Meet Kiyomi McMiller. She’s only in third grade, but she’s already dominating girls and boys on the court. Her handles and moves are ridiculous for her age, as evidenced by the Shammgod dribble and fadeaway she uses on this poor, unsuspecting boy. That’s not even the best part, though. The best part is just before she starts showing off that jaw-dropping handle, she crooks her finger at her opponent. “I own you,” she seems to say with that sole digit pointed at her opponent. “And I’m about to prove it to everyone here.” Then, that’s exactly what she does.
On a slightly more somber note, it’s a little sad that the tracking and commodification of youth basketball players has reached this level. McMiller is already classified as a top point guard in the class of 2024. 2024! That’s a year best left to a Stanley Kubrick science fiction film. In other words, it’s a seriously long ways off. She may not even want to play basketball in two or three years. Let her enjoy the game as a game, rather than the insane rat race it will inevitably be once she enters middle school (and even that’s sad). Let her do whatever makes her happy. For now, that appears to be basketball, and owning anyone who comes across her path.
