No mountain too high to scale: long journey of this unlikely basketball star brought many to tears
Meet Anthony Brooks. A local kid from a broken family in the poorest town of Ohio.
Nobody thought Anthony would make it to college. In fact, everyone believed he would end up like his ex-con father – good for nothing.
But Anthony was different; he was a real diamond in the rough.
There were two things he loved more than anything: his 7-year-old sister who was born without a leg and basketball.
Anthony made a vow to become a professional NBA player
“Everybody LAUGHED at me when I told them my NBA dream.”
“ I was NOT the tallest or the fastest basketball player in my neighbourhood.”
“My sister was my only cheerleader.”
“I love her so much.”
“When I become an NBA player, the first thing I’ll do is get her a prosthetic leg.” - Anthony
In high school, Anthony trained for up to 10 hours a day. At first, he couldn’t beat those with natural talent. With blood and sweat, Anthony slowly rose among the ranks of high school basketballers.
Against all odds, Anthony landed a basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina!
Anthony knew he still had a long way to go. He didn’t let his success get to his head. That’s how he became one of the best freshman players.
But at his peak, an accident almost took it all away
They were preparing for the upcoming NCAA Championship.
Tensions were high. A wrong move was made.
Anthony partially tore his ACL — a key ligament that stabilizes the knee joint.
His coach told him to sit out on the upcoming game. But Anthony convinced his coach that he was fit enough to go on.
On the day of the championship, Anthony was going for a game-winning shot when he missed it and landed awkwardly.
There was a loud popping sound…
Anthony dislocated his left kneecap, completely tearing his ACL, and blacked out.
An athlete’s worst nightmare
Anthony’s knee was in bad shape; he needed surgery immediately. But his school refused to pay for his medical bills as there was no guarantee of his post-surgery performance.
His family was broke and couldn’t help him.
“I had no choice but to quit basketball.” - Anthony
Desperate, Anthony tried to find other ways to cure his injury. He went for physical therapy and got steroid shots.
After six months of rehabilitation, his torn ligament finally healed.
But his knee would swell up in pain whenever he played basketball.
“I couldn’t believe it.”
“The injury really threw me a curveball.”
“I lost my scholarship.” - Anthony
Suddenly, Anthony’s NBA dream seemed very far away….
He never gave up no matter how tough it got
One day, Anthony was approached by his coach who had just attended a physical medicine conference in Copenhagen.
He shared with Anthony a breakthrough innovation he learned from the conference. It was presented by Dr. Noah Brandt, a leading orthopaedist in knee injury.
“Knee pain is a quiet epidemic affecting a quarter of the population.”
“And the REAL problem lies in inappropriate mechanics.”
“This leads to increased force on the knees and results in knee pain.”
“Over time, this could lead to changes in knee structure.”
“Increasing the chances of knee injuries and chronic pain.”
“Basically, the key is to prevent the onset of irreversible symptoms.”
“That would require expensive surgeries and even knee replacements.” - Coach Brandon
After years of research, Dr. Brandt’s team came up with SmoothWalk™
SmoothWalk™ is an improved version of a conventional knee brace. A lot of knee braces out there are bulky and restricts movements.
“It is unique thanks to its light and flexible alloy material.”
“It corrects the knee’s inappropriate mechanics.”
“By holding the knee in place and preventing over-flexion.”
“So that one can lift and walk correctly and effortlessly.” - Coach Brandon
Initially, Anthony was a little sceptical that a knee brace could help him.
“My coach told me he didn’t want to lose one of his best players.”
“He told me not to give up on my dreams easily.”
“He convinced me to give SmoothWalk™ a try.”
Anthony was glad he listened to his coach.
“After using it for a few days, I felt the difference — my steps were lighter.”
“After two weeks, I could play basketball without any pain or swelling.”
“In the third week, I was cleared to re-join the team!”
In no time, Anthony’s scholarship was reinstated, just in time for another year of the NCAA Championship.
This time round, he made the game-winning shot! And that year, he became eligible for the NBA draft.
Closing the gap to his NBA dream
The SmoothWalk™ had helped countless others from different walks of life continue their journey and dreams.
Craig David, a professional weightlifter told us:
“My legs snapped trying to squat 550 pounds.”
“I thought my career was over.”
“Thanks to SmoothWalk™, I see a long and successful career ahead.”
Tiara May Roger, an old-time ballet teacher said:
“I’m a 50-year-old dance teacher and I have osteoarthritis in my knees.”
“My doctor recommended the SmoothWalk™.”
“I put it on for the first time. Oh my! It was like walking on clouds.”
Ray Sommers, a retired man told us:
“I’m a retired construction worker with knee pains from past injuries.”
“This is the best knee brace I’ve tried — it fits like a glove.”
“Now, I spend hours in my garden working.”
No mountain too high to scale
Anthony is living proof that anything is possible with the right tool in the right moment.
“Now, I’m back on track to qualifying for the NBA.”
“You don’t need to be born with talent to excel at something.”
“Hard work and persistence pay off.”
“One day, I’m going to be able to afford a prosthetic leg for my baby sister.”
“So, she can achieve her dreams too.” - Anthony
Nobody deserves to put their ambitions, no matter big or small, on hold due to knee pain. With the right kind of support, your dreams won’t be far away!