Stillman basketball's Londell King is back on the court after brain surgery, seizure
- smsmith57
- Mar 23, 2022
- 2 min read
Sitting in a hospital bed in Kansas City, Missouri, Londell King was watching the game of basketball slip through his fingers. His Stillman Tigers had made the NAIA tournament. As they arrived to the city, King found himself in an ambulance, along with his coach, John Teasley, after having a seizure.
That morning, King had forgotten to take his epilepsy medicine.
"Being able to be there for a young man that needs somebody far away from family is our job as coaches, to be there for them if a situation like that happens," Teasley said.
King developed epilepsy after doctors operated on an abscess in his brain in 2016.
"We had a lot of mixed emotions – a lot of sadness, depression even. My family is a praying family, and we prayed a lot. I kept faith in God, and He helped me get better," King said.
Kings' surgery forced him to relearn to walk and play basketball, keeping him away from the sport for only nine months. He looked to his family for inspiration, working hard to regain the skills he once had.
"My mom and my little brothers helped push me. Me seeing them and vice versa helped me come back better," said King.
The Tallahassee, Florida, native made his comeback to the court, signing with Gulf Coast State out of high school. After a season there, King transferred to Morehouse State, where he played his sophomore season before transferring to Stillman.
During the 2019-2020 season, King faced another setback in his basketball journey. Sidelined with a knee injury, he was forced to miss the entire season.
King realized he needed to do more than just get ready for basketball: He needed to work harder in the classroom and be a father to his baby girl, Syncere.
"He’s trying to graduate and become something in life after basketball is what I’m impressed with," said Teasley. "Hopefully, we will keep him on track on our end to help him, and I’m sure he’ll do everything he needs to do. He graduates this year, and it will be very sweet when he walks across that stage."
King recorded a double-double, with 11 rebounds and a career high 33 points, shooting 86.7% from the floor in a win over the University of Mobile on Jan. 27.
On Feb. 3, he helped lead his team to a 64-57 victory with 16 points over No. 2-ranked Talladega.
"When I’m playing I’m not worrying about anything else but the game," said King. "Sitting out for a while and watching from the sidelines made me realize how much I really love the game and how much I wanted to play."
King's faith helped him work hard to get back to the game he loves while battling his health problems.
"You have to keep faith in God and keep pushing even if you don’t know what to do, what's next or how to feel," said King.
Stillman (17-5) will host Blue Mountain College on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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