Jaliyah Manuel is guard on the Hoover High School girls basketball team. In this interview, she discusses how she wants to use her “contagious amount of energy” to help lift the Bucs to another state title.
Q: Introduce yourself.
A: Hello, my name is Jaliyah Manuel. I play for the Hoover High Lady Bucs basketball team. I am a guard, and I'm in the 10th grade.
Q: What is your favorite thing about basketball?
A: My favorite thing about basketball is being able to witness the pure skill and athleticism of every player that I play against, along with being able to feel the thrill of being in the game and watching the game.
Q: What are your goals for this season?
A: My goals for the season are to bring a contagious amount of energy to help uplift my team, and to also continue the Hoover legacy by helping us win another state championship.
Q: What is your earliest memory of basketball?
A: My earliest memory of basketball is, whenever I was four years old, my dad bought me a basketball goal and a basketball, and we'd go outside and he'd spend hours out there with me teaching me how to play.
Q: What’s the most impressive thing you’ve done on a basketball court?
A: The most impressive thing I've ever done on the basketball court is hit a three-point, game-winning shot in order for my team to go to the championship.
Q: What is your favorite sports team? Why do you root for them?
A: My favorite sports teams are the [New Orleans] Pelicans, the Philadelphia 76ers and the [Los Angeles] Lakers.
I root for the Pelicans because I'm originally from Louisiana, but I root for the Philadelphia 76ers because Allen Iverson was on that team and I root for the Lakers because Magic Johnson played on that team as well. And, Magic Johnson and Allen Iverson really helped me shape my game into what I wanted it to be today.
