WNBA star Brittney Griner first discovered basketball only in high school and soon became a national prospect. She fell in love with the game and worked hard to be better at it. And her growth spurt helped her become a dominant force in the game. However, it was not all easy. She struggled to cope with the sudden change in her height and became extremely clumsy. It was so uncomfortable that she even struggled to catch a basketball at times. Furthermore, the excruciating knee pain that came along with the height made it impossible to sit through classes.

But Griner was able to work past the initial struggles and become a star in her own right. In fact, she absolutely dominated the high school scene. After that, colleges came calling. Griner decided to play for the Baylor Bears women’s team in her hometown. The towering center dominated college basketball and soon became an icon after trampling multiple records. She then led her team to the national championship in 2012.

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In 2013, Griner declared for the WNBA draft. The hype around her was huge because of her dominance in college basketball and her potential. In fact, Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban shocked the world by saying that he would consider drafting her in the NBA.

Brittney Griner reveals her childhood hero on draft day

Brittney Griner was projected to go #1 in the WNBA draft. On draft day, Griner talked about a variety of things from her childhood, high school, college career, etc. And she revealed who her hero was when she was growing up. Surprisingly, the basketball star’s hero was not Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, or any of the other NBA greats. As it turns out, Griner’s hero was the skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. She also talked about the time she met Hawk.

The basketball phenom said, “My heart was racing, I couldn’t even pronounce words. He’s my childhood hero growing up. I didn’t fall in love with basketball until (high school). Before that, I wanted to be a professional skateboarder. Talk about a crazy day!”

Tony Hawk is considered one of the most decorated and influential skateboarders in history. He retired from the sport in 2003. As per reports, Hawk has a net worth of $140 million. He made his fortune from tournament prizes, endorsements, video games, etc. Before she developed a love for the game of basketball, Griner wanted to be a skateboarder.

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As projected, the Phoenix Mercury selected her as the #1 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. After she was drafted, NBA superstar LeBron James heaped huge praise on her. He said that she is one of the most dominant women players he has ever seen. And he even compared her with NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.