solid and impressive job accomplishing what he set out to do off the court.

"Graduating. A lot of people go into high school expecting to graduate, but you get hit with a lot of bumps and curves and things like that, and just having to push through," Grayson shared.

Some of the challenges he had to push through involved juggling a demanding schedule as a high school student-athlete.

"It was really tough. Just balancing all the school work. "Also, I put in extra weight to be good at basketball and earn the scholarship that I got," Grayson reflected. 

Grandfather's message

The teen gave much credit to his grandfather for pushing him and his siblings to do well in school. 

Grayson said his grandfather served as a single parent, raising him and his two older brothers and younger sister. 

Their whole life, the message his grandfather impressed on all the kids was to do well in school and go to college.

"He always wanted us to be in sports and be active like that, but the biggest thing he pushed since we were little kids was academics and education," the graduating senior said. "He’s always wanted all of us to go to college… and just learn, and get our education. That's the biggest thing he pushed since we were young."

NBA star's influence

Another influential figure in Grayson’s life has been Oakland native and Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard, whose collegiate footsteps the teen is following with his decision to play for Weber State.

Grayson said Lillard came to a game during his junior year, watched him play and quickly became an advocate for the high school player.  

"He was a big pusher for my name to Weber State. He told the coaches about me a lot," the teen shared, saying Lillard was instrumental in getting Weber to recruit the high school player.

Grayson also began playing for the NBA’s star’s Amateur Athletic Union team, Team Lillard Basketball.

The non-profit youth basketball development program says its goal is to "teach life lessons through the game of basketball." The program also seeks to "enhance the skills and success of our players while creating an avenue that provides them opportunities to earn a college scholarship." 

The teen said Lillard, who graduated from Tech’s crosstown rival Oakland High School, has become somewhat of a mentor to him. 

"After he came to my game, and I played for his AAU team, he started to text me over time," Grayson shared, adding, "He also gave me a lot of advice with basketball and staying focused…. We got to know each other, and he’s a pretty cool person."

What's next:

The teen said he plans to keep in touch with Lillard, with his eyes set on continuing to follow in his basketball footsteps all the way to the NBA.

After Tuesday's graduation, Grayson won't have much time before he’s off to the next stage of his journey. He’s set to leave for Weber State in the second week of June to begin training. 

It will be the Oakland native’s first time living outside his city.

When asked, the teen acknowledged he was a little nervous about leaving everything he's known. But no doubt he has a solid foundation of supporters rooting for him from his hometown, none more important than his grandfather, the person who instilled in him the importance of an education and will be looking on from the audience at the Paramount Theatre, full of pride.

And the message the soon-to-be grad had for the man who raised him:

"Thank you," the teen said, "for all the dedication you put into raising us and keeping us focused in school."

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