In the urban dictionary, “Black Airforce Energy” means they will do anything they want without fear or hesitation, regardless of moral alignment. Isaiah Stewart displays “Black Airforce Energy” on a night-to-night basis. He is what many people say they are missing out on in the league: A physical player who isn’t afraid to mix it up if he has to. There are instances where it can be a bit much. Rather, that’s the infamous altercation with LeBron James, reminiscent of a Detroit Fury arena football game, or his latest incident in Phoenix where he punched Drew Eubanks. He won’t back down from a challenge no matter how big you are.
With criminal charges of assault on his plate and a likely suspension from the NBA, Isaiah Stewart has had a rough go of it lately. But I am not one to judge a person based on their actions because I was taught that there’s a reaction to every action. So before we begin the calls for Stewart to be kicked out of the league and black-balled forever, Let’s talk about the beginnings that made him a first-round pick of the Detroit Pistons.
Isaiah Stewart Growing Up.
Isaiah Stewart was born in Rochester, New York, on May 22, 2001. A study back in 2019 had Rochester as the 50th most dangerous city in the United States. There were 748 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the city. His father, Dela, hails from a northeast Jamaica town called Saint Mary, which has about 115,000 residents. After quitting school, he was a fisherman in Jamaica before accepting a sugar cane cutting job in South Florida in the late 1970s.
He would move to Rochester during the 90s, where he met Stewart’s mom, Shameka Holloway. He also found a job working in construction upon his arrival in New York.
“Every time he came home from work, he’d sit on the porch for a little bit before he came inside,” Stewart told The Athletic. “That was his way to relax. I could see how tired he was. He worked the jackhammer so all the dry concrete would be on his boots. He’d be ashy from all the dust. He’d come home very dirty.
Isaiah Stewart.
Stewart began living with his mother until he moved in permanently with his father and older brother Martin. Living in a household with just a male presence will show you how to keep food on the table and clothes on your back. As he grew up, Stewart was an active child who took to football and boxing. By 12, Stewart was 6’0” and began to play basketball.
One Of The Best In The Nation.
Stewart attended McQuaid Jesuit High School during his first two high school years. When he was a freshman, Stewart was already 6’7”. Stweart averaged 18.5 PTS, 12.4 REBS, and 3.1 BLKS in his first year. After his first year, he was named Rochester City Athletic Conference Player Of The Year. Stewart was looking to do some bigger and better things his second year, but a broken tailbone during the United States national under-16 team tryouts caused him to miss most of his second year.
Entering his junior year, Stewart would transfer to La Lumiere School, a prep school in La Porte, Indiana. This school was seen as the best in being a prestigious high school program. In 19 games, Stewart averaged 19.8 PTS, 11.2 REBS, and 2.4 BLKS, leading the school to a 25-4 record. Stewart would earn the MaxPreps Junior All-American Honorable Mention recognition for his efforts. In his senior season with La Lumiere, he averaged 18.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, helping his team to a 30–1 record.
Stewart won the Naismith Prep Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball USA awards. He was also named to the USA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American second team. Stewart played in the McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit. He finished his career as a consensus five-star recruit with a #2 overall ranking from Rivals, a #4 overall ranking from 247Sports, and a #3 ranking from ESPN. With schools such as Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Syracuse on his radar, Stewart decided to go to Washington.
One And Done.
Stewart was drawn to Washington because of his longtime relationship with Mike Hopkins. He had known Hopkins, a former Syracuse assistant coach since his time playing for McQuaid Jesuit. Heading into his first season in college, Stewart and Jaden McDaniels were projected as two of the top 3 picks of the draft, possibly going one and two. Stewart played just one season at Washington, averaging 17 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He was named to the all-pac-12 first team and the first-year team. Stewart decided to forgo his final three seasons at the school and declared for the 2020 NBA draft.
Concerns Coming Into The League.
From where he was projected to go from the start of the season to where he ended up going, it had to be a shock. Most scouts around the league praised his motor and work ethic. The weaknesses were becoming clearer when analyzing his game. He wasn’t the most athletic regarding his vertical abilities on the offensive or defensive end. His lack of a perimeter game in a league where the big men have unlimited range also scared some teams off.
Landing in Detroit.
Despite those concerns, Stewart was drafted 16th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2020 NBA Draft. On November 22, 2020, Stewart, Trevor Ariza, and a conditional future first-round pick were traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Robert Covington. On November 24, Stewart, Ariza, a future second-round pick, and cash considerations were traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Christian Wood, a protected future first-round selection and a second-round choice in 2021. Stewart was a part of the reclamation project by Pistons GM Troy Weaver, who took over a team with many old, overpaid veterans with no direction for the future. You can see that Isaiah Stewart was not to be messed with on the court.
Notable Altercations.
In his short time in the league, Stewart hasn’t been one to shy away from a possible fight. Let’s talk about some of his more memorable scuffles.
1). Draymond Green
- A man who has become synonymous with “black airforce energy” this season, Draymond found himself in a brief scuffle with Stewart during a game. The two got together, with Draymond trying to play peacemaker (how about that).
2). LeBron James
- As mentioned earlier in this piece, Isiah Stewart was determined to get his hands on “King” James after an elbow bloodied his face. Most people in the mainstream media backed LeBron and accused Stewart of being a tough guy “when everybody gathered around him.” I had a different perspective of it in my podcast the night it happened.
3). Gilbert Arenas
- I understand most people love LeBron, but sometimes people go overboard with it. Gilbert Arenas was one of those guys. Arena accused Stewart of “getting crazy when his teammates surrounded him.” Stewart saw Arenas in Tacoma, Washington, where Isiah Thomas held his annual Zeke End basketball tournament. Stewart approached Arenas and said, “I don’t have my teammates around me now.” Arenas knew then he didn’t want that smoke.
4). Drew Eubanks
- This one may land Stewart in some long-term trouble. Out with an ankle injury, Stewart and Eubanks came together in the tunnel of the footprint center. Words were exchanged, and Stewart punched Eubanks in the face, causing “minor injuries.” He was arrested, issued a citation, and released. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 23rd.
In Conclusion…
Isaiah Stewart is a product of his environment. You may have your opinions on him and his game or the things he does on the court, but he’s true to who he is. In my opinion, the NBA has a bunch of “manufactured tough guys.” These guys play tough because they know no one will allow incidents to go far. Stewart isn’t that type of guy, and he isn’t afraid to let whoever knows if they are in the wrong.
If I had some advice for Stewart, it would be to keep who he is but change how he goes about his actions and situations. As men, We don’t want people to feel they ever got one up on us, and our pride can cause so many problems that could’ve been avoided. Sometimes, it’s pretty okay to walk away from a situation. It doesn’t make you any less of a man if you do so.
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