NBA Player Jay Henderson’s Drive Will Inspire You
Born in New Jersey but grew up in Orlando FL, Jay Henderson watched his father play basketball. Jay himself played football until the age of 10 but then decided he wanted to play basketball instead. He started to see growth in his game as long as time and effort were put into it. Jay would always watch the greatest three-point players play to learn and mimic their form. These players consisted of Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and many more.
In high school, he won back-to-back State Championships his junior and senior years. He also played travel basketball with Nike Team Florida in the Nike EYBL Circuit. He went on to attend St. John University where he redshirted for one year and then transferred to the University of Louisville where he played for Rick Pitino for a couple of years. Jay had worked so hard, he was invited to play in the summer league for the Indiana Pacers in 2019. That opened many doors for incredible opportunities.
Jay has been playing in the NBA G League for the last two years. He started playing for the Miami Heat G League affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce last year and then Oklahoma City Thunder G League affiliate OKC Blue this year. He came in as a local tryout player and did so well, he was invited to training camps and got the chance to showcase his skills and earn a spot on the rosters. Even though his ultimate goal is to get to the NBA, he’s also learning it’s not the only option and is open to playing overseas.
He wasn’t the player at the forefront but wanted to inspire everyone’s journey, especially the youth. Jay also runs a basketball camp that specializes in teaching the youth how to shoot in Orlando for children 8 to 17 years old, called Flow Shooting Academy. He has help from his basketball trainers as well as his brother Quez Henderson who plays overseas.
Jay is a very good shooting guard that shoots at the level of the current greats or even better. “When it comes down to shooting I’m so confident in my shooting ability that I feel like I’m the greatest basketball shooter in the world,” he said. His record consists of 57 NBA threes in a row. He continues to condition, even in the off-season, commits to two to three workouts per day, and works with trainers training on the court to sharpen his shot. This occurs Monday through Friday throughout the season.
When his trainer Iren Rainey was asked what his experience was like working with Jay, he happily mentioned, “My experience working with Jay has been rewarding and profound to say the least. As a player development specialist, there’s nothing better than having a client who genuinely loves the game, receptive to correction with an insatiable desire to be great at their craft. His positive attitude daily, his mindset, discipline and approach to the game and taking care of his body is second to none. Jay is obsessed with improvement and fully committed to doing whatever is necessary for his success.”
In addition to basketball, Jay is managing a streetwear clothing line, known as Flavors Only which started in 2020. That was the perfect way to spend his time during COVID while being productive. The logo is modeled after an actual fingerprint which speaks to the significance of the individuality of his line. Jay wants to teach people it’s okay to be yourself and that everyone has their own unique flavor. This line drops new clothing every two to three months and their newest items will include hats and t-shirts.