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est, he quickly learned to use that to his advantage. After getting the ball stolen so many times as a kid, Ronnie started dribbling so low to the ground no one could get it. Davin and his friends started calling him "Travis Best," the diminutive former Indiana Pacers' point guard, because of his size and quickness. And Ronnie realized what he was doing mattered, that he was making the right choice to play instead of wander. He listened when his mom stressed the importance of academics because he'd seen the examples of what happened when it wasn't — seeing friends have basketball, or worse, taken away. He started to understand what his future could be, if he stayed focused and kept his family tight. "Most of what I did was just to make her happy," Ronnie Johnson said. "She already had a lot of stuff that was going on, and I didn't want to put any more weight on her shoulders." alent in the home, and I owe that to my wife," Terone Sr. said. "You couldn't count two women who could have done it without falling apart. That was something God instilled in her to keep family and marriage strong. She's just beautiful. She's a true queen. The relationship I have with (the boys) and the reason why it is so strong, it's because of her. She made sure we stayed bonded. "You can easily detach yourself from that situation, not beTerone Johnson Jr. ing there, and she made sure it didn't happen. There's so much praise I can give her. It's not her mother, her sister, sister-in-law and some of the boys' AAU coaches enough." Terone Jr. and Ronnie said they in helping Terone and Ronnie feel like they were never without, it's never felt abandoned by their father, Mom who gets much of the credit and he asked for their forgiveness and the praise for being the heart of well before they had time to even think about needing it. the family. Terone Sr. wanted to be there to Everyone knows she's special. When Terone Sr. would talk about take care of his family, especialher in prison, other inmates would ly considering his father wasn't a even say, "Wow, you've got one-of- strong presence in his life growing up. He knew it was crucial to ena-kind." The heart Perhaps one of her most import- courage his boys, to support them, All conversations seem to come ant decisions was keeping Terone to be a sounding board and also back to Rona. Sr. "present" though he wasn't there straighten them out when needed. Even with invaluable assists from "He was there as much as he with them. She'd take the kids to see him as often as could be," Terone Jr. said. "We possible, more kept a good relationship with him when they were throughout that time, and now the younger and relationship we have is just so good. their schedules It's something I'd always prayed for, were less hec- and it's looking good right now. "Something our mom and dad intic, and she'd encourage fre- stilled in us is family, loyalty in our quent phone family. That's definitely something that was a blessing in disguise to us conversations. "My voice because now I think we're closer as still was prev- a family than ever."j "Something my mom and dad instilled in us is family, loyalty in our family. … Now I think we're closer as a family than ever." f IllustrateD volume 24, issue 2 31