Considered one of the best high school students of his generation, Emoni Bates quickly exploded into flight with a tasteless stint in Memphis for his first season at the University of Memphis. To the point of requesting his transfer, and opting for a small university: Eastern Michigan.
In 30 games this season, the 19-year-old has averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on 40.5 percent shooting. We are far from the expectations placed on him, to the point that his rating places him in the second round of the Draft. The NBA is still far away, and its short-term priority is to change the image that the general public has of it.
“People think I’m an all-excited guy, because when I play basketball I talk a lot…” explains Emoni Bates. “But they imagine that my behavior on the pitch is the same off the pitch. So I try to show people the other side of Emoni, outside of basketball, because people don’t really get to see her.”.
He consulted a therapist
What does not help his image is that his name appeared in the Miscellaneous Facts column. Last September, after a traffic check, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and falsifying the serial number of the weapon. He had been suspended by his university from all sports and school activities. But, thanks to an agreement negotiated by his lawyer with the courts, all charges had been dropped, and he was able to rejoin his team.
A negative whirlwind on the sporting and extra-sporting level which put a blow behind the head of the player, but the person concerned decided to take himself in hand by consulting a shrink.
“The therapy helps me a lot” tell the player. “Talking to my therapist, you know, gets me through a lot of hurdles. I think that’s why I’m so stable today. I am able to detach myself from certain things. There are many things going on in my mind. With therapy, you can talk to someone and it’s confidential. It’s not going to leak out. It’s a chance for me, it’s clear “.
