Josh Lawson
As Saturday’s game against No. 7 Duke draws near, so too does the final curtain on one of the more captivating four-year careers of any N.C. State player in recent memory — that of senior forward Gavin Grant.
The game will also, in all likelihood, be the last home game for Grant, who has seen plenty of ups and downs as a member of the Wolfpack.
The only scholarship senior on this year’s team, Grant has watched as his cohorts left for their respective pro sports, endured a coaching change, been forced to play out-of-position, faced unheard of hardship off the court and went to a Sweet Sixteen as well as the NIT.
After 1,318 career points, 542 rebounds and 329 assists, Grant might be remembered as one of the more complete players in recent memory, but it will be hard to separate his on-the-court skill from one major off-the-court tribulation.
Facing DeportationGrant is known for taking his man off the dribble, but two years into his college career, he found himself in the biggest one-on-one match-up of his life — staring down a possible deportation to his home country of Jamaica.
Grant still remembers growing up in Jamaica and coming to the United States, but didn’t learn of his illegal status until he was in high school. It was no family secret that Grant wasn’t a U.S. Citizen.
Most of his family speaks with a heavy Jamaican accent, and Grant himself did too until taking a speech class at the age of 11.
Yet out of nowhere, more than 10 years after entering the country and about five years after learning of his true status, Grant’s citizenship was called into question by U.S. immigration officials.
“I knew as much as anybody on the outside looking in did. I knew it was happening. I knew I wasn’t from here,” Grant said. “My lawyer kept me up to date on what was going on, but it was really out of my hands. All I could do was stay out of trouble, and I did that anyway.”
If Grant was found to be here illegally, which he knew he was, one of the options included deportation back to Jamaica — another was being ordered to leave voluntarily.
“It was definitely more than a possibility, but if it happened, it happened,” Grant said. “I would’ve just had to deal with it like a man.”
There were low points during Grant’s ordeal, helplessly awaiting his future.
“Gavin got a little down,” coach Sidney Lowe said. “He was a little depressed at times, and we had to be there for him.”
During these times, Grant felt compelled to get an additional tattoo to the several already on his inked-up arms. This time, he chose a Bible verse to place on his right forearm. The verse is from Psalm 27:2-3 and reads: “When the wicked came against me to eat at my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.”
As were his teammates and coaches, faith was a source of support through Grant’s trying time.
“At the time, I just felt like as long as I stayed strong, put my faith in God, it’d be all right,” Grant said. “I went to Catholic school for five years. It was instilled in me. I wouldn’t say that I’m the most religious person, but I definitely believe in God and believe God has something to do with everyone.”
Fans of other ACC teams didn’t care to be understanding of Grant’s dilemma. They reveled in the chance to try to get into his head.
At North Carolina, the students held up green cards. One Duke student, dressed in Jamaican garb and wearing dreadlocks shouted, “Hey Gavin! Jamaican me crazy, mon!”
“I don’t pay the crowd any mind,” Grant said. “I thought it was actually funny.”
Grant can laugh about it now. Luckily for him, the officials moved to close the removal proceeding in early August.
“I guess they just basically said this isn’t the type of person we need to be sending back home just because he doesn’t have the record,” Grant said. “[He’s] married, has a child, doing something positive with his life. I’m not the bad guy with the criminal record going around breaking the law.”
And if things hadn’t worked out, one wonders what Grant would be doing today.
“No idea,” Grant said. “I’d be living in Jamaica somewhere … I’m pretty sure I’d make it somewhere. I’m a survivor.”
Four losses?In an interview with ESPN’s Dana O’Neil in August, Grant ruffled a few feathers and raised even more eyebrows with a quote that has followed him all season.
Grant told O’Neil: “With the incoming freshmen we have coming in here and what we have coming back, I don’t see us losing any more than four games this year.”
Grant never backed off his words and frequently corrected those reporters who likely never read the actual statement and had substituted the words “don’t see us” with “will not” in their minds.
“[Coach Lowe] said don’t make predictions, but at the same time I didn’t make a prediction,” Grant said. “A lot of people took it out of proportion, but that’s what the media does.”
Grant was a microphone magnet well before he spoke those infamous words. His refusal to hold back when answering questions often leads to some brutally truthful quotes.
For those that know Grant, he’s just being himself. He quickly turned on a question while the Pack was struggling through its nonconference winning streak earlier this year.
“We are on a six-game win streak, right?” Grant said. “I thought we lost six games.”
Away from the media, Grant has gained the respect of his teammates. He still keeps in touch with a number of ex-teammates, and his friendly relationship with his current ones can be seen on several occasions.
He once took J.J. Hickson and Tracy Smith to the State Fair, showing the two freshmen around for their first trip to the event.
Another time, Hickson stood behind reporters as they interviewed Grant outside the locker room. The curious freshman stared at the senior, perhaps for a little too long for comfort.
“Get out of here J.J. You’re scaring me man,” Grant said playfully after 30 seconds of Hickson’s stare. Having been called out, Hickson busted out into laughter before taking his seat to be interviewed as well.
Grant even said his light-hearted attitude with teammates sometimes hurts when trying to be the team’s leader.
“[The juniors] probably reprimand guys better than I do because I’m always laughing and joking around,” Grant said. “So if I try to yell at somebody they’ll probably say ‘Gavin, be quiet man. Stop playing.'”
There’s a chance Grant’s post-game quotes have just as much flair as his rim-rattling dunks. His most famous one might still be the open-court, around-the-world reverse slam during last year’s win over North Carolina.
Though his game is far from stale, it’s only during those dunks, or maybe a clutch shot, when one can see Grant’s typically placid facial expression change into a more fired-up persona.
Since Grant hails from the Bronx, N.Y., he will often throw up an “X” symbol with his arms during these times. At times when other State players have had their effort questioned, Grant has been exempt from those conversations — his calm outward appearance never mistaken for indifference.
In fact, Grant possesses a sort of calming effect that allows the coaches to be comfortable with drawing up plays for him when the clock starts to run low in close games.
Grant in the ClutchGrant hasn’t always been cool under pressure. His junior year ended on one such sour note. His last-possession attempt against West Virginia in the NIT quarterfinals could have tied the game — but it airballed.
“I was just trying to shoot the ball so fast I wasn’t really thinking about it. I wish I could have that shot back,” Grant said. “Don’t think that airball deterred me from shooting the last shot, because if there’s ever a last shot I’d love to shoot it.”
Grant spoke those words back in November, and he has been living up to them ever since.
It was his free throws that lifted his team over Villanova and Davidson in the closing seconds of early-season games. And it was his steal and layup in overtime that clinched a win against Miami on Jan. 19.
Grant has gone through several games where he turns it on in the second half after a so-so first half.
“He’s more focused at that time of the game than [otherwise],” Lowe said. “He’s one of those players … there’s certain players that thrive in that atmosphere, that situation, and they come through with it.”
His Playing DaysGrant came to State not knowing much about the school, only what his high school coach and former high school and college teammate Julius Hodge had told him.
“Me and Julius were kind of close so he told me, ‘Do what you want to do and hopefully when your three, four years of school are done, you can play professional basketball, do the right thing,'” Grant said.
His mother didn’t care where he went to school, as long as he got an education, and Grant has been doing that for four years at State.
With a solid career and even better senior season almost over, it’s unclear whether Grant can make his NBA dreams a reality at season’s end.
He’s currently averaging 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds a game and is the team leader in assists and minutes played. However, some mock drafts project him as a second-rounder and still others leave him off altogether.
Also uncertain is State’s fate on Saturday. It will be a decided underdog against the Blue Devils. But for Grant, after almost being denied the chance to participate in the Senior Day activities and work on completing his degree, his wild ride is ending much better than it once looked like it would.
It’s one that the Bronx native hopes ends up at the next level.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be here as long as I was,” Grant said. “I came to college to get an education, but I definitely have dreams and aspirations to play in the NBA. Anyone would, but it’s become more realistic as of late.”
Gavin Grant’s career stats1,318 points, 24th-most in school history542 rebounds329 assists129 games playedSource: N.C. State Athletics