Belleville native E.J. Liddell is determined to be the best version of himself 鈥� on and off the court.
鈥淚 made it to where I want to be,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I still have bigger pictures in my mind. I鈥檓 still a dreamer.鈥�
Liddell鈥檚 dream started long before he stepped onto an NBA court. A high school basketball phenom, Liddell eventually played for the Ohio State Buckeyes before being drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft. Liddell signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls .
His former junior high coach, Tyrus Short, said he knew that Liddell was special from the moment he saw him play in the fifth grade.
鈥淭he footwork and basketball IQ was off the charts,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 told my wife that I was coaching my first D1 kid. She asked me, 鈥楬ow do you know, he鈥檚 only in fifth grade?鈥� I told her, 鈥榃hen you see it, you know.鈥欌��
Joe Muniz, Liddell鈥檚 former high school coach, saw the same qualities.
鈥淗e means a lot to me, and he means a lot to my family too,鈥� Muniz said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just a good young man. His humbleness and his willingness to work through things [make him a great player].鈥�
Muniz said his favorite memory of Liddell鈥檚 play is 鈥減robably the two state championships at Belleville West. Just working so hard to accomplish that goal [with E.J.] and to do it twice with the whole team was huge.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 just raw talent working in Liddell鈥檚 favor. He developed his basketball IQ through a desire to know the game on a deeper level. He said he found a better understanding by watching and playing the game whenever he could.
He also credited his coaches and parents for helping him hone his skills.
鈥淚t means a lot. They [former coaches] see how much I care for the game and care for people,鈥� Liddell said. 鈥�... I鈥檓 thankful for my parents raising my siblings and I right 鈥� and giving us the opportunity to shine without distraction.鈥�
Liddell needed that support. Shortly after being drafted into the NBA in 2022, that kept him out of the game for months. He leaned on his parents, friends and teammates to get through the long recovery.
Liddell said he cherishes his time whenever he returns home to Belleville.
The move from playing college basketball to professional basketball made Liddell work even harder to perform at his best. In college, he competed with other Division 1 players at the top of their game. The players who made it to the NBA, however, were the best of the best.
鈥淭he transition from college to the big leagues [is that it鈥檚] no school and you're kind of on your own in a sense,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to continue to put in the work to be where you want to be.鈥�
Outside of playing basketball, Liddell enjoys reading, journaling and watching inspirational movies. He believes that fueling his subconscious mind with intellectual content is another way to achieve a better version of himself.
He has three different journals: one for the airport, one for basketball and one for 鈥渆tcetera.鈥�
In response to being asked what his main goals were for the year, Liddell said: 鈥淥ne is to have fun with the process of continuing to get better. I鈥檓 not the same guy I was two years ago when I tore my ACL. I鈥檓 not the same guy as I was last year playing. And I鈥檓 honestly just building my house right now of being consistent with myself and keep taking steps.鈥�
Liddell had to learn quickly not to compare himself to other players. He realized that the only way to improve is to be focused on his own game. Liddell said he is forever grateful for those who have influenced him.
鈥淲ith all these blessings that I鈥檝e received 鈥� it can get taken away just like that if you鈥檙e not humble. 鈥� I feel like blessings will keep falling on my lap because I鈥檓 grateful. I give thanks to God for everything that I鈥檝e received since I was little.鈥�
To hear more about Liddell's journey to becoming an NBA player and his life growing up, listen to St. Louis on the Air on , or or click the play button below.
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by , , , and . Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is .
