KIPP DC Legacy basketball player sets program record with 2000 career points

WASHINGTON — On rivalry night inside KIPP DC Legacy in Southeast Washington, senior guard Marlon Calhoun led the Bulldogs with more than school pride on the line.

Last week, Calhoun became the first player in program history to score 2,000 career points, a milestone he calls “a great accomplishment.” But the 17-year-old says his work is far from finished.

“It’s a great accomplishment for me, but I still got a lot of work to do,” Calhoun said.

For Calhoun, the work extends beyond basketball and academics. He is also the father of 1-year-old Kei’Mari.

Calhoun said becoming a parent has reshaped his priorities. Instead of spending time with friends, he said he focuses on being present for his son.

“I can’t be hanging out with my friends like how it was anymore,” he said. “I gotta be there with him. Sometimes my friends ask me to come out with them, but I can’t. I gotta be there with my son.”

He said fatherhood has taught him discipline — a lesson that applies both on and off the court.

“Discipline. You gotta have discipline on the court and off the court,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun said his own father is not in his life, a reality that motivates him to be different for his son.

“Every son needs a father in his life, so I feel like I gotta be there for him,” he said. “I can’t be like him, so I just want to be different. I gotta be there for my son no matter what.”

KIPP DC Legacy coach Jimmie Jenkins said he has seen a shift in Calhoun’s mindset.

“He no longer wants to live in the moment,” Jenkins said. “It was now about preparation and destiny and how do I get there.”

Calhoun hopes to play basketball in college and says he wants to make his son proud. When Kei’Mari attends games, Calhoun said, it gives him extra motivation.

“Every time he’s here, he’s at my game, I just want to put on a show for him,” he said.

On a night centered around rivalry, Calhoun said his focus remains on family — both at home and with his team.