Florence Reid, mother of Anthony "TJ" Hibbert, has spoken about how basketball gave her son a sense of purpose and helped him overcome significant challenges, including ADHD and attempts by gangs to recruit him. TJ, 24, died in a car crash in Colchester in February last year, along with three other university friends.
Basketball as a Lifeline
Ms Reid told the New Journal that basketball "saved him from what the streets would beckon and call him to get into." She recalled worrying constantly about gangs targeting her son due to his size, saying, "TJ was big, and I worried about gangs getting him night and day. And they did try to recruit him."
She described an incident where she saw social media messages from other young people offering to get him trainers and tracksuits, which she immediately recognized as a recruitment tactic. "I knew this was drugs," she said. "Because I was a single mum I wasn't making a lot of money. I had to cover the bills and look after TJ. He didn't have the latest clothes and they are not stupid, they see this in school, and look for the ones that can be coerced."
Despite these pressures, TJ remained focused, largely due to his involvement with the Argyle Kings basketball team. "But it didn't happen. Because basketball and the Argyle Kings became his life. It steered him away from gang culture," Ms Reid added.
Overcoming Educational Barriers
TJ attended Regent High School but struggled academically. He was diagnosed with ADHD after being labeled "hyperactive" for years. His mother noted that he was unable to obtain an Educational Health and Care Plan due to funding shortages, which would have provided extra support in school.
"From the womb, TJ couldn't keep still. I used to think this child was playing football in my belly, later we found out it was maybe basketball," she said. "It was hard for him growing up, people constantly expected more from him, and on top of that he was neurodiverse. He didn't process things in the same way others do."
PE teacher Robin Fox, who coached the Argyle Kings, played a pivotal role in TJ's life. "It gave him purpose," Ms Reid said. "He so wanted to play, he wanted to go to the NBA, he just wanted to do well."
From No Qualifications to University Star
After leaving Regent High, TJ traveled daily to a sports sixth form in Kent and trained in south London with top-level players. At 18, he left school without GCSEs, but later returned to his studies and earned a place at Essex University, where he became the star player of the Essex Rebels.
"For all the adversity he went through, to get to university, I thought that was such an achievement. Mentally, he was so strong," Ms Reid said. At home, TJ enjoyed playing piano, taking lessons from friend Danie Rodriguez, and spending time with friends at Woody Grill in Camden Town. He was also learning jiu-jitsu.
The tragedy of the car crash cut short his life and dreams. Ms Reid described the day she learned of his death as "the worst day of my life." She said, "He was only 24, he had so much to live for so many dreams. When people wrote him off, he raised and he achieved."
Ms Reid hopes to establish a foundation in TJ's memory to help others in need. Recently, NBA star OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks visited the basketball court in Argyle Square, where a renovation is expected to include a memorial to TJ.
