Franklin Living Dream With Steel City Yellow Jackets

Alabama Native Juan Franklin always dreamed of pursuing a career as a professional basketball player. He didn't take the traditional path of high school basketball, but it ended up paying off in the end. He is now a productive member of the Steel City Yellow Jackets and is loving every minute of his time in Pittsburgh.

It was a hot summer day in Fairfield Alabama, and six-year-old Juan Franklin had just received a Fisher Price Basketball hoop from his dad. The first thing he did when he got it was go for the classic over the head trick shot. Franklin heaved the ball over his head and swish…nothing but net. Little did he know at the time, but that first trick shot would ultimately lead him to a career in professional basketball in the American Basketball Association.

Franklin, now a 29-year-old guard for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s professional basketball team the Steel City Yellow Jackets, says that this was the first moment he fell in love with the game of basketball. From that moment on basketball would play a huge role in Franklin’s life and his hard work and dedication to the game is what has gotten him to where he is today.

“I found the sport when my dad got me a Fisher Price Goal and I threw the ball over my head and it went in,” said Franklin. “My child hood was go to school first and basketball second. Basketball has always been my life, I have been playing ever since I was six years old and it has never stopped from there.”

Franklin’s journey to the professional basketball ranks did not take the traditional route of playing in high school, then go to college, then go to the pros. Franklin never got the opportunity to play basketball in high school and he stuck to the church leagues and he played one year during his 12^th grade season as part of the Amateur Athletic Union. This non-traditional path to the pros has forced Franklin to push himself every single day and in the end has gotten him to the professional basketball ranks.

“I always pushed myself because I didn’t ever play in high school. I had to keep pushing myself to be a better basketball player,” said Franklin. “This made the college search not go as well as I had hoped, but I ended up going to Lawson State Community College.”

Once he got settled in with a college program, things started to take off for Franklin. In his freshman season at Lawson State Community College he would be the leading scorer on the Men’s Basketball team and the third leading scorer during his sophomore season. With these stats under his belt, the kid who was not getting any attention from the upper ranks of the basketball world was suddenly getting several looks from the professional ranks.

His hard work would finally payoff as he got the opportunity to play professional basketball just 15 minutes outside of his hometown of Fairfield, Alabama. He signed on with the Birmingham Blitz of the American Basketball Association and his professional career had begun. Franklin seizes every basketball opportunity as a chance to get better, and his time with the Blitz was no different.

“[Playing for the Birmingham Blitz] prepared me for every single moment of my basketball career,” said Franklin. “It was a pleasure to be playing at home because I was in front of my home crowd, and now to pursue my basketball career here in Pittsburgh has been quite a challenge.”

After playing for the Birmingham Blitz, Franklin was looking to continue his professional basketball career and was looking for a team to allow him to do it. That is when he stumbled upon what he didn’t know at the time would be his future home for basketball. Franklin says he was scanning social media when he ran into an opportunity to continue his professional basketball career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“I found out about the Yellow Jackets on Facebook actually,” said Franklin. “I went on their website and I checked out their team then I talked to Coach Milan [Tyler] and I started talking to him over Facebook and he introduced me to the team. Then that’s when I got in contact with [Coach] Ace and he told me they had a tryout in August and I ended up coming.”

So, Franklin traveled the 758 miles from Fairfield, Alabama to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to continue to pursue his basketball career. The tryout went very well for Franklin and he officially became a member of the Steel City Yellow Jackets prior to the season and his dream of continuing his basketball career came true. Just as when he was a little kid, Franklin continues to push himself every single day and he credits Coach Ace with being able to get on him and make him a better player every single day.

“Coach Ace has really been challenging me ever since I got here,” said Franklin. “He tells me to follow my game, my strengths, never give up, play defense, and just play my game.”

Franklin began the year as part of the Yellow Jackets starting five, and he started the 2016/2017 season off hot as he was the leading scorer for the Yellow Jackets in their first game of the season when he put up 32 points against the Kentucky Enforcers. However, with the recent offensive tear that Antonio Reddic has been on, Franklin has been moved to the sixth man off the bench for the Yellow Jackets and has continued to make big contributions to the team off the bench.

It is guys like Reddic, and veterans Gil Cummings and Lawrence Baker, that give Franklin the confidence he needs to be the best he can be on the court. Franklin says that these three players have echoed what Coach Ace tells him. “Follow my game, follow my strengths, and just play together as a team.” Franklin said.

In his first season with the team, Franklin is very excited for his basketball career to unfold here in Pittsburgh. Although he is 758 miles away from his home town, and still trying to get used to this weather, he is very happy to represent the city of Pittsburgh and wants to stay here for as long as he possibly can to keep playing the sport of basketball.

“It’s a very good experience,” said Franklin. “I’m trying to get used to this weather because its cold up here, but it’s my first year and I really like the team. I aint got no complaints, I love it, I love the game and I’m going to stay.”

It all started with a six-year old boy and a Fisher Price Goal basketball hoop in Fairfield, Alabama, and has turned into a 29-year-old professional basketball player in Pittsburgh, PA Franklin has been a welcome addition to this year’s Steel City Yellow Jackets team and has provided both in the starting lineup and off the bench this season. He has lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring twice this season, including a game where he scored 26 points off the bench. Franklin looks to continue to help them down the stretch as they make the final push for a playoff spot and hopefully an American Basketball Association championship.