Jason Harward co-editor-in-chief
For an athlete without aspirations to play in college, senior year is the culmination of every moment spent dedicated to their sport.
Yet, for Navid Nour, his senior year as a member of the boys varsity basketball team will be a lot different than he expected. He will have to watch, and lead, from the sideline as he completes the nearly eight-month-long process that is recovery from osteochondritis dissecans, a joint condition that causes pain and hinders motion.
The condition did not result from one freak injury; instead, it was the result of overwork during summer conditioning, which he refused to step out of although he was feeling pain.
“It wasn’t a sudden injury that I could feel a tear or something. It was just gradually from playing all summer long,” Nour said. “Me being a competitor, I didn’t want to sit out and miss time. So, it came to a point where now I have to sit out, and I can’t even walk on it.”
While Nour will not be able to help his team on the court–as he will have to wait for a cartilage donation before a grueling rehab–he will still serve as captain, just with a different mindset. Using the things he has learned from playing basketball since the age of four, he will mentor the younger players and do whatever else the team needs.
“Now I just have to be more of a veteran and teach the guys what I see while they’re playing and hopefully give them a new perspective from off the court from a player who can relate,” Nour said.
Senior Sean Mehrara, the team’s starting power forward, is certain Nour will get through his injury and give everything he can to the team. Although they will be losing a veteran who planned on shadowing the other team’s best player each game, Mehrara knows Nour’s emotional leadership will continue to thrive.
“He has always been and will continue to be a vocal leader and a mentor on our team, and his intelligence and genuine selfless attitude still hold great value to our team,” Mehrara said. “He’s a brother to all of us.”
Nour, who was expecting to serve as a starter or rotation player and the defensive anchor of the team before his injury, will try his best to assist in the team’s ultimate goal: a run at CIF.
“I just have to be a leader and be as involved as I can be and help the coaching staff lead our team to the right goal,” Nour said. “That’s just on me to be a role model and get my stuff outside the court done and show the team what it takes to be a championship team.”