CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos or video on a mobile device.
OAKLAND — The 2015 Bishop O’Dowd boys basketball team keeps on giving.
Its achievements on the court cannot be misinterpreted, its triumph over Mater Dei in an epic state championship game at Cal’s Haas Pavilion has not been forgotten.
It remains the only team from Northern California to win a California Interscholastic Federation Open Division state championship in boys basketball since the elite classification was added in 2013.
But the purpose of coach Lou Richie’s call wasn’t to take a trip down memory lane, as fun as that can be.
It was to beam about Paris Austin.
This month, the point guard on the 2015 team graduated with a degree in sociology from Cal, where he played the final two seasons of his college career after transferring from Boise State.
Austin, who grew up in Oakland, said he is the first person from his immediate family to earn a college degree.
But, as he sometimes does, Richie put the achievement in a sports context.
“As I said to him yesterday, I want to figure out who was a point guard who played (high school basketball) in the Bay Area and graduated from Cal and had a better high school and college career than him? I can’t,” Richie said Wednesday.
Jason Kidd, who had a legendary high school career at St. Joseph’s in Alameda, left Cal after two seasons and has not gotten his degree.
“I am just astounded how much growth he has accumulated,” Richie said about Austin, “and has turned into such a nice, humble young man.”
Austin visited Richie on Tuesday to give him one of his college jerseys.
“Coach Lou meant a lot to me,” Austin said. “A mentor, almost like a father figure. He grew up in Oakland. He can relate to the experiences that I’ve been through. I can call Coach Lou for anything. He means so much to myself and the kids that come through O’Dowd. He’s more than a basketball coach. He’s the definition of a real mentor.”
And this week, Richie was a proud mentor, appreciative that the player who averaged 19.5 points and 7.1 assists as a high school senior gave him such a special gift.
“That’s the biggest payback or compliment anyone can give, to give you their college jersey,” Richie said. “I think he’s cherishing the moment to give back.”
Austin’s father, Terry, also got a jersey. Ivan Rabb might get one, too, Austin said.
Rabb, now playing professionally after starring at O’Dowd and Cal, and Austin have been best friends since childhood.
Together, they led the Dragons to a state championship.
“The state championship was a feeling like no other,” Austin said. “It was one of my favorite memories playing basketball, especially with it being at Cal. We had previously lost to Mater Dei the year before in the state championship. We were down the whole game. I wasn’t playing well and then in the second half, I had a really great game and helped us win. I am thankful that we were able to accomplish history.”
The one bittersweet element to Austin’s story is that he couldn’t take part in a normal college graduation ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am still happy to graduate,” he said. “But the experience is the day of graduation. Your family coming in, getting graduation presents, taking graduation pictures. That’s the experience of graduation. It’s bittersweet. I’m happy, but I wish I could have walked the stage.”
Austin hopes to play basketball professionally.
When his career ends, he said, he wants to become a firefighter.
“My mom’s friend was a firefighter,” he said. “I want to give back to the community. I want to help others out. I want to be one of those people that know that they changed the world because they were able to help impact other people’s lives.”
Just as mentors such as Richie helped shape his.
Richie has strictly followed coronavirus restrictions since the high school season was called off in March with his team set to play for the Northern California Open Division championship.
Monday, Richie said he hugged a person for the first time in more than two months — his mother.
Tuesday, he shared a hug with Austin.
“Kind of caught me off guard,” the coach said, “but I didn’t want to shun him.”
Especially not when you’re beaming with pride.
