GG Banks’ road to greatness
GG Banks has been a star for a while now, which is why the attention does not faze her in the slightest. Despite only being a Junior in high school, Banks has over 50,000 followers on Instagram. Not only is the 17 year old an elite prospect as a point guard, but she is also a role model who young kids look up to.
However, for Banks to get to the level she wants to reach, she must block out the noise and keep her eyes on the prize. Banks told me she does that by staying “level headed and humble”. As a young athlete, she is well aware of her social media stardom and is not afraid to embrace it, but she tried to stay away from the comments.
On the court, Banks is an explosive yet cerebral point guard who can create for herself and others. Her coach Tamika Dudley said that Banks is “probably one of the smartest point guards I have ever coached”. This is high praise from Dudley, a seasoned coach who has seen plenty of high level guards in her career. For her part, Banks describes herself as “explosive and a great passer”.
Dudley has a special relationship with Banks though, who she calls “very charismatic” and a “larger than life personality”. Without Coach Dudley, Banks would probably not have come to The St. James Academy.
The two established a relationship at the club level. Dudley was able to hold the young star accountable in ways other coaches simply cannot. Banks wanted the accountability that Coach Dudley brings because she knows it makes her better. She said that, “Coach Dudley is an awesome coach who holds all her players accountable”.
It can be hard to hold a player who got their first college offer in 6th grade to task, but that is what Dudley does and it is what Banks wants from her. When an athlete gets significant visibility at a young age, they often get accused of being pampered and are allowed to coast on their raw abilities. However, that is not in Banks’ character, especially under the tutelage of her trusted coach.
GG Banks’ goal is to make it to the top of the basketball world. That is why the Delaware native took a leap of faith and transferred to The St. James Academy. She wants the best environment possible to prepare for college. Banks thinks The St. James Academy is the perfect spot to do that, saying, “It is like college, you are playing three games a week, practicing and lifting everyday”.
Even at such a young age, Banks is more than just a basketball player. She is already a role model for the next generation. Coach Dudley told me that, “Every game we go to, there is a little girl waiting to take a picture with her after”. Like a pro, Banks never misses an opportunity to take a photo with those girls.
She knows that there was a time when she was one of those little girls. Banks started playing basketball at just four years old, and has been in love with it ever since. As a little kid, she found a small basketball hoop in her basement, and has never looked back from there.
Most major programs in the country including UCLA and South Carolina have offered her a scholarship. It is easy to see why they have. Banks is the 4th ranked player in her class and a 5-star point guard prospect. Who wouldn’t want a player like that?
Coach Dudley echoed that sentiment, telling me “Everyone in America would want her to be their point guard”. This is not hyperbole either, as Banks is seen as one of the premier guard prospects in her class. However, Banks is not a perfect prospect, nobody is. She knows she has areas to improve in her game. Banks told me the two things she wants to get better at are hitting mid-range jump shots and finishing off of two feet.
The partnership between Banks and The St. James Academy is a mutually beneficial one. The academy provides Banks with an incubator to improve her game and get physically ready for college working in their world class facilities. Meanwhile, Banks can be the face of the academy's up and coming program. This is the inaugural season for The St. James Academy, and they need star power. Everything about GG Banks screams star, from her social media following to her personality to her game on the court.
At 17 years old, Banks’ talent has already allowed her to rub shoulders with the likes of Kevin Durant and Elena Della Donne. She told me her career high is 52 points. While Banks tries her best to live a normal life of hanging out with friends and family, she is anything but normal on the court.
However, when you peel everything back, GG Banks is just a 17 year old kid who loves her family, friends and the man upstairs. That normal kid just happens to have the ability to put on the superman cape when she steps foot on the court. Banks know she has a special gift, and wants to do whatever it takes to fully take advantage of that. GG Banks is a lot of things, a social media star, a student, but above all she is a hooper who loves her family and wants to get to the top of the game.
