As the clock raced towards zero, Kyrie Irving dribbled down the court in the waning moments of one of the most-anticipated Christmas Day matchups in NBA history. The Cleveland Cavaliers star drove to the paint, pivoted and released a turnaround jumper as fans around the world, including a young Luke Bamgboye, held their breath.
 
The moment Irving's shot settled into the bottom of the net, it ignited a fire in Bamgboye -- one that would power a dream and lead the then 13-year-old Londoner on a life-altering journey.
 
Bamgboye started playing basketball when he was 14 years old, discovering his passion for the game later than most of his peers. The rangy, 6-foot-10 center's love for the game of basketball wasn't unlocked until Irving, his favorite player, knocked down that game-winning jump shot against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day in 2016.
 
"I was obsessed with Kyrie. When he hit that shot over Klay [Thompson], that put me onto the game of basketball," said Bamgboye.
 
Bamgboye was introduced to competitive basketball when he was recruited to play for the London Legends, a youth basketball league in the U.K. He played with the Legends for three seasons, an experience that set up an eventual move to the United States. For Bamgboye, coming to the U.S. was centered around advancing his basketball career, but the culture of high school basketball intrigued him as well.
 
"It looked very fun compared to what you see in London. It seemed like a very different environment, and I wanted to experience that," he said.
 
Bamgboye's first taste of American basketball came with Maryland-based Team Thrill on the AAU circuit. Although Bamgboye stood 6-9 at the time, AAU basketball proved to be a significant learning curve for the slender U.K. native.
 
"When I came to the U.S., I was struggling a lot," Bamgboye said. "My game was solid in some areas, but it felt as if I was playing catch-up to the Americans who had been competing since they were kids."
 
Bamgboye may have started slow in the States, but it didn't take long for him to catch up.
 
After his first season of AAU basketball, Bamgboye attended Our Lady Mount Carmel in Baltimore, Md. before transferring to Bella Vista High School in Arizona the following season. Bamgboye began to garner attention on the recruiting trail on the strength of his play with Team Thrill and at Mount Carmel, but interest cooled following an injury during his junior campaign at Bella Vista.
 
Prior to his senior season, Bamgboye transferred to Arizona Compass Prep, a program with a national profile that has produced scores of college players. The move thrust him into the national spotlight.
 
AZ Compass Prep competes in the Nike EYBL Scholastic circuit, an elite high school basketball league that pits the top 14 programs from across the nation against one another. It gave Bamgboye the opportunity to test his talents against the best high school basketball players in the country. Bamgboye, who boasts a 7-foot-1 wingspan, ranked in the top 10 both rebounds and blocks per game on the circuit and earned All-Defensive honors for his efforts.
 
Bamgboye's defense has always been a cornerstone of his game, and it was those skills that sold VCU Head Coach Ryan Odom on the London native's ability to be an immediate contributor for the Rams.
 
"He's a rocket athlete. He can block shots, finish at the rim, catch lobs, and he's got the skill that goes along with the other two big men that make him an extremely promising prospect. Not only for VCU, but beyond. He's certainly someone we need this year to play well," said Odom.
 
Despite the lofty expectations, Bamgboye is trying to keep a level head.
 
"It feels good knowing everyone has high expectations. I have to produce every day, do my best every day, and there's no days off," he said. "I have to go at Ferm [Christin Fermin] every practice because he's already accomplished so much here in his three years. I have to use him as a means to prepare myself, a means to get ready for the season."
 
It's often tough for a freshman to crack the rotation, but Bamgboye and Odom both agree on what will allow for the high-energy freshman to find the court.
 
"His motor. He gets up and down the court very quickly," Odom said.
 
"Your motor is something you can always control, something that gets you on the floor," said Bamgboye. "If you play with a high motor, you're valuable. I'm not going to be the first option scoring wise, but I can see myself impacting the floor defensively, blocking shots. I can affect the game with my motor, by rebounding, having a presence on the court."
 
Odom was not the only coach to notice Bamgboye's intriguing skill set. He also received offers from Houston, Cal, Georgia Tech, Iowa and others. But Bamgboye was ultimately drawn to VCU's history of success.
 
"More and more folks realize that in choosing VCU, you're choosing a high-major program," Odom said. "You're choosing a program with tradition, a program that can compete with the best of the best, and he wanted to be a part of that."
 
Bamgboye's basketball journey is just getting started, but the freshman's high motor and sponge-like approach since his arrival have endeared him the Odom and the rest of the VCU coaching staff.
 
"He's an absolute slam dunk for us," Odom said.