Adonis and Darius Ratliff hated losing as kids. They still do, it’s just that the losses come less frequently these days. But as kids, man. The pain of an L hit the heartstrings in a special type of way. After games, they’d stroll over to the sideline and vent to their dad, 16-year NBA veteran and All-Star Theo Ratliff.
Even when they were towering over kids their age, the Ratliff twins knew how much they loved the game because of how much those moments affected them. Working through the losses and growing in spite of them was a lesson learned from day one. And ever since, the brothers from White Plains, NY, have built up their bags and résumés to make sure those feelings surface as rarely as possible.
“I fell in love with the game when work no longer felt like work. It felt like, I’m getting better, this is what I want to do. And I knew this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Darius says.
From starting out on the freshman team to securing back-to-back-to-back city titles during their time on varsity, Adonis and Darius have channeled their love for the game into becoming two of the most imposing high school players in the nation.
Both are 7-0 with even longer wingspans. Both are McDonald’s All Americans. Both have committed to USC. Ever since seventh grade, they’ve had former NBA Rookie of the Year Chuck Person as their shooting coach. And for as long as they can remember, they’ve been building up a pro mindset.
“Us wanting to get all the goals we wanted, we would get extra reps, extra shots in the gym, because we wanted to make those goals happen,” Adonis says. “It just comes about [from] getting your work in early. Going to see the trainer before practice an hour early, going to see [them] after, getting extra treatment is probably where the mentality starts.”
Jared ebanks 