A WISE man once said "the entire world speaks the language of sport".
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For Quayshun Hawkins those words took on a whole new meaning when the South Carolina native found himself playing in the NSW Waratah League for the Tamworth Thunderbolts.
A former NCAA division two all-star, Hawkins' journey has been one that has taken him to all parts of the globe.
From his native South Carolina to Europe and finally Australia, Hawkins has seen his share of experiences.
However, the life-long point guard believes his journey started from humble beginnings.
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The beginning
"I grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and to be honest with you, there was a lot of negative things around me as a child," Hawkins told the Leader.
"Basically, where I was from, there was a lot of poverty, a lot of things that could have impacted on you negatively and plenty of things no kid should have to see.
"However, my mother made sure I was always into sports, I went to a good school and did not let any of those negative things impact me."
Hawkins said his mother's support and "the love of the game" helped keep him on the straight and narrow.
"I have a lot to thank my mother for," he said.
"She guided me towards sports and it has always stuck with me.
"I started playing basketball at the age of three and, to be honest, I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.
"Basketball really saved me and kept me away from all that negative stuff."
The college years
After being named All-Conference, All-Region, All-State, All-District and AAA Player of the Year for Dreher High School, Hawkins earned the chance to play for Newberry University.
However, Hawkins said his tenure was not all it was cracked up to be.
"I went there for three years, played some pretty good ball and I don't want to say there was problems, but there was some stuff I didn't like about the situation I was in," he said.
"From there I transferred over to Benedict College, which was in my hometown of Columbia, and became an All-American."
Hawkins said his homecoming was "one of the best things" he ever did with his career.
"My last two years at Benedict I was a first-team All-American," he said.
"At Benedict I had a lot of time to be able to train, focus on basketball and take my game to the next level.
"I think my experience there and my time with my mentor, Marvin Chattman, were what taught me to try and out-work everyone.
"Everyone wants to play basketball in America, but it's only the ones who put in that extra work that go the distance."
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As well as a basketball star, Hawkins was also a self-confessed keen crocheter during his college years, and he finished his college-level basketball career with an average of just under 20 points per game.
Euro trip
With a college degree in hand and his schooling in the rear-vision mirror, Hawkins made a move many aspiring basketball players have made: a trip to Europe to ply his trade in one of the many elite European basketball leagues.
"I went to what they call a Euro Camp in Barcelona, Spain," Hawkins said.
"I was there for about five or six months and basically you played for a club and, if the professional teams liked you, they picked you up."
Unfortunately for Hawkins, his attempts to play in the European professional leagues didn't come to fruition and he believes some misadventure may have been to blame.
"I kind of ran into a situation where I lost my passport," Hawkins said.
"Basically what that meant was I couldn't sign to play in the pros and I couldn't leave the country; I was pretty much stuck.
"Once I got my passport from the embassy, I went straight home. I didn't feel comfortable with the situation I was in and I wanted to move on."
Pike's Place
After Hawkins' European pursuits came to an end, he found himself in an entirely different basketball landscape.
"After I got home, I went to play for a team in Seattle, Washington, called the Mountaineers," Hawkins said.
"It was great - living in Seattle around all of the landmarks like Pike's Place was exactly what I needed.
"For me I was able to train, play, repeat.
"My whole life revolved around basketball and I had a lot of fun doing it."
During his stint with the Mountaineers, Hawkins was rooming with his coach-turned-manager, who set the wheels in motion for him to come to Tamworth.
"Being able to focus purely on basketball, my performances really picked up," Hawkins said.
"I did pretty well there and my coach, who became my manger, set me up here in Tamworth."
A tree change
The successful stint with the Mountaineers ushered in Hawkins' best opportunity to date: a role with the Tamworth Thunderbolts.
However, Hawkins said adjusting to life in country NSW "took some time".
"To be honest, it was a little bit of a culture shock," he said.
"I lived outside the city in Seattle, but I'd never really lived in the country like I do here.
"It took a little bit of time, but honestly I love it here."
Since taking the court for the Thunderbolts, Hawkins has played in all 18 of their regular-season games and has averaged more than 21 points per game.
But, Thunderbolts head coach John Ireland said Hawkins' greatest impact was being felt off the court.
"He is affectionately known as Quay around the group and, in my opinion, he is a star off and on the court," Ireland said.
"There's nothing he won't do to get around his teammates and lift them up.
"As well as that, he has been running school holiday clinics for the juniors as well.
"Honestly, he has been a fantastic addition to our group."
A title run
On Saturday night the Thunderbolts will play host to the Sutherland Sharks and, if successful, will earn themselves a spot in the final four.
"The way I'm looking at it is, we are just three games away from winning this club's first title," Hawkins said.
"Basketball is a universal language and so is winning.
"So, it would be great to see us get over the line and take home a title."
As for his future aspirations, Hawkins is aiming high.
"The Australian or New Zealand NBL is the goal for me," he said.
"It's a matter of waiting to see if any chances in the NBL or the G League come my way.
"Until then I'm going to keep working hard to hopefully catch their attention, but otherwise I would love to come back to Tamworth and play here again next season."