All your favorite teams and sources in one place

Build your feed

Your Teams.
All Sources.

Build your feed

© 2024 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC.

No results found.
George Washington III was blessed with term at Michigan
George Washington III signed with Michigan in November. (Courtesy: @3dubbshoop/Instagram)

George Washington III was blessed with term at Michigan

DAYTON, Ohio (BVM) – Most top-level athletes have a moment of crossroads where they can give up or they can fight through adversity. For Chaminade Julienne High School’s George Washington III, it was getting cut from his AAU team as a fifth grader.

In a couple of tournaments, he only played a total of a few minutes. But getting cut? That was a little surprising to Washington III.

But rather than let that deter from his passion for the game, he worked harder and harder to make sure that it would never happen again.

Now as a high school senior, Washington III is the No. 84 player in the country for the 2023 class according to 247 Sports

Getting cut is what was able to propel him into the caliber of player he wanted to be, laying the foundation and expectation for himself.

At least that’s what he thought.

Washington III found out years later that he was never cut. His dad just removed him from the team. He felt like his son was not ready and wanted to use it as a moment to motivate him.

Looking back, likely neither one would change a thing.

In November, the 6-foot-2 guard signed to play basketball at the University of Michigan.

“A lot went into it,” Washington III said. “The environment at Michigan is a family. Those guys all care about each other. The coaches all care about the guys. It feels like everyone is there to see each other win.”

Washington III views this as his crowning achievement thus far.

“Being able to see everything I’ve worked for, everything my parents have poured into, all the workouts with my sister where she kicked my butt all paid off,” Washington III said. “Now I’m in a situation where I can be like, ‘Okay, that part is taken care of.’”

Whenever he gets to Ann Arbor, it will not be his first time around a college program. His father is a women’s college basketball coach, resulting in George moving around fairly frequently throughout his childhood. They have had stops in Houston, Austin, Louisville and of course Dayton, where they are now.

But Washington III’s father is not the only one in his family with a basketball background. His mother played professionally overseas and his sister was a McDonald’s All-American before beginning her career in Spain.

With the basketball DNA running in the Washingtons’ veins, it is no surprise to see him have the success that he has had so far.

“It’s been a blessing,” Washington III said. “I’ve always been around the game. The college game and high-level basketball at the high school level. I’ve had the opportunity to see people who do it at those levels carry themselves.”

And for Washington III, who was not always a top one hundred player in the country, he was able to see the work ethic needed to become one.

“The thing that I value the most is the progression I’ve made,” Washington III said. “It really shows how much of a blessing it all is. God really had a hand in this.”

He has aspirations of winning big at Michigan and getting to the association, but Washington III also wants to inspire off the court as well.

“I want to be someone that makes an impact on the game, but also have an impact outside of it too,” Washington III said. “I want to be someone that leaves a legacy outside of basketball when it comes to the people side of things as well.”