Jordan Espinoza of Clovis North High could have received Michael as his first name. Instead his brother gained it. Now Michael is a fine name, it sounds good and all and there is nothing wrong with it, as millions of Michaels (and Michael Jordan himself) will attest. But it ain't the iconic J-o-r-d-a-n which, upon simple mention, will still spark imaginations 100 or more years from now and, in the context of Jordan Espinoza's basketball participation, well, consider him as coming out ahead when his parents applied first names to their male offspring.
But the 6-foot-3, 195 Espinoza doesn't just play hoops. He's good at it. So much so he has landed a scholarship to play the sport at Cal State East Bay in Hayward under the very respected Bryan Rooney.
His brother Michael played varsity football along with basketball in the 2022-23 season. On the gridiron, he was credited with 96 total tackles along with a pair of interceptions. Michael, along with Kobe and Tiger, are Jordan's half brothers.
Why Espinoza's choice of college? "I wanted to stay in California and Coach Rooney first reached out late last summer and eventually offered. When I went on a visit with my Mom and sister, he exuded energy on and off the court. He kept asking if we have any questions which I appreciated. He's just a phenomenal coach. Even the players came by and said hi to my Mom and sister."
With that choice, Espinoza's family and friends will enjoy the opportunity of attending home games minus a lengthy drive.
Asked what he was feeling once he called Rooney to say yes, Espinoza said, "a sense of relief combined with happiness." Finally knowing where you will be heading next is vastly underrated in a process where all fans read about is the laudatory texts and phone calls and hopping on a plane to head to the next possible landing spot.
A why basketball and not another sporting activity query to Espinoza was answered with, "I love the ongoing action. Other sports take breaks." It's true that baseball almost requires having reading material to peruse between pitches and inning changes while football and soccer have separate offensive and defensive units. Having a father who played high school basketball and a mother who played softball as well as volleyball certainly didn't deter Espinoza from entering the roundball world.
Espinoza touted his footwork as "pretty good" as well as his boxing out in rebounding. Such modesty requires digging further. In mid-January, it was highlighted that Espinoza earned the #1 ranking in career steals for his Clovis North program. In the same time frame, he passed the 1,000 points mark in career points. Plus, Espinoza earned Tri-River Athletic Conference Co-Player of the year last season, an award that would not have come his way for just plus footwork and boxing out.
Regarding the mantle of leadership, Espinoza offered, "Yes, I am a leader. My going so hard influences my teammates and I also speak up and tell them where to go when they're out of position.
About major hoops influences in his life, Espinoza somewhat surprisingly named, "the Clippers when they had Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Jamal Crawford. Everyone is a Lakers fan so I had to be different. I liked Jamal Crawford's style of play and I see myself playing with that intensity. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin had great chemistry. When I was nine my uncle took me to watch my first NBA game and it was a Clippers game."
His best basketball moments is an interesting choice. "It's a game in my sophomore year where we played four overtimes against Clovis West." Clovis North lost in an almost NBA-like score 102-94.
In giving thanks to those supportive during his basketball journey thus far, Espinoza said, "my Mom and my grandpa and late grandma who passed away recently—she was one of my biggest supporters. Plus, Jeff Young who is the father of Jackson Young, one of my travel team teammates. Jackson and I would travel together when we left the Fresno area for tournaments." Espinoza's Mom doesn't travel so Jeff Young would act as a chaperone of sorts, looking out for his son and his friend.
Espinoza is looking to major in civil engineering because "I understand it (the curriculum) more than any other."
One of those good teammates who does a little bit of everything, Espinoza takes on what his team needs the most at that time. He plays physical, will always work at the defensive end and may or may not get noticed in the box score. But his coach and fellow players understand and appreciate how he positively affects the outcomes of games.
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