Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Before every one of his basketball games, Adonis Monfort-Palomino finds a quiet spot and shares a solemn moment with his first coach.
That's the man he was named after, his father Adonis Palomino – known as 'Junior' in the Calgary basketball community that he was such an integral part of – who lost a battle with a drug addiction and passed away on Jan. 16, 2016.
"Typically, before every game I look up and I talk to him a little bit – letting him know the matchup, letting him know what's going on," said Monfort-Palomino. "It brings me comfort."
It will be no different on Thursday when he leads the MacEwan Griffins into Canada West action against cross-town rival Alberta (8 p.m., Atkinson Gym).
"He's there really in a spiritual way for me in terms of the game," explained the Griffins' starting point guard. "I see myself looking to him for advice. When I'm struggling, I miss his presence. That's really been the toughest thing for me.
"Last year was my first season not having him, which was even tougher. This season, it's been like almost getting out of that shell – remembering he's still with me, but he's not on the sideline. He always was. He was always my coach, so that's probably the toughest thing I've had to deal with in losing him and playing basketball still."
For Adonis and his sister Kristen, who plays on the MacEwan women's basketball team, the support they've received from mother Chris Monfort, who travels up from Calgary to attend most of their games, has been invaluable.
"She's been the rock throughout all of this," said Adonis. "I don't know how. Her strength inspires both of us. She has to deal with the irrational moods that comes with all of our feelings and emotions of missing our father.
"She's definitely been the glue that's held us together."
Monfort-Palomino played for the University of Calgary Dinos in 2014-15 but was sitting out a year preparing to transfer elsewhere when his father died.
"I was just figuring out what I wanted to do," he said. "Initially, I signed to a school in Nova Scotia to play and as soon as that happened, I knew I needed to stay closer to home. Luckily, I was in touch with Eric (Magdanz, head coach at MacEwan) and he offered this option and it was the best for me just being around my mom and sister."
Now his Griffins teammates have become like a second family as they help him during the tough moments, the darkest of which come on the anniversary of his father's passing. That was last week.
"I think basketball and sport for a lot of athletes becomes sort of a refuge where we can all connect and develop a second family, develop a support group to help us get through some challenges in our lives," said Magdanz. "I know for me, personally I've done that. The court has always been a place you can go and know what you can expect.
"I don't think it's any different for Adonis. He's used it as a place to go when he needs a break and when he needs support. Hopefully for us as a team we've been able to rally around him and help him get to a better spot in his life."
Ali Raza has been a friend he's been able to lean on, as well as others.
"My dad coached Ali in Calgary," said Monfort-Palomino. "I've always felt comfortable opening up with him. He gets me. Even new guys who I've gradually (developed) good relationships with – Jake (Notice) and Atlas (St. Paul-Butler) – I've started to make really great friendships out here, which has been really big for me.
"Last year there were times I felt a little bit alone. I don't feel that this year with the group of guys that we have."
And that's certainly helped with the healing process.
The season the 5-foot-9 point guard is having would be impressive on any team in Canada West, but even more so on a Griffins squad that isn't in the playoff picture at the moment. He is second in the conference in assists per game (6.0) and is tied for 10th in steals (1.8). He is also MacEwan's fourth-leading scorer with 9.9 points per game.
"The first thing that anyone ever says when they see Adonis is they notice his size," said Magdanz. "For a lot of people, especially in basketball, you see size as being such an important factor. Then you go and watch Adonis on the court and realize it's not. People can have impacts in so many different ways on the court.
"For him it's his speed, his court vision, ball handling – his ability to make other players on our team more effective because he gets them open shots and he gets in the key and makes the defence have to collapse.
"You can see his level of impact – he's second in Canada West in assists right now. He's a top-five scorer on our team and all his percentages are great."
Not unlike his father, who was once a similar electric guard on the SAIT Trojans.
"From the stories I've heard and what I've watched … I'm pretty sure I get my quickness from him," said Monfort-Palomino. "He was a really fast guard as well.
"He taught me all he knew and he was really invested in my growth. He was a big guy that 'you've got to be the one pushing this, this is your goal and I'll just be there to support you with whatever you need.' That was big for me."
