When you think of a professional athlete it’s safe to assume you imagine them as always being the best at whatever sport they play - even the ones they don’t for that matter. We’ve all seen it, you know the kid who every other parent is badgering the coach about...asking to see a birth certificate to prove their age??...Or the kid who appears as though he enters a new form of puberty
every 3 months while everyone else stays the same?? Moral of the story, most professional athletes were built for it. You either knew it was coming or you weren’t that surprised that it happened. For Trey Murphy, that was not the case. Trey’s freshmen year of high school was no different than yours, YES YOU, the person reading this article. He was no different than YOU. He stood maybe 6 feet tall at most. His skin glued to his bones, no extraordinary physical attributes or signs that he would make it to the NBA. If for whatever odd reason you might be on Carey Academy’s campus, where Trey went to high school, you’ll see his picture on the wall at the entrance of the gym. Right above the towering display of trophy cases, you’ll find proof or should I say you’ll find him. A kid’s body that hasn’t caught up to his mind yet. Eyes opened as wide as the seas in front of a cargo ship, with a destination in mind that just needed a little guidance.
Shortly after arriving in Durham, NC we met up with Trey at his childhood home to get our first day of filming underway. Within the first hour one thing was certain, his family was close knit and operated as a unit. His dad, Mr. Kenny, made sure you knew who Trey was and his evolution to get to this point. His mom, Mrs. Albeda, a little bit more low-key initially but you knew she meant business. If Trey was good she was good, you know how moms carry that presence? The kind that feels almost instinctual? When it was time to hop in the car to head out it was understood that everyone was coming even if it meant taking two cars.
Our first stop was Rogers - Herr, Trey's middle school. A place where he experienced early basketball success in a team environment. It was also his first public school experience so if I had to guess, this was a pivotal time for Trey - even if he didn’t realize it in the moment. He was able to see what basketball looked liked outside of everything he had known, he now had a compass to embark on his basketball journey. From there we went to the Salvation Army where Trey played recreational basketball in the summers. It was a place where he was also coached by his dad, (maybe I should say officially coached by his dad because if you attend one of Trey’s NBA games today 
you can still spot Mr. Kenny finding his way to the court side seats during halftime telling Trey to shoot the ball more.) Probably the same advice he gave to a young Trey during those games at the Salvation Army. Walking into the doors of the gym we were greeted by about 15-20 kids filled with excitement to see Trey, the NBA player who was literally in their shoes a few years earlier. Once things settled down Trey and his dad sat down on a bench and we set the cameras to begin interviewing the two. They talked about their perspectives of Treys’ rise to fame in the basketball world, the trails and tribulations, how the Saturday mornings in the gym when Trey wanted to be anywhere else at the time eventually turned into him dragging his dad out of the house to get some work in. For me, the most impactful moment of this scene can’t be seen on camera. It was the kids sitting behind us at full attention listening to Trey’s story narrated by he and his father. Hanging on to their words as if they were little seeds that they could take home and plant with the hopes of creating their own story of success. Trey wasn’t someone they looked up to, Trey was someone they felt they could become. He was living proof that your dreams can become reality if you season them with a purpose and hard work.
Bright & early on day two Trey showed us his childhood bedroom, walls lined with Sports Illustrated posters, his growth marks of 4 inches here, 3 inches there, another 2 inches here, you know just the usual...Trey then quickly got 
dressed and we were on our way to his high school, Carey Academy, for the big moment. His High School Jersey Retirement Ceremony. It was all laid out for him, he walked through the courtyards & hallways to the soundtrack of many "Congratulations" & “Omg you got so tall!” He had lunch with the mens and women’s basketball teams offering them words of wisdom & answering questions once their shyness began to wear off. Next was media availability which included school press, the local newspaper & news channels, even his NBA Team, The New Orleans Pelicans, sent someone to capture the moment. You could see the social exhaustion building in Trey’s expressions, but like a true professional he answered every question with grace & took every picture with a smile on his face. When we arrived to the gym it was PACKED! The entire school & staff was in attendance, as well as Trey’s family, friends, former teammates & classmates.
You quickly realized that this moment was not only for Trey, but for every person that played a role into his full circle moment. As the ceremony came to an end we caught up with Trey’s mom as she reflected on everything. The feeling of her dropping Trey off at school every morning to Trey now picking up the tab when they go out to eat. It was also a full circle moment for her and a lot of other people there. As we parted ways with Trey I thanked him for letting us tag along to capture his time back home and the hospitality that he and his family extended to us. And if I didn’t say it then I'll say it now. Keep going Trey, big, I mean BIGGER, things are coming for you!
- Jalen Gray
