PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — Donavon Greene can’t get enough basketball.
“I love to feel the energy of the sport and of the game,” Greene said.
Every year of high school, the Hendrickson senior tried out for his high school team. Every year, he got cut, and every year, he volunteered to be the team’s manager.
“Steph Curry, he never gives up,” said Greene about his persistence. “Michael Jordan never gives up.”
Greene’s tasks include bringing ball racks to the court, setting up dummies and cones, and running the clock for practice. That level of dedication rubs off on the Hawks players.
“He’s a good soul. He brings a lot of positive energy to us, and he's a boost to our program,” said Hendrickson senior Ke’Shawn Williams. “He makes us better as a team. He’s one of those kids you need on your team to be successful.”
Greene is a behind-the-scenes worker that takes care of the daily chores for Dustin White and the Hawks coaching staff.
“He's got the routine down,” White said. “He has a set up most of times before practice even starts, so that takes a load off of us with his responsibilities.”
It’s help that usually goes unnoticed, but this year there was a reward.
“I was shocked. It was emotional, tears and stuff,” Greene said. “I've been working for this for three years.”
White decided to have Greene dress on varsity for the team’s senior night game.
“Earlier in the year, a few of our seniors came and if Donavon could dress out,” White said. “I just started thinking about it, that I really wanted to do something for him. It was a no-brainer for me.”
But it turned out senior night was only the beginning. Greene dressed for the final six varsity games of the regular season.
“I went to the corner, coming off the screens and I went up [to the top of the key]. I was nervous for a second, but I said, ‘I can do this’ and I shot it, and I made it,” Greene said.
His first varsity basket was a nothing-but-net, three-pointer against Elgin.
“I knew he was gonna make the shot. He’s that type of kid, that type of guy, one of those kids you’ll always remember,” White said. “It shows that it's not always the guys playing on Tuesday night to be a part of the team. You can do a whole lot of things to be a part of this program. He really serves as an example as someone who’s figured out another way to have an impact.”
It’s a moment years in the making for the manager who just lives to hoop.
“I'm happy to be on the team and stuff, doing what I love,” Greene said. “It feels like I’ve done something in my life.”