Francis Laurent
| No. 10 – Retired | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| Species | Black Rat ( Muridae ) |
| Gender | Male |
| Nickname(s) | |
| Frankie | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Quebec City, QC, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Shoots | Right |
| Career information | |
| College | University of Eastern Ontario |
| FBA draft | 2017 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31st overall |
| Selected by the Montana Howlers | |
| Pro playing career | 2017–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 2017-Dec. 2017 | Montana Howlers |
| Dec. 2017-2019 | Edmonton Totems |
| Contract information | |
| Contract year | 2017 |
| Player Contacts | |
| (IC) Agent | Unknown |
| (OOC) Creator | TheAutumnMarten |
| (OOC) Actor | Unknown |
| (OOC) Usage | Ask me before any use |
Biography
Growing up in Quebec was difficult for Francis. He came from a low-income family, living in an apartment that was too small for he and his three siblings, all younger. As a kid, he never really found a friend group that really suited him. Mostly they talked about toys, or video games, or the TV shows they watched - none of which he could afford. As a result, he was a very studious kid, but often picked on by bigger kids and seen as a loner. He had only one real friend; a tiger by the name of Andrij, who would sit with him at recess and play tag. It was the Christmas of fourth grade when Francis received his first basketball from his parents. It was the only present he got that year, but to him, it meant the world. The only problem was that they had nowhere to play at school. The basketball hoop was always taken up by the older kids, and neither he or Andrij dared go near it then. Instead, they would wait until everyone at school would go home, and play after, often late into the evening. His parents were very protective at first, but eventually gave in. By the end of elementary school, Andrij and Francis began to drift apart, as friends do, and Francis would find himself practicing on the court alone more and more often. This continued right up until high school. The first day of high school was a nightmare for him. The usual bullies were out in full force, and after a long summer break, during which Francis mostly helped his parents with his siblings, and started working a paper route on bike, it seemed that Andrij had chosen to go to a different high school. He was completely alone. For the next week or so, he was the most lost he had ever been in his life. But everything changed when the tryouts for the basketball team were announced. Francis knew he had to go, despite the fact that the bullies were sure to be there. And he did. And despite the jeering from the sidelines, he topped the juniors in timing on suicides, and nailed almost every three pointer during drills. There were plenty of guys who were bigger than him, but he was by far the fastest and most accurate. After that, things began to look up for him. He found a few close friends on the team - enough to keep the bullies away - and his studious nature paid off in spades. He knew that a basketball scholarship was his only way through college, given his family's financial situation, even despite his attempts to save up. So he studied hard, and practiced harder, using every opportunity he got to use the gym, his friends tagging along whenever possible. Between his friends and his new position as the junior team's Point Guard, he gained plenty of much-needed self-confidence. It was in grade eleven that his world was turned upside down. His mother was diagnosed with Leukemia. During his practices he was distracted with worried thoughts, and his mind wandered in his studies. Though his siblings were more or less old enough to care for themselves, he knew that providing for them would be difficult for his father, and for a long time afterward he considered not going to college and getting a full-time job to help instead. However, at his mother's urging, despite her illness, she pushed him to follow his dream. And with the support of his close friends, he promised he would. After that, he became more focused than ever, and lead his team to a championship victory in grade eleven. By the end of grade twelve, he had been approached by scouts from three different schools - the two major basketball colleges in Quebec, and even the University of Eastern Ontario. All three gave good offers, and he knew that moving away from home would be difficult. He knew it would mean being away from his family, and having to start over, and make new friends, something he'd struggled with for a long time. Plus, he had grown up in a predominately French-speaking household, and though his English was very good, he still wore a slight accent. A childhood of bullying made his insecurities that much harder to ignore. But while talking with one of his friends they told him they thought it was because of those difficulties that he should go. That the challenge would make him a stronger person in the end. He wasn't sure if he agreed. But when his mother's health began to improve, and the deadline for the decision drew near, he decided to go for it. If he failed, he could go home and help care for his family more directly. But despite his love for his mother, he felt he wouldn't be able to focus on school or the game if he was constantly worried about her. If he could get away from it, and trust that everything would work out in the end, he was sure he would do better. He would need some financial assistance, but not nearly as much as he would have without the scholarship. He packed his things, said goodbye to his friends and family, and moved out to Ottawa. It was in his college years that he earned the nickname Frankie. Francis was a name that most in Ontario seemed to look down on or find funny, so his teammates and friends would call him Frankie instead. The nickname gave him a sense of belonging, and among most of the team, he seemed to fit in. His college performance wasn't perfect - anytime his mother's health declined, he would become uncertain and distracted, but usually, these stints were brief. But his academic nature, accuracy, and speed kept him on the court, even when he wasn't playing his best. This continued all through college, and right up until graduation.