The steady rhythm of basketball players’ shoes squeaking on the Zhang Gymnasium floor echoes through the bleachers. Eager fans await as the home team brings the ball towards their hoop, down by two points with only a few minutes left in the tight contest. As the shot clock dwindles, the tension in the building grows, becoming more palpable to players and fans alike. Kevin Zhang (12) pays no attention and reacts with confidence. Weaving his way through a cluster of bodies near the hoop, he pops out to the corner, receives a bounce pass, and sinks a tough shot. Swish. The crowd erupts, replacing the previous feeling of unease with elation. 

To Kevin, consistency is key. Since beginning his career in basketball at the age of ten, Kevin’s dedication to the sport shone through with the hours he put in perfecting his shots. Close friend and teammate Max Xing (12), who plays with Kevin in both school and club basketball, reflects upon Kevin’s continued impact on his teammates in the mental and physical aspects of the game.  

“Whenever we played together in tournaments, there were lots of plays and games where I felt like I played poorly,” Max said. “I got down on myself. Whenever that happens, Kevin’s the guy who’s there for me. He’s not going to yell his encouragement, but he’ll always be there. He’s always encouraging people- the way he leads, it’s unorthodox. It’s more leading by example.”

Beyond the court, Kevin excels in the studio. From drawing a portrait of former varsity basketball coach and upper school division head Butch Keller upon his retirement to express gratitude to shooting sports games for Harker journalism, art of all forms interest Kevin.

“Stuff that’s out of the box is pretty alluring to me,” Kevin said. “Getting not just like your average photo of a sports moment, but a cool angle or some nice emotions in that. In terms of photography, it’s not only just a way to let loose my creativity, but also do a service for other people, like showcasing student athletes.”

Unlike Kevin’s on-court skills, his development as a leader and captain of the Harker basketball team came with challenges. Initially, Kevin joined the team as a timid underclassman, and his reserved nature presented difficulties in communicating with teammates, even as his hard-working attitude led to greater opportunities in games. Assistant varsity basketball coach Eric Lee, who coached Kevin since middle school, observes Kevin’s growth from quiet, new kid to key leader on the team.

“Kevin was really quiet when he first came to Harker,” Coach Lee said. “He was new to Harker as a ninth grader. Watching him become more comfortable with his teammates and the people on campus and become more outgoing has been great. One thing I noticed is that almost everybody around Kevin appreciates him. Even if he’s not being the funniest guy in the room or talking to most, they just appreciate his presence.”

Just as Kevin’s presence left a positive effect on his teammates and coaches, his teammates affected his outlook on what it means to be a leader. Over the course of his basketball career, Kevin’s ability to reassure teammates has grown into a full philosophy regarding how to properly captain and ensure that each player recognizes their role.

“A class of 2023 teammate of mine once jokingly said one plus one equals three on our team,” Kevin said. “In reality, there’s a deeper meaning that he elaborated on. If everybody collaborates together to be a cohesive whole, we could achieve greater things. That’s what one plus one equals three meant to us. It was one of our running jokes in the team, but I thought the significance was pretty important.”

As Kevin embraced a more assertive leadership style in basketball, he grew more comfortable with self-expression outside of the court. Close friend Justin Chao (12), met Kevin while playing club basketball at the age of 10, noticed Kevin open up more to friends as his high school career progressed.

“He started sending random pictures in the basketball team groupchat,” Justin said. “I had never seen that side of him before. He was definitely more of a sheltered person early on in our friendship and not too talkative. As he got more comfortable and started getting to know everyone more, he was like ‘You know what? Yeah. I’m going to come out of my shell more.’ That was great to see.”

Even for the most self-sufficient or successful students, it sometimes takes a collage of influences to realize their full potential. For Kevin, the pieces of his own personal collage come both from outside motivation and within.

“There’s always places you can grow,” Kevin said. “Never be complacent with where you’re at. You can always draw inspiration from others. See how you can apply them to yourself and strive to grow.”