Naknek hoopster elevates into Sports Illustrated’s ‘Faces’ feature

MATT NEVALA

April 25, 2008 at 10:32AM AKST

Let this be a lesson for basketball players all over Alaska: If you make big shots, you to could wind up on the pages of Sports Illustrated.

Just ask Naknek’s Mason King. The Bristol Bay High senior’s smiling mug appears on Page 26 of the April 21 issue of arguably the world’s most prominent sports magazine – one week after Anchorage’s Mario Chalmers graced the Sports Illustrated cover for his heroics during the University of Kansas’ NCAA championship victory.

King, 18, is displayed in the magazine’s popular "Faces in the Crowd" feature. He received the notoriety thanks to his thrilling actions at last month’s Class 2A state tournament in Anchorage.

"I just got done looking at it," King said. "I didn’t really understand I would be part of ‘Faces in the Crowd.’ I thought it would something more about the state tournament.

"I really didn’t think it would be a very big deal."

King’s attitude changed as more and more people who know him got copies in their hands.

"All these kids, my teachers, the janitors, anyone I can think of everywhere has been getting the issue," King said. "It’s pretty awesome."

In the "Faces" feature, King is noted as the top scorer in last month’s 2A tournament. It mentions the 99 points he scored in three tournament games and the unforgettable 44 points he pumped in during a semifinal victory over Point Hope on March 19.

Bristol Bay lost the title game to Galena the next evening.

Takkle, a high school sports media and networking site and Sports Illustrated partner, offers a link (Takkle.com/videofaces) to view online video of King’s performance in his final home game at Bristol Bay. Named the Anchorage Daily News small-schools player of the year by a vote of school officials, King said a former coach nominated him for the Sports Illustrated honor.

"It feels real good," he said. "A lot of hard work paid off, and it’s nice to go out on a good note."

The question remains whether King’s competitive basketball career is over. He said he’s split 50-50 on what he wants to do next. Does he go to college and study aviation in hopes of working for his family’s air taxi business or find a school that also wants him to play basketball?

"It really depends on what coaches call me and how much money it will cost," King said. "I don’t want to spend so much money to go play college basketball that I can’t concentrate on other things."

King said he’s received an offer to play at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He’ll also soon visit the University of Alaska Anchorage. King also had a friend who plays at Pacific Lutheran in Washington.

"I’m keeping all the options open," he said.

King turned 18 on March 26 and is gearing up to soon graduate with 13 of his Bristol Bay classmates, many of whom grew up with King playing basketball any chance they got. Regardless if basketball remains in his future or any other magazines come calling, King will always look back fondly on growing up and playing basketball in Naknek.

"It’s all we ever did (in elementary and middle school)," he said. "We’d sneak into the gym during school, and the teachers would have to come looking for us."

"Quite a few teachers would let us go to the gym if we got our work done. We often then make them ref our 5-on-5 games. It’s been basketball before, after and in between. Those are the things I’ll remember, playing basketball with all those friends and kids I grew up with."

Matt Nevala can be reached at (907) 348-2438 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 438.