Boys basketball: Justus, Micah McNair bring brotherly bond to the court for Joliet West

Justus McNair was not sure whether he would get to spend his last season on the Joliet West boys basketball team with his younger brother by his side.

Micah McNair, a junior, is a star linebacker for the Tigers football team who had a breakout season this fall as one of the leaders of the most successful Joliet West football teams in decades.

Although he had played basketball in the past, Micah considered dropping it to just focus on football.

So, having Micah decide to come back to the basketball team after all was a pleasant surprise for Justus.

“It’s amazing,” Justus said. “At the beginning of the season, he didn’t really know if he wanted to play. Coach (Jeremy Kreiger) was talking to him and telling him that being a two-sport athlete is always amazing.

“He finally bought in, so it’s amazing sharing the floor with my little brother, especially in my last year of high school basketball.”

Justus wanted Micah to play, but said he did not put too much pressure on him.

“I wanted him to play, but I can’t force anybody to do what they don’t want to do, so I didn’t push him too hard,” Justus said. “But when he bought in, that was awesome.”

Micah McNair is glad he made the decision to stick with basketball and is soaking in his final season as a teammate of his older brother.

“It’s very special,” Micah said. “We want to do big things this year, winning conference and going downstate to play on that (University of) Illinois floor. Plus, basketball involves a lot of running, so it’s going to help me stay in condition for football.”

Having the brothers playing together also means a lot to Kreiger.

“For me, it’s special to watch two brothers play together,” Kreiger said. “The family is just athletic. Their sister, Destiny, played basketball here for us. Their father, Wayne, was an awesome football player for us. It’s special for me to be able to coach them. It’s really cool.”

Justus, a senior guard who is committed to Valparaiso, has taken on the starring role for Joliet West (7-3) this season and is the team’s leading scorer. Micah, on the other hand, comes off the bench and tries to give the Tigers a spark, providing toughness on defense and pulling down rebounds.

“Micah’s a football player, so he brings that aggressiveness, night in and night out,” Justus said. “He goes for the rebound every time. A lot of players don’t like doing that dirty work and grab rebounds, get steals, dive on the floor. He does that for us, and it really helps us win.”

Micah tries to bring that football mentality to the basketball court.

“I’m just focused on playing defense, grabbing rebounds and doing all the little things that don’t involve scoring,” he said. “I’m not always going to be the star on the team, so I have to do what I have to do even if I’m not going to be the star.”

Kreiger knows it is a huge luxury to have a player like Micah McNair coming off the bench and complementing starting center Drew King.

“We always joke around about how if we could combine Micah and Drew into one body, that’s a Division I big,” Kreiger said. “How they spell each other with minutes is so special. Micah’s an animal. He’s an athlete. He might not have a 230-pound frame, but he plays like it. He gets his hand on the basketball, gets rebounds.”

Kreiger knows the McNairs are very different players on the basketball court, and they each bring some important things to the Tigers.

“I think they supplement each other, because they’re such polar opposites in the positions they play, what they can do and their demeanor,” Kreiger said. “It’s pretty cool to watch what they combine to do.”

Justus used to play football as well. Although the brothers were not teammates on the football field, they also bonded over that sport.

“He was playing a level up from me, but we used to practice together, and it was always fun,” Micah said.

As a freshman, Justus broke his leg playing basketball during an open gym and was unable to play football during the COVID-delayed spring season. That pushed him to give up football for good and focus on basketball.

So, the brotherly bond has been reserved for the basketball court. Justus and Micah are glad it’s still going.

“It’s just a lot of fun playing with him,” Justus said. “We’re going to enjoy this last season together.”