ST. LOUIS — "I'm so proud of them," said former NBA star, Anthony Bonner.
On Friday, Bonner went back to his alma mater, Vashon High School in north St. Louis, for a pretty cool mission.
"I'm blessed and I'm so honored to just stand before these young men," said Bonner, who played in the NBA for 16 years.
The 53-year-old Bonner, who's now an international minister, stopped by his old high school to share a positive pep talk with the Vashon Wolverines.
"This is what I do now as a living. I love to encourage these young men to defy all odds and dare to be excellent and dare to succeed, " said Bonner.
Hands down, the Wolverines football team has been succeeding all season.
Currently, they're the top in the St. Louis Public High League with an outstanding 6-0 record.
"I just want to say congratulations on your early success. That's not a small achievement at all," Bonner told the teens.
The former Wolverine, New York Knicks, and Sacramento Kings player told the team to keep on achieving on the court and in the classroom.
"If you're equipped, you can overcome it. Even when I coached here at Vashon and taught here, these young boys encounter things that we couldn't even imagine," added Bonner.
The former NBA player also encouraged the students to always believe in themselves, stay on the right path and follow their dreams.
"I know they'll face all kinds of challenges, but they just need someone to keep pushing them, helping them along the way. Everybody will hear the same message today, but everybody won't take something away from it," Bonner told the young players.
"Yes, I'm glad I came to hear him today," said a beaming 15-year-old, Wolverine player Dierre Hill, Jr.
"He's a Vashon legend and he seems inspiring and his words meant a lot to me in my heart," Hill, Jr. added.
Oh yeah, Wolverines when you take on Gateway Stem High on Saturday, just know that the former pro athlete will be there to cheer you guys on.
"I'm going to be in the house and I say by this time tomorrow, they'll be 7-0," said Bonner.
For Dierre Hill, Jr. it was a no-brainer: "Of course, we're going to win!"
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