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Backstory: Erik Kijani, son of Dembe and Nabulungi Kijani, was born in Lira, Uganda on December 21, 1996. The Kijani family were a proud Leopard family with their new born, Erik, but not all was well in the Kijani home. Sadly, money was becoming a persistent problem and their neighborhood was known for its thieves and its disorder. "It was no place for child." Said Dembe. "We never bring Erik outside." It was then where Dembe and Nabulungi decided to venture out to the unknown country of America. Even though all they know about America is from what they saw in movies, they still always hear great things about the free country. And so, with the financial help of loving family members, the Kijani family moved out with young Erik, who was three years old at the time.

The Kijani family ended up settling down in the slow town of West Palm Beach, Florida. Dembe and Nabulungi quickly found out that America, although a free country with much hope, was not what they expected. They barely fit in with their neighborhood due to their difficulty with the English Language, the first language they learned was Swahili, but even still, Dembe and Nabulungi made a strong commitment to give Erik a better life than their old town. As a result of Dembe becoming a truck driver and Nabulungi becoming a maid in a hotel, Erik was able to go to school, eat three meals a day, and at least see his father in the morning and his mother at night. Erik had the easiest transition to the new world. He quickly made many new friends, learned English and Swahili easily, and maintained "decent" grades. "He always got B in every class. No matter what." Said Nabulungi. One of Erik's best friends was John, a black panther that was alway slightly taller than him. Erik didn't know it yet, but John did something that changed Erik's life forever: taught him how to play basketball. "In Lira, soka (soccer) was the best sport." Said Dembe "but here, you just see Basketball, basketball, basketball. Then, we knew, Erik would soon play basketball too." Thanks to John, Erik became increasingly good at the sport and played it anytime he could. Basketball became more then a hobby to him, it became an escape, like he was just in his own world. "He was ten years old and he and John beat sixteen year olds in the park everyday." Said Nabulungi. "It was nice to see him happy. It made working easier."

Soon, Erik's skills blossomed as he joined his first basketball team in 5th grade with his friend John. It was just the little kids league, but Erik and John quickly took the whole league by storm. Erik was always the fastest runner on the court and he used this to his advantage as he blew by any defender. His passing quickly got better too as he would always pass to John, who was already making shots behind the three point line. The two were a dynamic team and Erik went on to win his first championship. Erik couldn't be happier, but this soon sparked something that no one saw coming. As Erik went on to middle school, he immediately tried out for the basketball team in seventh grade, this time with John going to another school. He made it, but the coach wasn't too confident in Erik, mostly because of his short stature, putting him as a bench player with low minutes. Erik was dishearten. He felt that he deserved more, so he did everything he could to prove it. As a result, Erik's game became much more physical. He would nearly pummel his opponents causing him to foul out of some games, he would trash talk constantly and even get kicked out of some games, and in that season alone, Erik started three fights, one of them with a six foot bear. "When I played soka as child, I was very mean and very rough. I had fire in my heart and I saw that I gave it to Erik." Said Dembe. As a result, Erik was kicked off the team in the middle of the season. His troublesome nature soon gave him the nickname "hot head" in middle school. Erik was grounded by his parents for months. "We yelled at him." Said Nabulungi. "And we told him that you can not talk to people like that. If you can say those bad words to them then say it to us. That is what we told him. He could not do it." Erik did seem to learn his lesson, but even still, the coach didn't allow him to join the team again in 8th grade.

As Erik moved on to high school, many things began to change. Dembe was able to get a higher position in his trucking company and Nabulungi became a chef in the hotel she worked in. As for Erik, he was able to try out for the school basketball team and saw it as a chance to redeem himself, and at first he did. He may have been the shortest player on the team, standing at five feet and six inches, but he lead the team in assist and steals. But one game turned everything around. Erik was fouled hard on a layup and tore a ligament in his right knee. He couldn't walk and needed surgery. "I never seen him in so much pain." Said Nabulungi. "I was scared. Very scared." To make things worse, they struggled to pay for proper therapy after Erik's surgery, only able to pay for a month. For the first time in his life, Erik could no longer play basketball. It depressed him greatly. Thankfully, his friend John was constantly visiting him as he recovered. One thing the two always liked to talk about was the FBA. They were both Tallahassee Typhoon fans and since Erik never had a TV, John would bring his laptop and they would watch highlights all day. "He wanted to play again so bad." Said Dembe. "He told John that everyday. We tried to tell him to look for another path in life, but he would say no. He wanted to play basketball." Then, John came to Erik's aid as he convinced his own parents to help pay for Erik's recovery. Dembe and Nabulungi didn't want to accept at first, but they admired Erik's commitment to the sport before he was hurt. So, all through tenth grade, Erik worked harder than he ever did before, with the help of John who kept pushing him in every work out. Soon, Erik was back. Grown to five feet and ten inches and weighing 185 pounds, the determined leopard set his eyes on the high school team in eleventh grade. And he delivered. Erik's ball handling was faster, his passing more precise, and his layup and jump shot was almost "unguardable". He could even dunk the ball on a fast break. He soon earned a new nickname: "the spotted blur". Although, Erik soon suffered another loss during this season. The loss of his best friend, John, who was shot in the chest on a Saturday afternoon. Erik never felt so defeated. "He cried." Said Dembe. "I held him in my arms all night and he never let go." At John's funeral, Erik was given something very special. A black wrist band with the words "John with the 3" written on it. John used to were it sometimes when he played. He customized it with Erik's help. Erik wore it to every game. He still wears it to this day, promising that him and John will see another championship together again. The season was over, and Erik was able to put Robertson High school on the map and even though they didn't win a championship, the small School was going to the national tournament next year for sure. And even better, Erik got a scholarship to Florida Midwest University, which he immediately accepted. Although, Erik wasn't done yet. It was his senior year and the Robertson Storm was a contender in the high school national championship. It was Erik's chance to finally see a championship trophy once again. It was tough, and there were many close games, but Robertson was in the finals. The championship was close. In it's final moments, the pirates went on a 20-6 run and tied it at 106 to 106. With four seconds left, the pirates were going to inbound the ball. The pirates planned to let the clock run to be safe, but when the player passed the ball, Erik immediately stole it. He ran down the court, time quickly running out, and at the last second, he went for the layup. The buzzer sounded off and the ball softly went through the net. Robertson High school won it's first national championship. And once again, Erik and John, won a championship together.

Now, Erik Kijani is the starting point guard for Florida Midwest University and he now has a new goal to accomplish: making the FBA.