POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Born to Cambodian parents who immigrated to the United States to escape the civil war, Jasmine Kong has made a name for herself in American high school and college basketball.
After playing for the Varsity team at Arroyo High School, she joined Diablo Valley College (DVC) and was a key member of the team that won the State Championship in California last year. In April 2020, she announced she is joining Westcliff University and its basketball programme. In this Q & A with Khmer Times Deputy Sports Editor Jose Rodriguez Senase, Kong tells about her background, experience as a basketball player, interest in joining a Cambodian women'snational basketball team and her future plans.
KT: Please tell us about your background.
Jasmine Kong: My parents are both from Battambang and because of the war, they immigrated to the US individually. My dad did it illegally and my mom was able to take a bus to cross the border to Thailand. They both stayed in the Kao I Dang refugee camp but didn't know each other before flying to the US. They connected when they relocated to California. They met at a Halloween party in high school during my mother's freshman year and my father's senior year. I was a Varsity player at Arroyo High School before joining DVC. In my first year at DVC, we won the State Championship. As the sixth man and youngest member of the team, I scored 13 points to help the team win the championship. I have never been more proud of my team and my performance that day. My lifelong goal is to go to Cambodia, meet the family in their village my dad talks about, and start the first Cambodian women's national team.
KT: What made you choose basketball?
Jasmine Kong: I was a soccer player growing up and started playing at the age of seven. I played for Oakland Internationals. The reason I switched to basketball was because my dad would take me to the gym and I would watch him play basketball for a church league. Then I started picking up a basketball and it drew me closer to my dad, who is a hard person to understand. He was not really in my life when I was younger. We bonded through basketball and that is what mattered the most to me. He used the game of basketball to bring my family together.
KT: What position do you play and where do you focus more?
Jasmine Kong: I play point guard. At first, my focus was on the offensive end of the floor. I can naturally score the ball. Later on, I learned that defence is more important, that you can create offence by playing good defence. Champion teams always defend first. I learned that while playing for DVC.
KT: Aside from good outside shooting, what are your strengths as a basketball player?
Jasmine Kong: My main strength as a player is my scoring ability. I can get a bucket when I need to. The intangible things I bring to the game is that I can bring players together and motivate others. I am the anchor of the team. I am really fast, can shoot pull-up jumpers, drive and attack the basket.
KT: How do you overcome your weaknesses?
Jasmine Kong: I am training every day to improve my defence. I am also working on my left hand. Once I get accustomed to using both hands in my game, I will be a threat on both ends of the floor.
KT: How would you describe the experience at Diablo Valley College?
Jasmine Kong: Playing for DVC was amazing and an eye opener. I had incredible coaches who taught me so much. That played a big part in my game. They taught me how to be a beast and attack the basket, how to play defence, how to do the fundamentals and lessen my turnovers. More importantly, they taught me how to listen and follow a game plan. I came from an unstructured high school programme. We were playing street ball and it did not help my basketball IQ at all. At DVC, the coaches changed that for me. They taught me many things that were neglected in the past like learning how to use a jab step, jump stops, the importance of every possession in a game and the importance of listening.
KT: Why did you join Westcliff University?
Jasmine Kong: I joined Westcliff University because it is in California. I did not want to go to another state because I did not want to be too far from my family. They also paid for my tuition and have very good plans for me. I especially was drawn to Coach Kassie Clockgether. She is an Asian-American basketball player as well (Filipino) and she played Division I basketball. She knows a lot about the game. I felt it was right to learn from her and I look up to her. I want her to be proud because she knows what it is like to be the only Asian on the court. I also know there are many Cambodians in Long Beach, a place not far from Irvine. Westcliff is also a very beautiful school next to the beach. I will be majoring in business to become more of a leader. Westcliff University plays in the Cal Pac 6 Conference. They are a strong NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school that competes against Division I schools, which is pretty rare for NAIA schools in California to do. That will give me a chance to play for something bigger. My goal is to get Westcliff their first League championship.
KT: Do you have plans to play for Cambodia in the future?
Jasmine Kong: If I join the Cambodian national team which I intend to do, it will be the first time ever in the history of Cambodia because they do not have a team for women yet. So far, I am the first official recruit, and I am hoping to inspire other Khmer-American girls to come out and play for the soon-to-be national team. That will be a stage that matters the most to me because of how far Cambodia has come as a country, especially with overcoming the genocide, our people have come a long way.
KT: Do you have plans to pursue basketball as a professional career?
Jasmine Kong: I have plans to pursue a professional career with the hopes of playing overseas as well. I hope to play in the FIBA for team USA and if I don't, I will continue to dream big and be the best version of myself wherever I go. I want to finish what I started. If I do not play professionally, I want to do physical therapy, and start coaching to teach the next generation. My goal is to take basketball to Cambodia and use sports to help heal the community. Through sports I can teach children about the importance of a team, goals, health, education, and community. Born to Cambodian parents who immigrated to the United States to escape the civil war, Jasmine Kong has made a name for herself in American high school and college basketball. After playing for the Varsity team at Arroyo High School, she joined Diablo Valley College (DVC) and was a key member of the team that won the State Championship in California last year. In April 2020, she announced she is joining Westcliff University and its basketball programme. In this Q & A with Khmer Times Deputy Sports Editor Jose Rodriguez Senase, Kong tells about her background, experience as a basketball player, interest in joining a Cambodian women's national basketball team and her future plans.
Courtesy of: khmertimeskh.com
