By Matt Browning
There is a special bond on the Minneapolis boys basketball team and that is one of the main reasons senior Tanner Norris is excited for the season to start.
“These friends have been supporting me every day, through thick and thin,” Norris said. “I would not be playing basketball without them.”
Norris has been grinding throughout the offseason. Once he finished working at his job, it was time for hoops.
“During the football season when all of my friends played, I would work at my job from the time school ended to around 6-6:30,” Norris said. “After work, it was the time I would begin to go to the local basketball courts and start training till it got so dark at night that I could not see the ball or the hoop. During rainy days, the outside courts would be wet, which would limit my basketball aspect, so I would then work on myself through weightlifting.”
Being a better ballhandler was one of the main fundamentals Norris focused on during his offseason training.
“This year, I feel as if I have worked immensely on dribbling the basketball so we can limit turnovers for the team,” Norris said. “At the courts, I would either use items found on the ground or items I brought from home to use as cones to dribble around, thereby improving my ball handling.”
Success is important for Norris, but making the season a memorable one with his friends is the most important.
“I believe that the Minneapolis High School Basketball team shares a similar goal: not only to win games, but also to have fun playing and being a cohesive team,” Norris said.
