Man… I’ve been sitting here for a long time trying to even find the right words, and honestly, nothing feels big enough to explain what this moment really feels like.
This isn’t just a post. This isn’t just about basketball. This is about something we built… something real… something that meant everything to us.
To my brothers Filip Jović, Elyjah Freeman, Abdul Bashir, Kaden Magwood, Sebastian Williams-Adams, Emeka Opurum…
I don’t even know where to start.
It’s crazy how fast life moves. One minute we’re all in that locker room, laughing, arguing, competing, pushing each other to be better… and the next minute, everything changes. Just like that. No warning that prepares you for it. No moment that makes it easier.
People on the outside will just see names leaving a roster. They’ll say “transfers,” “moves,” “decisions.” But they don’t see what we see. They don’t feel what we feel.
They don’t see the early mornings when nobody else is awake.
They don’t see the late nights when everybody’s exhausted but nobody wants to quit.
They don’t hear the conversations, the jokes, the real-life talks that go way beyond basketball.
That locker room… that was home.
And right now, it don’t feel like home anymore.
Filip… my guy. From day one, you brought something special. The way you worked, the way you carried yourself, the way you stayed locked in no matter what was going on that’s rare. People gonna see the talent, yeah… but I got to see the person behind it. I got to see the grind, the sacrifices, the moments nobody else knows about. UCLA didn’t just get a player… they got a brother, a fighter, somebody who’s gonna give everything every single time he steps on that floor.
Elyjah… man. Your energy was different. You were the type of guy who could change the whole mood of the team just by being you. Whether it was in practice, in games, or just being around the guys… you made things feel lighter even when things were heavy. And at the same time, you never backed down from anything. You competed. You showed heart every single day. Texas is getting someone who’s real, someone who brings it on both ends, someone who doesn’t take a single moment for granted.
Abdul… you stayed solid through everything. People don’t always understand how hard that is, especially in a game like this where everything is always changing. But you stayed true. You stayed working. You stayed ready. That’s something I respect more than anything.
Kaden… you brought toughness. Not just physically, but mentally. You showed up and you fought. Every drill, every game, every moment you gave everything you had. That’s all anybody can ever ask for.
Sebastian… you were one of those guys who just understood what it meant to be part of something bigger. You didn’t need the spotlight to make an impact. You just did what needed to be done, every time.
Emeka… your presence, your effort, your willingness to grind no matter what that’s something people don’t talk about enough, but it matters more than anything.
And that’s what hurts the most.
It’s not just losing players.
It’s losing all of that.
It’s losing the little things… the moments that don’t make headlines but mean everything to the people living them.
I walked into the locker room the other day and just stood there for a minute. No music. No noise. No voices. Just silence.
And it hit me.
This really happened.
Y’all really gone.
It’s hard to explain that feeling. It’s like something got taken out of you. Like a piece of something you were building just disappeared before you even got to see what it could fully become.
We had something. I know we did.
It wasn’t perfect. We had our ups and downs like every team does. But it was real. And that’s what made it special.
Now everything feels different.
New faces will come in. New energy. New goals. That’s part of the game. I understand that.
But what we had? That can’t just be replaced.
That was ours.
At the same time, I want y’all to know this there’s no anger here. No bad feelings. Just respect. Just love.
Because at the end of the day, everybody’s chasing something. Everybody’s trying to find their path, their purpose, their future. And I’ll never fault any of my brothers for doing what they feel is right for them.
I’m proud of y’all.
For the work you put in.
For the battles you fought.
For the moments you created.
And I’m even more proud of what you’re about to become.
This isn’t goodbye forever.
It’s just a different chapter.
Different jerseys. Different crowds. Different cities.
But the bond? That doesn’t change.
That can’t change.
Wherever this game takes us, I already know… we’re gonna cross paths again. And when we do, it won’t be just competition.
It’ll be respect.
It’ll be love.
It’ll be everything we built, still there underneath it all.
To the fans… I know this hurts. I know it feels sudden. I know it feels like everything is changing all at once.
Trust me… we feel it too.
More than you know.
But this is part of the journey now. This is what the game has become.
All I can say is don’t forget what these guys gave to this program. Don’t reduce them to just names on a list of departures.
They were part of something real.
They gave their time, their energy, their heart to Auburn.
And that deserves respect.
As for me… I’m still here.
Still standing.
Still carrying everything we built.
And I promise… I won’t let it go to waste.
I’ll carry the lessons.
The energy.
The brotherhood.
All of it.
Into whatever comes next.
But yeah… I’m not gonna lie.
This one hurts.
More than people will ever understand.
Love always, my brothers,Forever.
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