• Slug: Sports-Adam Diggs Williams Field. 1,000 words.
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By Ethan Holtzinger
Cronkite News

GILBERT – Adan Diggs started taking basketball seriously when he was 11 years old. His first sport was football, but Diggs decided that he wanted to try a different route.

It didn’t take long for the 6-foot-4 guard to fall in love with his new calling.
The highly touted 16-year-old has already received scholarship offers from plenty of big-name schools, including Texas and Oregon. He’s also already taken a tour of the NIL world, and his NIL agent, Michael Clark, wants to help him capitalize early.

“I’ve just been helping him maneuver through all of it and making sure that he takes advantage of all the opportunities available,” Clark said. “All I can say at the moment is that he’s got deals in the works that could be lucrative.”

It doesn’t require a trained eye to see Diggs’ potential. The freshman is averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, but one quality stands out most to those closest to him: His selflessness.

Williams Field coach Javon Cole quickly took notice of Diggs’ playstyle during his first few games with the team.

“When you have a caliber of player like that you expect him to want to take all
of the shots, but he doesn’t have that mentality,” Cole said. “He’s constantly making the right plays and getting everybody involved.”

Last May, Diggs surprised the Arizona high school basketball community when he announced on social media that he would attend Williams Field, but basketball wasn’t the sole contributor to his decision.

Diggs still wanted to enjoy his childhood.

“I wanted to come to a school that’s not really known for being a major school, and kind of just build a program with some of my people here, but I also wanted to enjoy the life of still being a kid, so I decided to come to a public school,” Diggs said.

A rare combination of talent and poise earned Diggs a leadership role on the team almost immediately, and sophomore forward Adam Medina isn’t complaining.
“I’d say he lifts everyone up by example,” Medina said. “He’s good at setting the tone and bringing us up with him.”

During drills, Diggs is the voice of the team – echoing his coach’s guidance to those around him.

He doesn’t play too fast or too slow, he finds the best pace for his team and keeps it there until the clock runs out or practice is over.

Diggs’ mom, Maria Jimenez, believes that the leadership role comes easily for him.

“Adan, I think, has always been a natural leader, and now that he has the opportunity to actually lead, I think that he’s done a really great job so far,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez couldn’t be prouder of what her son has accomplished so far, but sometimes she worries that his selflessness hurts his production on the court.

“He’s just not selfish at all,” Jimenez said. “Sometimes I tell him, ‘Dude, sometimes you gotta be a little more selfish on the court,’ and he’ll say, ‘Mom, that’s not my game.’ He’s the type of kid that would give you the shirt off his own back if you needed it.”

Just a few games into his freshman season, Diggs had already become the heart of the team, and now all eyes are on him.

Cole acknowledged that Diggs’ caliber of talent comes with its fair share of pressure, especially for a player his age.

“I can’t imagine having the spotlight on me all the time like that at that age, but he embraces it, he loves it,” Cole said. “He’s calm, cool and collected, and he doesn’t let the moment get too big for him.”

It’s not easy, but Diggs does his best to block out the noise.

“I just try to tune it out as much as possible, because it’s a lot at the end of the day,” Diggs said. “A lot of grown-up decisions that I have to make at such a young age, so I just try my best to cancel it out.”

However, nobody understands Diggs’ game better than his trainer, Jordan Guy, who recognized his potential right away. Guy also admires the way Diggs has handled the pressure so far.

“Honestly, he’s a very humble kid,” Guy said. “He’s not very flashy, he’s real and he’s genuine, and I think that he handles a lot of that pressure that he has to deal with very well, especially at such a young age.”

Diggs and Guy’s relationship started at the gym a while back. Guy would give him occasional tips and challenges, and Diggs noticed rapid improvement, especially in his skills as a guard.

This became a routine between the two, until they decided on a more regular training schedule. Diggs and Guy have been doing full training sessions together for almost a year, and during that time their relationship has extended far beyond the game of basketball.

“He’ll call me just to talk,” Guy said. “Sometimes he texts me to see how my wife is doing, how my son is doing. He actually attends church with my family and I on Sundays. It’s not like he’s just my client and I’m his trainer, he’s like my little brother. I take him under my wing to teach him things on the court and off the court.”

Guy has always been aware of Diggs’ extraordinary talent and work ethic, but something else about him that stood out right away was his mentality when it came to those around him.

“He wants his whole team to win,” Guy said. “He tells me all the time that he doesn’t just want to get to the NBA himself, he wants his teammates to make it too. That’s truly his approach; he wants everyone around him to succeed as well.”

Between leading his team as a freshman, navigating potential NIL deals, and managing several D1 offers, it’s safe to say that Diggs has a lot on his plate.

However, through all the distractions, Diggs remains confident in himself and his team because he believes that success starts with the right mindset.

“Just always have a good mindset, and always work,” Diggs said. “If you really have love for what you’re doing you’re going to work for it as hard as possible, so just keep going, keep your head up, and believe in God.”

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