Harriman Middle’s Jordan McCullum rises for a dunk against visiting Oakdale Middle in Harriman, Tenn., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
HARRIMAN — Oakdale Middle School guard Kyle Miller stepped into the midcourt circle for the opening tipoff Monday to a smattering of smirks and laughs that originated from the stands.
Even his own teammates choked back smiles.
There were underdogs.
And then there were underdogs.
Miller, just before the opening seconds of this game against Harriman Middle, was undoubtedly the latter.
Astutely aware of the stature discrepancy between himself and the player across the line, Miller simply turned his back as the referee tossed up the ball. He jogged to the other end of the court and completed Oakdale’s opening defensive formation.
Jumping would have been an exercise in futility, likely prolonging the comedy of the situation, anyway.
That opening tip belonged to Harriman’s Jordan McCullum from the moment he laced up his size 15 shoes, this 6-foot-6 eighth-grader who towered over players like that 1980s poster of Manute Bol dwarfing Muggsy Bogues.
Giggles at tipoff no longer affected McCullum. Facing off against sub-6-footers has happened before.
“It’s happened a lot,” he said. “Like, a lot.”
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