Passion, perspective winning formula for Rancho’s Traylor

For a recently turned 18-year-old, Lamont Traylor isn't your typical high school teenager, in life or on the basketball court.

The Rancho senior carries himself with confidence, has long-term goals and boasts a work ethic rarely seen in the millennial generation.

The way he plays basketball is merely a reflection of that.

"I haven't had anybody work harder than Lamont," said Rancho coach Ronald Childress, who has coached in Southern Nevada for 12 years. "He's not as talented as a lot of them. He just wants it more than a lot of these kids in town. He wasn't blessed with a lot of raw talent. He's worked to get to where he is."

Traylor, a 6-foot-5-inch forward, is one of those blue-collar players every coach wants on his team. He hustles as if he's being chased. He defends as though the game is always on the line. And he dives for loose balls to deliver his best Dennis Rodman impersonation.

"I love taking charges. I love diving on the floor," Traylor said. "We do that in volleyball, too, so I'm just trained to dive on the floor. … It's the stuff that needs to be done. I'm not really worried about getting the ball in my hands and taking over or anything."

Therein lies the difference with Traylor, who insists his favorite thing to do on the basketball court is pull down rebounds because "there's something so powerful about it." The thought of a 25-foot jumper commonly seen in Golden State Warriors' games, or any game, for that matter, is repulsive. He's old school.

"Lamont is a team player," Childress said. "He just wants to pound the glass, pound the glass, pound the glass. He wants to make free throws, get rebounds, block shots and get dunks. Whatever the team needs is what he wants to do."

This season, Traylor is averaging 15.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. But more important, he's helped turn Rancho (11-4) into a contender in his third year on varsity. Some might say he's been the face of the program.

"Without him, we don't have anything," Childress said. "If you ask me, we have nothing without him."

But to understand Traylor's on-court demeanor and passion for everything he does, it only takes one quick look at his uncommon upbringing.

He suffers from asthma and brings his inhaler everywhere he goes. There were a few close calls as a youngster.

In elementary school, Traylor and his family were involved in a serious car accident in which his car flipped and he woke up on the sidewalk. The scar on his forehead serves as a reminder.

There also was the unexpected death of his father at just 34 years old in 2007. Traylor was 9.

"Basketball has really gotten me through all of that, to be honest," Traylor said. "Whenever I've had some triumph to get through, I'd always go to basketball. It would always be there to get my mind off of it."

Those experiences have made Traylor who he is. Though he was forced to grow up quicker than most of his peers, he's not the type to make excuses.

"He appreciates and respects what life can and cannot do for you," Childress said. "He is humble and just values his life. He's a good person. He's going to be a good young man as life goes on."

Basketball has been Traylor's outlet since he was 5. It's helped him cope with hardship and has provided life lessons along the way. Soon, it might be his gateway to a college education.

And that's something he does not take for granted.

"I don't even think (my mom) thinks about paying for college for me," Traylor said. "She knows I'm going to figure out how to get there. … I just want college paid for. If I could get a scholarship for soccer, I'd do it."

Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson.