Nation’s No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes making waves already at Rainier Beach

After Tuesday night’s home opener, it became perfectly clear to longtime Rainier Beach boys basketball coach Mike Bethea that his team was a recreation of the 1980s’ Phi Slama Jama.

The Vikings dominated Bishop Blanchet, 90-52, in a wildly theatrical performance from the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Tyran Stokes, which included several dunks, one that literally flattened a Blanchet defender on the floor and another that first went artfully between his legs.

“It reminds me of the old (Hakeem) Olajuwon days when he was at the University of Houston,” Bethea said about the NBA Hall of Famer known for his dunk-heavy style. “The Phi Slama Jama. The whole crowd, everybody, just fed off the dunks. It took the nation by storm. That team had their own fraternity, Phi Slama Jama. It reminds me of that.”

Phi Slama Jama was a phrase coined by former Houston Post sports writer Thomas Bonk and was quickly adopted by the players. A play on a fraternity, the phrase embodied Houston’s, particularly Olajuwon and teammate Clyde Drexler, tendency to slam dunk.

Stokes, who enrolled at Rainier Beach on Nov. 14 to play for the defending 3A state champions, looked like a man among children. The 6-7, 230-pound senior danced around the recently renovated Jamal Crawford Basketball Court for 27 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, eight steals and two blocks.

The forward’s showing also reminded Bethea, who is in his 33rd season at Rainier Beach, of his very best high school stars from decades past.

“When I had the twins (Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart) and Nate Robinson back in 2002, it was dunk after dunk after dunk,” Bethea said about the trio who led Rainier Beach to back-to-back 3A state championships and went on to play collegiately. “It was a dunk contest during the game with them.”

He added: “Fast forward to 2008 when I had Michael Ladd, Reggie Moore and Aaron Dotson, who all had successful Division I careers, they would average nine dunks a game. It reminds me of those days. But (Stokes) is putting all of those dunks into one person. He’s averaging seven and eight dunks a game.”

Stokes, who is from Louisville, withdrew from Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in early November to play at Rainier Beach under the guidance of Bethea and former NBA star Jamal Crawford. Bethea has coached the Vikings to a record 10 state championships, including a 1998 title with Crawford on the roster.

According to Bethea, Stokes does not just offer the dramatics of dunks and a boost to the scoreboard for a team now ranked sixth nationally and No. 1 in the state. He brings a charisma and joy of the game similar to NBA legend Magic Johnson.

“Some people take him the wrong way, that he is cocky or something,” Bethea said, “But if I had to draw a comparison, he’s like a Magic Johnson (type). So full of energy, a great teammate who wants to make everybody around him better, just a bundle of energy. You don’t want to harness anything like that. People just have to get to know him for who he really is.”

“He’s having a good time and having fun out on the court,” Bethea added. ” … My favorite player is Magic Johnson because he made everyone around him better, and he made the game fun for everybody. That’s what Tyran is doing. I tell people that he is Magic Johnson with a jump shot.”

Stokes electrified the Vikings fans, who were packed bleacher to bleacher to witness his home debut.

“He even got the other team’s crowd pumped up, and they’re loving him,” Bethea said. “He’s giving the other crowd high-fives. He’s really bringing the energy to the gym, and it’s so much fun. It’s a breath of fresh air to me.”

Recruiters from Kansas and Washington were in attendance on Tuesday, the same day Stokes received an offer from Vanderbilt, according to MadeHoops. However, Stokes announced on Nov. 1 that after 25 college offers, he had narrowed his decision down to three schools: Kentucky, Oregon and Kansas.

Kentucky is listed as the favorite to land Stokes, according to 247 Sports.

“Having all of the college coaches reminds me of the 2014 team with Shaqquan Aaron who was ranked 16th in the country,” Bethea said about the Rainier Beach alum who went on to play for Louisville and USC. “The kids understood that all of these coaches were coming to watch Shaqquan play, but only one of them was going to give a spot to him. They realized that of those other 15 or 16 coaches, maybe they could catch their eye. That’s one of the things (Stokes) brings to the table too.”

The star had even greater production in the Vikings’ season opener at Renton on Dec. 3. Stokes finished with 31 points (21 in the second half), 14 rebounds, nine assists and six steals, to lift Rainier Beach to an 81-60 victory over one of the top 2A programs in the state.

Stokes’ success was complemented by ninth grader JJ Crawford, Jamal’s son. JJ is already 6-5 and not done growing. Bethea believes he has a real chance to be the best Crawford to ever graduate from Rainier Beach. JJ put up 15 points in the Vikings’ opener against Renton.

Rainier Beach faces Metro District rival O’Dea on Saturday and Bethea is eager not to let the Vikings’ thunderous start get to their heads.

“I am cautiously optimistic,” Bethea said. “We have a pretty tough cast in front of us. One, we have a target squarely on our backs because we are the reigning champs. Two, with Tyran and JJ, every team is going to give you their best game. You won’t get anybody’s average game. They are going to be pumped up to play.”