Steve Hewitt joins New England Basketball Journal

Steve Hewitt joins New England Basketball Journal. (Pat Donnelly)

When my far-fetched dreams of playing in the NBA were still alive as a kid growing up in Taunton, Mass., I was a regular attendee at the Tomorrow’s Stars summer basketball camp, which was held at Dean College in nearby Franklin. And there was a moment when those dreams didn’t seem so crazy.

It was 2001, I was 9 years old – in one of the youngest age groups at camp – and at the end of one of the days, a camp-wide game of knockout was held. For those unfamiliar, knockout is a classic. A line is formed, typically at the free throw line, and the two participants at the front have a ball. One shoots first, then the second. If the second shooter makes their shot first, the first shooter is knocked out. It goes until one is left standing.

And then a wild thing happened: Despite my age difference, I won.

After making the final shot, I vividly remember being hoisted up in the air by my fellow campers. They chanted my name, too. And I went home with an enviable prize: a custom, green-and-white Celtics ball, which has since lost its grip but is still buried somewhere in my parents’ basement. I felt like I was on top of the world.

But that’s about where my basketball career peaked.

It just never panned out. Admittedly, I never really developed a left hand and my jump shot was too inconsistent. Despite going to so many basketball camps growing up – sorry, mom and dad – I didn’t make my high school team. I focused on soccer instead, but my love for basketball never waned.

It was, by all accounts, my first love. My formative years were spent with regular trips with my family to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center – it will always be The Dunk to me – to watch Providence College Friars games. Long live Ryan Gomes and Donnie McGrath, two icons of my childhood. I was also, of course, a loyal follower of the Celtics, riding the turbulent years of the Paul Pierce era before the 2008 championship breakthrough.

It was in 2010 that my love of basketball hit overdrive and morphed into a career ambition that has brought me to where I am today. I combined it with my passion for writing and joined the student newspaper as a freshman at UMass, where I had the opportunity to cover Derek Kellogg’s Minutemen and the program’s rebirth. Their return to the NCAA Tournament coincided with my senior year, and I chronicled it all. I became enamored with the behind-the-scenes access, the thrill of sitting courtside for sold-out games and telling the stories of one of the best college teams in the country. The rest is history.

Those experiences propelled me to the Boston Herald, where I was hired upon graduating from UMass. Soon enough, I was walking into TD Garden, Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium, working in press boxes and covering the teams I grew up watching. I became the college basketball guy, covering the Boston schools and even earning a spot as an AP Top 25 voter. For 10 years, I lived a dream.

But now it’s time for a new dream.

The opportunity to join Seamans Media and help launch New England Basketball Journal was something I simply couldn’t pass up. Our visions for informative coverage and inspirational storytelling aligned, and the chance to build something special from the ground up is rare. It was a new challenge I craved. But most importantly, I know this region deserves this.

I truly believe there’s never been a better time to launch New England Basketball Journal. This region is in the midst of back-to-back years – Cooper Flagg in 2024, AJ Dybantsa in 2025 – boasting the No. 1-ranked boys high school recruit in the country. Beyond them, it’s as deep as it’s ever been.

Across New England, there is so much talent. So many kids with dreams of playing at the next level. So many incredible and powerful stories waiting to be told. We’ll cover all of it, analyzing and diving deep into every aspect of amateur basketball in the area. I know how important basketball is to this community, how much it matters, how much pride there is and work that’s put in every day – from players to their families to the coaches that lead their programs. I’m ecstatic to highlight it all and match this region’s passion and dedication with the high-level coverage that it demands.

From Tomorrow’s Stars basketball camp to covering tomorrow’s stars, I can’t wait to share it all with you. Let’s get started.