Josh Perkins, a basketball player for Gonzaga, was at Holmes Elementary to talk to our fifth-grade class.

I had an interview with Josh after he talked to the class. I asked him what his favorite part of basketball is. “Honestly, it’s fun. It’s fun to compete. Obviously, it’s fun to win,” he said.

He is 23 years old and 6 feet, 3 inches tall. He’s a Kobe fan. He also likes Allen Iverson and Ray Allen. He likes sushi, pizza, mangoes and watermelon in the summer time.

One time he put pigtails in his hair. He made the back of his head into a Christmas tree. He also dyes his hair. He once broke his jaw and had a torn labrum.

Josh hopes to get drafted to play in the NBA. Some of his friends on the team call him Perk or JP. He has a degree in sports management.

Josh has a busy schedule with practice and games. He only gets one day off – Sunday.

He visited Wake Forest, New Mexico and UCLA and then chose Gonzaga. He chose Gonzaga “because it felt like home,” he said.

The teacher asked Josh how he handles challenges. Josh said the key is “staying positive and believing in each other.”