Megan Chase

            From growing up on a farm, to being an all-star basketball player in high school, to working for the Dallas Mavericks, Justin Saunders has done it all.

            Saunders grew up in the small down of Athens and graduated as the salutatorian in 2006 from LaPoynor High School. He was the all-star basketball player for the high school team earning many titles and even played in two state all-star basketball games. Saunders was offered a scholarship to LeTourneau University in Longview, to play college basketball his freshman year of college, and ended up transferring to Stephen F. Austin State University his sophomore year.

            “I just didn’t like it. It LeTourneau wasn’t for me,” said Saunders.

Upon arriving at SFA Saunders became very involved on campus. He was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2009, was on the Driving Jacks Review Board, a sophomore homecoming nominee, a Jack Walker, and an active member of his fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

            On the outside Saunders looked like a normal tall, good-looking, brunette student, but not a lot of people knew that he had pretty tight connections with the Dallas Mavericks. Saunders helped work basketball camps during the summers of his high school years and in 2003 his boss offered him a job working with the Dallas Mavericks.

            “He knew my work ethic, and that I was responsible and trustworthy. I was going to be a good candidate for the job, “ Saunders said.

            Saunders was a part of the Mavericks Street Marketing Team.

            “We were fan entertainers. We set up dunk pits, shooting games, and other stuff like that. But we also had to wipe up sweat and make sure that the court was clear at all times,” said Saunders.

            It was a fun job for him, but it was also quite hard balancing work, high school and some college courses all at once. He would go to school during the day, do homework, go to college evening class and then have to drive an hour and a half from Athens to Dallas for the Mavericks game at night.

            “It was hard at times balancing everything, but in the end, looking back in it, it really has prepared me for the real world and for future jobs,” said Saunders.

            Over the ten years that Saunders has worked for the Dallas Mavericks he has had the privilege of meeting and getting to know many people. He was able to hold the American flag as Gretchen Wilson sang the National Anthem at one game. One time his locker room was next to Shakira’s dressing room and he joked saying she was literally five feet tall. During the play-offs last year Lil Wayne and Young Money were at all of the games courtside. Saunders has also become friends with some of the Mavericks players even getting an exclusive invite to one of the player’s birthday parties. But, he is not letting all of this hype get to his head.

            “It’s weird to say, but you almost become numb to seeing famous people after awhile. You see them so much while working with them that it’s really not that big of a deal anymore,” said Saunders.

            Saunders also said that working for famous people is also not as glamorous as it may seem. Besides wiping up basketball players’ sweat he had to pick up a spit-covered mouthpiece and sweat-covered bands from the court.

            Through everything that Saunders has been through over the past ten years he would not take back or re-do anything. Working for the Dallas Mavericks Street Marketing Team has prepared him for the real world. After graduation he plans to move to Dallas and work his way into the oil field industry.