On the basketball court, the atmosphere is electric. The crowd roars with every fast break, every three-pointer, and every slam dunk. Yet, apart from all the noise and excitement, one player stands out among the rest. That player is Juan Paul Gallegos, a junior who has spent his whole life building his career and now finds himself as one of the best players on the Delta varsity basketball team.
Long before he stepped onto the court, Gallegos was already dribbling basketballs. In kindergarten, he started training to play the game, which was introduced by his father, who was a player at DHS before him. Basketball became a family tradition, with pickup games in the driveway and lessons passed down over the years. Gallegos’ father, a former DHS standout, saw potential in his son from an early age. He became more than just a role model, he was a mentor, coach, and the biggest supporter.
“My dad mostly inspired me to play basketball because he played it in high school here and I just wanna live up to him,” said JP. “He also taught me all I know about basketball and everything.”
By the time Gallegos entered high school, he was already a seasoned player, having spent years playing competitive basketball. His talent was like no other, being able to shoot three after three and making the most difficult shots. He was almost unstoppable when he had the ball on the court. With his amazing ball handles and tricky maneuvers, he was unguardable. When tryouts for the varsity basketball team rolled around in his freshman year, Gallegos was already swinging throughout both JV and varsity teams.
Despite being one of the shorter players on the court, his heart and determination made up for any height disadvantage. His hard work set him apart, whether it was putting up extra shots after practice, reviewing game film, or to focus on his speed and agility. Now, as a junior, Gallegos is a key player for the Delta varsity team.
His ability to read the game, create plays, and inspire his teammates has made him a leader both on and off the court. As a point guard on the varsity basketball boys team, Gallegos always finds ways to motivate his team. He tries his best to hype everyone up before a game, including the coaches, and works hard to put on a show for the crowd. As a leader for the Panthers, It is his task to make sure everyone is uplifted and ready to put on a show.
“I kind of just try and like lift us up and like, make sure that everyone’s on the right page and then give some high fives or something just to get us motivated,” said Gallegos.
One of Gallegos’ biggest inspirations is Jared McCain, a top high school and college basketball player known for his sharpshooting and handles. He tries his best to match his style of play that McCain has and quickly makes his own moves similar to his. Gallegos loves McCain’s confidence, skill, and leadership that he gives off on the court and hopes to do the same for the Panthers. “ He’s kind of like inspired me, cause I can see the way he got to the NBA through high school, it’s like all on video so I can just watch, so it’s nice.” said Gallegos.
