When your team is in the midst of a dry spell and losing close games, it's easy to become apathetic about your situation. Complacency can set in and perpetuate the struggles that have plagued you until it is too late.
That will never be an issue for ASU men's basketball's Kodi Justice.
The sophomore guard from Mesa isn't one to shy away from a big moment or tough choice. Instead, he'll be first in line for the ball, leaving others in his wake.
Exhibit A: After starting Pac-12 play 0-3 for the second straight season, the Sun Devils needed to get at least one in the correct column to get the wheels in motion again.
Justice is a hot streak waiting to happen, never afraid to unleash a long three or a behind-the-back pass to swing momentum.
And then, when it works, he'll let you know. From mimicking Drake's dance moves in his "Hotline Bling" music video to waving his arms like a madman, Justice wants to do for Wells Fargo Arena like he does for his teammates: give it energy.
"Yeah, I'm at home practicing (celebrations)," Justice said after a game against Washington State on Jan. 14. "I'm just kidding. If I get the crowd going, then that's the best thing about basketball."
And get the crowd going he has. Some of the loudest moments at Wells Fargo Arena this year were after the man they call "Pistol" has swung momentum back towards the Sun Devils.
His nickname is well-earned, given to him by former ASU head man Herb Sendek as an homage to legendary LSU and Jazz guard "Pistol" Pete Maravich. He is known as much for his flashiness as he is for his Hall of Fame resume.
With passes as crisp and nonchalant as Justice's can be, they look as though they've been perfected by hours in the gym. Instead, he says they just come naturally to him, adding a layer of mystique to his game.
Justice has always been motivated by doubters, something his family used to push him.
"My dad told me freshman year that he didn't think I could play college basketball," Justice said. "He said I'd be lucky if I played at (Mesa Community College)."
Justice took that motivation and turned it into success at Dobson High School and on the AAU circuit, garnering attention from schools hoping he'd grace their floor with his offensive mastery.
"I love proving people wrong," Justice said. "So when he told me that, it was like, I'm going to prove him wrong, I'm going to work as hard as I can and in a couple months I had 10 to 12 offers."
His dad knew that, too, Justice noted, and he was always there to provide a necessary push.
"He knew if he would say something like that to me, it would put a fire under me and I'd work hard," Justice said.
A year later, he committed to ASU, once again proving someone wrong.
Now, Justice throws it back in his father's face, reminding him "every day" about the words that motivated him to get to this level.
Justice wasn't done proving himself, though. As he hit his stride in his freshman year, Justice broke a bone in his left foot in late January against Stanford, ending his season prematurely. Many questioned how quickly Justice could get back to that level of play and if he would return with the same energy.
Just over a year since the injury, Justice is playing some of the best ball of his young career and he knows it.
"I feel like I'm better than where I was before," Justice said. "I feel like I'm stronger. I'm shooting the ball better. I'm quicker. I'm doing the little things better. Positioning better."
That hasn't hindered Justice's drive for improvement, however. As the season has gone on, his natural talents have been aided by more efficient play and better defense, allowing him to make the most of his minutes on the floor.
"As a basketball player, you're looking to get better in any way possible," Justice said. "If that's shooting, defense, offense ... It's everything. So every day I'm in the gym working on anything possible to make my game better."
Justice is deeply rooted as the first man off the bench for ASU in most situations, providing energy in all phases, unselfishly.
"If I'm the first man, the eighth man, the ninth man, it doesn't matter to me," Justice said. "It's where I can help the team best."
And right now, that's energizing his hometown team one deep three at a time.
Related Links:
ASU men's basketball slides in Pac-12 power rankings
Sun Devil Snapshot: Jordan Masters makes history, three ASU squads sweep weekend
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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