On Christmas Day in 2006, a two-year-old Darron “Boodah” Henry was gifted his first basketball from his father.
It was on this day that Boodah discovered the sport of basketball, outside dribbling and shooting the ball.
“I already had a hoop outside, a big and little one. I wasn’t able to shoot on the big one at first, didn’t have enough strength but I was outside dribbling and shooting as much as I can,” Henry said.
Boodah grew up playing multiple sports like soccer, football, and baseball.
But it was at the age of 10 that he transitioned into a more organized style of basketball, AAU (Amateur Athletic Union).
Boodah described his time playing AAU basketball, “I was shell shocked, the pace was more fast and rapid, kids were a little bit bigger than the park ball kids, more skilled, higher IQ, and more finesse.”
He added, “I was solid, where I was smart enough to know the ins and outs of hoops but the little things like being fundamentally sound, knowing when to shoot, I think that’s was the biggest change for me.”
Growing up Boodah’s biggest inspiration to play basketball was his grandfather.
His grandfather was able to see Boodah play in two games, with one of them being his first 20-point game.
Boodah approached his grandfather after his game and instead of immediately praising him for his 20-point performance, he called out Boodah for not having the ability to score with his left hand.
“I just scored my first 20-point game ever and I’m all hyped and excited, I go see him in the stands after and he’s like, ‘You ain’t got no left hand.’
“And I’m like what? Did he not just see me score 20 points and how we just won?” Henry said.
This was a reality check that Boodah needed at a young age to know that there is always room for improvement.
It helped Boodah shape the identity of who he is as a basketball player “I think him telling me that at a young age made me hungry, get that spirit going, and be hungry for more, be greedy, so that helped me out and even today as a young adult,” he said.
Sadly this would be the last game his grandfather was able to see him play as he passed away when Henry was 10 years old.
Boodah called back to that moment, “My dad got the phone call, and he said what happened and I saw how he had broke down, I seen how my mom broke down, my sister and as a kid when I got that news I was sick to my stomach.
I remember his funeral was an open casket, and that was my first time seeing a lifeless body, and when I saw him, I just broke down,” Henry expressed.
As the years have passed Boodah still deals with the pain of losing his grandfather but now as he’s gotten older, he uses it as motivation.
“As I’m getting older, I’m guided by him, my faith is stronger and sometimes I just talk to God about it because he can solve all the problems and he has all the answers.
Now I use it as motivation and inspiration, he would want me to keep going for as long as I can, he would be proud of who I am but he would tell me never to settle,” he said.
When Boodah went into high school he continued to be in AAU but noticed a significant difference between the two.
High school for Boodah was more structured and was the stepping stone of a systematic style of play while AAU was more freelance than anything.
He started to understand that there was more to basketball than just scoring, as he believes that playing in high school a good foundation is needed to have success.
Boodah found himself on the varsity team in his sophomore year but he didn’t see much playing time compared to his freshman season.
It was a challenging moment for Boodah as he shared, “I wasn’t playing as much, shoot I damn near wasn’t playing at all and that change was for sure eye-opening, just letting myself know like I gotta get better, and I’m not behind but a lot of guys are a little more advanced than me,” Henry said.
Going into his senior year, he felt he had broken out into the player he wanted to be, but right before the season started he broke his foot and was in a walking boot for five months.
Boodah was able to fully recover from his injury and lead his team to the CIF championship game.
But he views his days in high school as a tenure that built who he is today.
Going into college, Boodah started in Oklahoma, at a school called Langston University.
He started five games on the JV team but things didn’t go as planned for Boodah with being away from home for the first time made it a lot harder.
After spending one season in Oklahoma, he decided to come back home and committed to Cerritos College.
In the 2023-24 season, it was a rough start as the team saw some growing pains.
But as the season went on the team improved massively and Boodah played a significant role.
Averaging 9 points, two rebounds, and three assists.
Growing up, Boodah says his upbringing was great and credits both his mom and dad for being supportive and doing everything they could to make his childhood easier.
He has four siblings, two older brothers named Dar’eon and Marquise, an older sister named De’Hra and a younger sister named Mia.
His brothers are 17 years older than him so a lot of his time as a child was spent with his parents and his older sister De’Hra.
His relationship with his parents is a strong one, with them both being his first best friends.
Boodah says he was always a dad’s boy, his father was there for all the highs and lows, and he’s been there with him every step of the way.
“If anything he’s the standard and the motto of how to be an outstanding dad, and you could never take anything away from him,” Henry said.
As for his mother Tamara, “My mom is a strong woman, she saw me at my lowest and highest, she was there for me when I needed her and even if I didn’t, if I needed to talk she was always there, she’s been a nurturing and caring mother,” he stated.
Boodah is appreciative of everything that has come across his life so far, despite the ups and downs that have come his way, he views the lows as beauty that comes with the journey.
He’s a faithful young man with ambition and hunger like no other.
With his time in Cerritos coming to an end, he thanks all his coaches and teammates for welcoming him with open arms.
As the years of Cerritos basketball continue we will see many players come and make their mark, but one thing is for sure there will only ever be one Boodah.
