The road has not been easy, but JJ Chestnut shows that great things can come through challenging times.
By: A. J. Olsson
J.J. Chestnut donned the #3 jersey ever since he was around 13 years old. He had to have three brain surgeries to correct an arteriovenous malformation in his brain (AVM) as a child and kept the number on his chest since then as a reminder. The number three appears frequently in Chestnut’s life.
J.J. Chestnut is a Team Captain on the CSI Men’s Basketball Team. His coaches believe he has a natural way of connecting with his teammates. He has an individual handshake with every player on the team.
“I woke up one morning, I wasn’t feeling well, head pounding, I told my mom, she was a nurse. At first, she was skeptical, because you know, kids,” he said. “On the way to the bathroom, I threw up and then I vomited two more times and had a fever, then she knew something was wrong and took me to the hospital. I woke up after brain surgery. I don’t remember much, I was young, I had three brain surgeries and was in the hospital for a long time.”
Due to the surgeries and lengthy recovery from AVM, Chestnut had to be homeschooled through the three middle school grades. After that life was different for Chestnut, a natural athlete who participated in three different sports. His doctor was hesitant to allow any sports, but with Chestnut’s incessant begging he conceded basketball was the safest option.
Despite the many years of homeschooling, in high school he excelled on the court, scoring at least 20 points every game with an average of 27.6 points per game. When he reached the elite 1,000-point mark it was covered by three news stations. While he was interviewed, Chestnut marveled at the attention.
JJ Chestnut during warm-ups at the Feb 10th game versus the Mercy Mavericks, where he scored six points in the first quarter alone.
“Everyone was there just for me. I was amazed by that,” he said. “I said it, and later when I thought about it, I felt selfish for saying it.”
Chestnut is one of three siblings, the middle child, between two sisters. Chestnut is proud of his family. He has three primary role models. Chestnut attributed his drive and work ethic to his mother. At times she had to hold down two jobs to keep the family afloat; coming home so tired she wouldn’t make it to her own bed to sleep at night.
His love of basketball and talent for the game come from his father, who he talks to before and after every game. From his grandma, Jeanette, Chestnut gets his sense of self. When Chestnut and his father found themselves evicted with nowhere to go, his grandmother welcomed them home. Her words are with him all the time:
In his career at CSI Chestnut scored over 238 points and has rebounded over 60 balls including 70 plus assists and more than 7 blocks.
“Show them who you is,” he said proudly. “And don’t be sorry for it.”
Chestnut’s favorite basketball player is Dwane Wade, who coincidentally also wears the number three on his chest.
The number 3 holds great significance in J.J. Chestnut’s life. From the number of brain surgeries it took to help him recover from AVM, to the number of siblings in his family, to the number of press who show up to cover him at events, if Chestnut was going to put money on the ponies, it’s a no-brainer to guess which one he’s backing…
As Chestnut looks towards the future, he is hopeful that basketball will be a part of it, but even the future is three-fold:
“I will take it as far as it takes me. When I was a kid, it was NBA or nothing,” he said. “I plan to play overseas, Europe, France, even Greece. I have my degree. In 2021 my music went viral, I’ll see where the road goes.”
