The Future Is 10 Years Old, And Its Name Is Jaylin Fleming

by Ricky O'Donnell on March 31 at 12:06AM

Congrats, Chicago Tribune. You win the award for the most ridiculous story of the day.

Meet Jaylin Fleming, the 10-year old Chicago kid widely regarded (?) as the best 10-year old basketball player in the country.

Forget about the absurdity of fifth graders receiving national rankings or universities offering 10-year olds basketball scholarships. The most mind-blowing stuff from this story are the quotes. Including:

"I've never actually seen a kid like this," Knicks head athletic trainer Roger Hinds said.

"As far as his age, he's the best that I've seen," said Refiloe Lethunya, a former Division I player, coach and NBA scout.

Even our main man Derrick Rose gets in on the action.

Jaylin and his younger brother, Jerico, attend Beasley Academic Center at 53rd and South State, a magnet school where Rose once played.

"He's better than me -- that's what's crazy about it," said Rose, who coached Jaylin at his camp last summer. "His talent is one of a kind. Kids his age rarely do the stuff he does....He does moves that a grown-up does."

Of all the awesome people in the entire universe, are any more humble than D-Rose? Like, come on man. Have a little pride! Some 10-year old "prodigy" is not better than you.

*Sigh.* I doubt he'll ever learn.

The immortal Gene Pingatore, of "Hoop Dreams" fame, takes the cake, though. Yeah, he drops the I-bomb (emphasis mine):

As much as his on-court skills impress coaches, Jaylin's personality also does. Pingatore said he met Jaylin in third grade, after a team manager spotted the Flemings working out and invited them to a game.

"He was wearing a suit and bow tie," Pingatore said. "He was the cutest thing you'd ever seen! Talk about first impressions. He's a sharp, sharp kid, very mature."

"He's a phenomenal ballhandler and a very, very good shooter. He's very unselfish, he sees the floor, he does all the things you want from a point guard. He reminds me so much of Isiah (Thomas)," added Pingatore, who coached Thomas in high school. "The charisma, the aura, the smile on his face."

Isiah Lord Thomas III graduated from high school in 1979. Pingatore has been comparing pre-high school aged kids to him ever since.

But yeah: w00t, Chicago. Our 13-year old girls can dunk, and our 10-year old ballers are better than yours.

2 Comments | Leave a comment

BobbyStompy | March 31, 2010 11:31 AM | Reply

Are we sure Pingatore isn't a total asshole?

Villano | March 31, 2010 4:58 PM | Reply

I think they start recruiting these kids way too late in the game.

A really smart coach would be looking at sonograms in the obstetrician's office, in order to get a jump on the competition. By the time the little dribbler finished breast feeding, they could have him locked up.

In a few more years they'll be trying to get oral commitments from sperm cells and eggs.

The Future Is 10 Years Old, And Its Name Is Jaylin Fleming

2 Comments | Leave a comment

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