"I tell the kids you could be a Michael Jordan type of player but if you don't have the grades, you'll never get to display it,” said Gaylon Nickerson.  

Some say NBA stands for next best action and after his journey from Wichita North High School to the NBA Gaylon Nickerson wondered, "What's next?" It turned out to be tutoring the youth on and off the court.

He helps them through a program he created called "Get Your Game Tight" where he trains them at the Bel Aire Rec Center in the afternoon and then heads down the road to Urban League where an emphasis is put on grades and ACT rep.

"I'm eager to help the kids learn and open up new doors and avenues for them and show them dreams do come true, especially if you work hard and get your education,” he explained.

His journey to the NBA didn't go without challenge. Although he was highly recruited out of high school, he would later transfer from Wichita State to Butler Community College onto Kansas State before landing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It was during that time, he faced the toughest loss of his life.

"I went to the phone and it was my mom crying telling me that my dad had passed away,” he recalled. "It was real tough because me and my dad were close. He taught me so much."

It was also during his time at Northwestern Oklahoma State that he finally got his break; he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1994 NBA Draft.

"I dedicated my whole season, my whole career to him because I know he wanted to see me do something positive,” said Nickerson.

He uses his story to inspire the kids he works with and his message is working.

"If you listen to him and do what he says and keep your grades right, you're gonna succeed in life,” said Colman Middle School 7th grader Ashton White.

If you’re interested in Nickerson’s program, send him a message on Facebook.