Laredo-born Kaleb Canales followed his childhood dreams all the way to the NBA. This month, he returned to Laredo to inspire local children to follow their own dreams to wherever they take them.
photo by Brian Kersey | AP
When Alexander graduate Kaleb Canales was eight years old, he wrote his life goals on a notecard.
These weren?t the standard life goals of an eight year old ? a swimming pool of candy or a robot best friend ? they were the life goals of something thinking ahead of his age.
One of those goals was to coach in the NBA.
?My friends all laughed at me,? Canales recalled, later adding. ?That was my passion from the start.?
Twenty-six years later, he?s now an assistant coach for the Portland Trialblazers. This spring, he served as the team?s interim head coach after former head coach and mentor Nate McMillan was dismissed on March 15 ? a promotion Canales described as ?bittersweet.? Earlier this month, Canales was a finalist for the permanent head coaching position in Portland before it was offered to Terry Stotts, a former assistant with the Dallas Mavericks.
It?s been a long journey for Canales, but he still holds his home town of Laredo close to heart. This month, he spent a couple weeks back on the old stomping grounds, reconnecting with old friends and running basketball camps, teaching Laredo?s youth the value of chasing a dream.
INSPIRING DREAMS?
Dreams are sometimes hard to come by in Laredo. Many kids, when asked what they aspire to after high school, simply name a local job ? no college ambitions.
It?s just not cool to think bigger than that.
?It was challenged, that?s for sure,? Canales said of his childhood dream. ?I know it?s hard because of peer pressure and different circumstances, but that?s our message at basketball camp: they can?t be afraid to dream. Not only dream, but dream big.?
The bigger the dream, the greater the challenge ? Canales knows this better than most ? but he knows dreams are worth it, too.
?Even when I coached varsity basketball, I attacked it and approached it like it was NBA basketball because I never wanted to lose that edge,? he said. ?Dedication is so important.?
LOCAL HERO
It?s not hard to see why Canales loves Laredo ? the city loves him back.
When Canales earned the interim Trailblazers job in March, his former boss and mentor Bobby Cruz, now the athletics director of the United Independent School District, was instantly on the phone with the Laredo Morning Times, eager to share stories about his protege.
?Congrats to Kaleb Canales on being named interim head coach for the Portland Trailblazers,? Cruz posted on Facebook on March 15. ?Goes to show that humility, perseverance, hard work and a great attitude can help you achieve your goals. Do your thing K, just be you! So proud!?
Earlier this week, Cruz invited Canales to speak at UISD?s annual pre-season coaching symposium.
Canales wasn?t about to turn down a chance to be with all his old friends.
?I worked for coach Cruz (at United High School), and it?s a special thing for me,? Canales said. ?A lot of those coaches have been coaches since I was there ? A lot of teammates who I played with and competed against (are here). It?s just spanning generations of coaches coming up and its a great thing to see.?
As Canales puts it, those old friends and relationships are what matters most in life anyhow.
?At the end of the day, it?s about people and kids and players and the power of relationships,? he said.
ONE STEP AT A TIME
The reasons every coach in the room applauded Canales when he took the podium Thursday are obvious to those who meet him: he?s an incredibly kind and humble person.
As recently retired LBJ coach Bill Groogan told him earlier this year: Canales took the stairs, not the elevator.
?I take pride in taking the stairs,? Canales said. ?At each step, you learn something. At each step, I learned valuable lessons that help me today.
?When I was with coach Cruz at United, I wasn?t trying to get to the NBA by Friday. I knew it was a process. I just wanted to look back one day and say I gave it my all.?
Ultimately, that?s why Laredo loves Canales; he?s a reminder that sometimes, if you give it your all, you?ll be rewarded for it.
?When kids and players see your work ethic, you?re attitude, every day being consistent and positive ? they see that as somebody they want to follow,? he said. ?I hope the message our youth is picking up is they can?t be afraid to dream.?
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