Josh Loveland and his wife Daphne knew early on that their sons Dexter and Walker were different. “There was never a time where they were even close to the same height,” said Josh.
Dexter is just about one year older than Walker and nine inches taller. “It really upset Walker at times when he was little that everyone was bigger than him,” Josh said.
It’s a feeling many parents can relate to. Wanting to make sure one child doesn’t feel like they have to measure up to the other. “We have a saying in our house,” Josh said. “And who we are as people is far more important than who we are as basketball players or baseball players. And my kids are a perfect example of that.”
The Lovelands hoped their children would be shown respect because they’d always show it first. “I don’t care how many wins they have or how many points they score,” Josh said. “But the way they treat people. It means a lot to me.”
In many ways, 5’5″ Walker plays the way he lives. “I’ve accepted the fact that I’m short,” said Walker, a junior at Sparta. “And I’m probably going to be short the rest of my life.”
The smallest player on the court has no issue driving past anyone for a basket. And the brothers know what everyone thinks when they see them. “I’ve been at the free throw line, hearing the student section,” Walker said. “Hearing all the jokes about being short.”
“I’ve had people think I was his dad,” said Dexter, a senior at Sparta. “Like I was with him and my little brother. They think I’m the dad. All the time.”
But the town of Sparta sees them as two key starters on one of their best teams in a very long time. “Walker’s that leader for us,” said Deric Link, Sparta’s head boys basketball coach. “He brings it energy-wise, and effort, and communication. Dexter is just a bruiser. And he does just a great job getting rebounds. He’s a skilled guy who can play inside and out.”
And it’s what’s inside of these two brothers that has their parents proud, and this town abuzz. “I never really thought anybody would look up to me in that way,” Walker said. “Just because I don’t know, I’ve never looked at it that way I guess.”
Maybe we all should.
