Kwe Parker is 16 years old.
Sixteen.
He is also a 6-foot-2 guard from Trinity Christian in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with the kind of athletic ability that makes gravity appear more like a suggestion than a rule.
Watch the Kwe Parker highlights below, and try to remember what you were doing at 16.
I was probably attempting something impressive on a basketball court too. The primary difference is that no one considered recording it.
Kwe Parker Can Practically Fly
Parker is already gaining attention as one of the country’s most explosive young guards.
His highlight reels are filled with dunks that would look ambitious during an NBA slam dunk contest, much less a high school game.
However, the jumping ability is not the entire story.
A 2013 profile from ZAGSBLOG describes Parker as more than a dunker. He can attack the basket, absorb contact and shoot from outside.
Parker says he is also working to improve his midrange game.
That is probably worth remembering before reducing him to a collection of spectacular dunks.
Of course, the spectacular dunks are not exactly hurting his case.
One of the Country’s Most Exciting Young Guards
Parker forms a dynamic backcourt at Trinity Christian with Dennis Smith Jr.
MaxPreps calls the sophomore pair one of the most promising and exciting backcourts in the country.
Parker has already received scholarship offers from Virginia Tech and Charlotte. More attention will probably follow if he continues developing the rest of his game.
Plenty of young players can produce an impressive clip. Athleticism alone does not guarantee a successful college career, much less anything beyond it.
Players still have to develop as shooters, defenders, decision-makers and teammates. A highlight reel can show what makes someone exciting, but it cannot tell us everything about the player he will become.
Still, some athletic ability demands immediate attention.
This qualifies.
Watch the Kwe Parker highlights below.
The kid is 16.
Sixteen!