in the G League, Scoot had to double his academic
workload to graduate a year early. He left with school
with a 3.5 GPA.FAMILY TRADITION
All the kids, Scoot included, were coached by Chris.
Three Henderson sisters played Division I basketball,
and the youngest sister, 16-year-old Moochie, is
one of the top-ranked preps in Georgia. Brother
CJ played in high school until an injury ended his
career, while Jade preferred football but can hold his
own in family pickup games.
Those around Scoot describe him the same way:
serious, reserved, hyperfocused, mature beyond his
years but a kid at heart, a sensitive soul. When his
sisters went away to college, Scoot would call them
almost daily to check in. He’s also the Henderson
most likely to scream through a horror movie.
On the court, though, it’s a different story. “Hemight start off kind of cool,” says
his sister Diamond, “but then the
monster just comes out and he
can’t contain it. It’s like the Hulk.
Sweetest guy, he’s so humble, and
then he gets on the court and you
just see this green monster. And
then he’s f lying in the air, dunking it as hard as he
can, hanging on the rim.”
He was born Sterling Henderson, but just about
everyone has called him either Scoot or Scoota since
he was a toddler. The roots of that moniker are the
subject of family debate. His siblings say it had to
do with his scooting across the f loor on his rear, but
Crystal insists, “It’s just a nickname.”
As the second-youngest of the Henderson Seven
(as Crystal calls them), Scoot took his basketball
lumps early, playing against his older siblings. “All
seven of us would be out there to one, two o’clock
in the morning,” says Diamond, “going at it, crying,
arguing, fighting. My dad would have to referee us a
lot of times.”
The indoor activities were just as intense, whether
the siblings were playing Uno or just racing to the
door. There are various scuff marks along the walls
and moldings where the Hendersons have “dunked”
on one another, using a real ball but an imaginary
hoop. (Crystal, needless to say, was not amused.)
In a family of chatty souls, Scoot is the quietest.
But as the quiet types often do, he was soaking up
every lesson and adopting the best pieces of his
siblings’ games. He says Moochie is the family’s
finest long-distance sniper. When asked who the
best passer is, Scoot answers, “Me,” sounding more
matter of fact than boastful. When it’s suggested he
will eventually rank No. 1 in every category, he says,
“Hopefully, yes.”
For now, he’s more than holding his own in
the G League. He’s averaged 18.5 points in just
25.5 minutes per game in his first six appearances.
It’s rare for a teenager to thrive as a pro; one who
did it was Kobe Bryant, whose purple No. 24 Lakers
jersey hangs in Scoot’s bedroom.
Scoot seems to channel his hoops hero when he
talks about his own work ethic: “The grind is just
special. You can’t enjoy the end success. You got to
enjoy the grind, so you can get that success.” QEYES ON THE PRIZEScoot has dreamt of
making the NBA for
years, but hoops didn’t
keep him from his
school work.BRANDON RUFFIN (TOP) SIKIDS.COM / 5 1