Marquise Walker is a 8-year-old who has basketball enthusiasts across the country turning their heads, including executives at ESPN, all sparked by videos posted to YouTube.
When Marquise Walker appeared on ESPN’s Outside the Lines program, Marquise’s father Chikosi was probably the only person who saw saw the feature who was not blown away. "If he can stay focused, I don’t have a doubt in my mind that he will get a free ride to college," Chikosi said.
Walker already plays in basketball leagues with children two years older than him and plays ball, either in a game or just practicing in the gym, almost every day. But it is his father’s aggressive marketing of Marquise that really sets him apart from other boys his age.
Chikosi Walker has posted over 30 videos of Marquise playing, practicing, dribbling, shooting and talking in efforts to raise awareness about what he calls the nation’s "#1 First Grader." He has videos of Marquise with some of the biggest names in basketball and he has performed in front of large crowds. Some criticize Chikosi for working Marquise too hard, but he maintains that Marquise lives a normal life and only plays as much basketball as he wants to. When asked how he would react if his son gave up basketball, Chikosi said, "If he lets it go, I can let it go. If he wants to keep riding it, I’m going to keep riding it."
No matter what critics say, the hundreds of thousands of viewers who have seen Marquise Walker on YouTube can confess that the kid has some serious skills.
Here is a Marquise Walker YouTube video:
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