John Reardon ’22 looks at the clock with only five seconds left, signals for a teammate to pass the ball, and aims it at the net. Swish! Just as the buzzer sounds, he scores a three-pointer.

While Reardon has experience in many other sports, including playing soccer during his freshman year and being on the varsity lacrosse team all four years, basketball has always been his favorite. As starting point guard on varsity, the position usually reserved for the best ball handler and passer, Reardon specializes in making corner three-pointers.

Reardon has been playing club basketball since he was in seventh grade. While no one in his family was a big fan of basketball, his mom’s house was close to the Princeton YMCA, where he often played pickup games. Wherever there was a hoop and a court, that was where you would find Reardon. While the high school team is not a full year commitment, Reardon plays basketball year-round, either at pickup games or on a club team.

“I practice everywhere. I have a lot of friends that don’t go to PHS that will invite me to pick up games and stuff. So it’s kind of just whenever I get a call, I just go wherever the gym is that people are at,” Reardon said.

Reardon is influenced a lot by his teammates, most of whom are his close friends. When he was younger, he looked up to older teammates. Now, as a senior, Reardon hopes his younger teammates similarly look up to him.

“He is a floor general and will get the ball to an open man. He is crafty and can finish from any spot on the court. He is able to [do this] because he works hard,” said teammate Henri Maman ’22.

Besides his teammates, Reardon is heavily influenced by past and present basketball stars such as Allen Iverson and the late Kobe Bryant. Although there are no official captains on the varsity basketball team, John has stepped into the role by organizing extra practices, open runs, and even a fall league. Patrick Noone, the head varsity coach, praises him for connecting the team.

“He has a true love for the game, [and] you can always count on him to be there. He has strong relationships that he’s built with his teammates because of his leadership. He plays in different leagues and knows everybody around the area playing a lot of travel basketball,” Noone said.

Although Reardon was at a disadvantage with his height, he put in the work to get ahead of those who had an advantage, and it paid off.

“He’s grown a lot. He’s gotten bigger and physically stronger. He puts in more time than anybody. [His] shots, ability to drive to the basket, and defense [have all] gotten better,” Noone said.

Like all accomplished athletes, Reardon has dealt with setbacks. Even when times get tough, he stays committed to his childhood aspirations and his teammates every time he steps onto the court. While it is not set in stone, Reardon plans to continue his basketball career in college.

“There have definitely been moments, even this season, where things [weren’t] going the way I anticipated them. … It felt like all the work wasn’t paying off. But I thought about how much time I put in and about the kid that started this whole thing and how I couldn’t give up on him,” said Reardon. “I think there’s definitely been times I wanted to quit, but I told myself [that] if I quit, my seventh-grade self would be heartbroken.”