Cason Wallace and Myles Turner rose from North Texas courts to NBA prominence, staying true to their roots.
DALLAS — Before stepping onto the NBA’s grand stage, Cason Wallace and Myles Turner made their mark on local courts in North Texas.
Wallace, now a standout guard for the championship-winning Oklahoma City Thunder, was a high school sensation at Richardson, where he was coached by Kevin Lawson.
“’You were the coach that coached Cason Wallace!'” Lawson said. “That’s me. I don’t even have a name anymore sometimes.”
Wallace’s roots run deep. On draft night, he proudly represented Hamilton Park, a neighborhood close to his heart. He wore a suit jacket with the letters “HPT” embroidered. It stands for Hamilton Park, Texas. His parents, Mike and Kimberly, emphasized its importance:
“Hamilton Park means a lot for him, it means a lot to him. He loves his Hamilton Park, I’ll say that.”
Myles Turner, now anchoring the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, started as a lesser-known recruit at Euless Trinity. His former coach, Mark Villines, saw the rise coming.
“He hasn’t really changed,” Villines said. “None of the success has gotten to him. You knew what kind of human he was, but you had no idea he was going to be a 7-footer and play in the NBA Finals for the Indiana Pacers.”
Turner’s game evolved into a rare combination of floor spacing and rim protection, elevating him to elite status.
Even amid the NBA spotlight, the advice from home still resonates. Cason’s father, Mike Wallace, told Cason before Game 1 of the Finals.
“Keep being you,” Wallace said of his son. “You’re a great player, you’re a great person. Keep being you. Don’t ever change.”
Wherever their careers take them, one thing remains certain — their home team is still North Texas.