I think it would be extremely difficult to find a better example of how truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Honestly, you couldn’t make up a more unlikely story than the Houston High School girls basketball team’s 2023-2024 season, and you would surely have a tough time finding a real story comprised of similarly unusual facts.
The tale began with Micah Lee taking the head coaching position last year and soon being greeted with a surprising and extraordinary set of circumstances regarding the most basic of subjects: Roster numbers. At first, it became apparent that several girls who could have had a major positive impact had opted to simply avoid hoops, so the first body count was down significantly from what had been expected.
Then some of the players who had donned Lady Tigers uniforms early in the season decided to leave, so Lee was left with just eight players. Then the injury bug hit, and the count dropped to seven. The team even had to play several games with only six.
There weren’t enough girls to play junior varsity games, so youngsters who would likely have benefited from playing against opposition on a similar level were thrust into varsity roles and matching up against seasoned upperclassmen.
So what happened then? The players grew together as a unit and competed hard and the team got better. Way better.
They even won some games, and lost others by scores far closer than some of the margins early in the season. As Lee said, the improvement was such that opposing squads couldn’t just show up to a game against Houston and win, but rather had to prepare for what awaited.
All the while, those Lady Tigers youngsters were gaining incredibly valuable experience they wouldn’t otherwise have gotten. And they thrived in the adversity. Their progression and the change in their body language and countenance was obvious.
It’s a very rare example of how there are two ways to handle many circumstances, one of which is to bear down and press on. And it’s a testament to the mettle of each and every player on the roster and of Lee’s ability to use adversity as motivation instead of an obstacle.
Anyway, while the story written by this version of the basketball Lady Tigers wasn’t one of frequent victories and overwhelming success on the scoreboard, it was one of success in the realm of integrity and it will be etched in many peoples’ minds as one of the more memorable campaigns imaginable.
While what takes place next season is yet to be seen, one thing is sure: Every player on this year’s team should be back, because the slim roster included a grand total of zero seniors. And maybe the pendulum will begin to swing the other way and they’ll be joined by a more normal number of girls.
And maybe they – and Lee – will be rewarded for their efforts sooner than later.
Whatever the case, I wish to offer my congratulations to everyone on this team. You personify what perseverance is all about and you displayed the kind of grit and bravery that society could use a lot more of these days.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
