by Aaron Gray
agray@digitalsports.comJustin Kuntz is soft-spoken, very reserved and has some trust issues. He is the first to admit it and it doesn't take a psychiatrist to figure out why.
But for all his somewhat social shortcomings, the Glen Burnie High School junior has found his release through basketball, a sport he loves and has actively played since he was seven years old.
Later that year -- a few months after he first set foot on the hot asfault courts in New York City -- Kuntz' life took an unfortunate turn. It's a tragic event that plays out in his mind every single day and it's not something he likes to talk about.
"I think about it every day," Kuntz said after practice Thursday. "You can't forget about something like that, no matter how hard you try."
During traumatic times, people often look to their family for support. The components of Kuntz' family has taken many shapes during his short life but the 17-year-old feels he has finally found the right combination at Glen Burnie and with the Gophers basketball team. Which may explain why he was so candid inside his school's gymnasium sitting on a red fold-up chair next to a metal container full of basketballs.
Early TragedyIt's 6:30 in the morning and a 7-year-old Kuntz is comfortably sleeping in his bed. He hears a gunshot and springs to life.
"My brothers got up and I was the first one to peak in my mother's room," Kuntz said. "I saw the gun in her hand hanging over the side of the bed ... I really didn't understand."
Kuntz' mother took her own life and it didn't register with the youngster. He doesn't remember his first reaction but just before his older brother, James, picked him up and took him into another room, Kuntz stared at his mother's lifeless body sprawled across the bed. It would be the last time he ever saw her.
Kuntz and his three older brothers were taken to an aunt's house and that's when their stepfather addressed the children.
"I don't remember his exact words, but he pretty much said 'She's gone,' and then everything sort of changed," Kuntz said. "I didn't want to believe it but as the days went on, there was nothing I could do about it."
His mother's suicide triggered a rocky early childhood for Kuntz, who traveled to multiple places in the following years looking for stability. He still has family in the Bronx but a distant father moved to the Virgin Islands. His older brother, James, 10 years his senior, became a legal guardian and before Kuntz knew it, the normal path of life became very skewed.
Traveling ManJames enlisted in the military and was stationed at multiple areas in the country with the youngest Kuntz in tow. Soon after their mother's death, the family moved to Texas, where James started his military training. Just before he started sixth grade, Kuntz moved back to New York City to stay with family.
After that, there was a quick stint in Connecticut, then back in the New York City, then back in Texas, followed by a stay in Massachusetts. From there, James was sent off to war and Kuntz was all by himself.
He attended Meade High School for his first year of high school while James was working on the Ft. Meade military base. He actually played on the Mustangs varsity basketball team as a freshman but that all changed when James shipped off to Iraq. He remained in Maryland, however, had a disagreement and then decided to renew a relationship with his estranged father in the Virgin Islands.
"I stayed there for a few months but it wasn't right for me," Kuntz said. "I was back in Maryland and here I am today."
Kuntz bounced around and stayed at different places but the one constant that remained in his life was basketball. He played on AAU teams with players from the current Glen Burnie team and when Kuntz realized he didn't want to stay in the Virgin Islands, it was his teammates that helped fund his return.
"The boys got some money together to get Justin back up North," said Terry Nobile, father of Shaun Nobile, Kuntz' AUU teammate and a senior forward for the Gophers. "I chipped in the remaining fee and we made sure it was a one-way ticket."
For a short time afterward, Kuntz lived with his AAU coach but ended up with the Nobile family. For the first time in nearly a decade, Kuntz was surrounded by generosity and finally had a place he could call home.
New LifeKuntz attended Cardinal Gibbons School, a private school located in Baltimore, when he was a sophomore staying with his host family, the Nobiles, in Glen Burnie. Kuntz was recruited by the MIAA A Conference school because of his basketball prowess. He had a rough transition, however, didn't make the grades and never actually played for the Crusaders.
At the same time, Shaun Nobile, who is one year older than Kuntz, was becoming a fixture with the Glen Burnie High School team and Kuntz attended several home games last season to see his best friend in action.
"I never saw him play so I didn't know what to think when Justin first told me he wanted to play at Glen Burnie," Gophers coach Mike Rudd said. "I finally got to see him in our summer league and what I found out was that Justin was unselfish and very gifted. To be honest, it was different than what I had heard from others.
"I didn't judge him. It was a new situation for the kid and we had to give him a chance."
Terry and Susan Nobile also gave Kuntz a chance and later accepted him as a member of the family. They became his legal guardians just over a year ago.
"We've known Justin for many years and he has always been a good kid," said Terry Nobile, who also has a daughter, Brittany, 21, and a stepson, Brian, 40. "He had nowhere to go and wasn't in a good neighborhood when we caught up with him. He's safe now and growing as a young adult.
"He sees us as parents and he has rules to follow just like everyone. Stability is the key."
Even though he still considers The Bronx his hometown and is in steady contact with all three of his brothers, Kuntz said he is grateful for the Nobile family and his new surroundings.
"I'm not going to say it's better or worse," Kuntz said. "But it's different and I like it."
Basketball IQRudd took Kuntz behind closed doors Thursday for a brief moment to remind him of what should be important to him. A competitive spat with a teammate had Kuntz miffed after practice but after learning of his background, Rudd was able to re-focus one of the Gophers' leading scorers.
"I just told him that he's already dealt with 'man issues' and that he should forget about the childish stuff," Rudd said. "He's already been through it, you know? He needs to keep basketball the priority right now and be the man that he is."
Slightly intimidating in person, Kuntz has a 6-foot-7 frame with cornrows and long, thin braids that dangle behind his neck. He sports a goatee and mustache.
"People have always said I looked older than I am," Kuntz muttered. "That's been going on since I was in high school."
Kuntz, who averages 15.2 points and 9.9 rebounds a game, can play any position on the court, which is a huge benefit to a Glen Burnie squad that doesn't lack scoring. He started the season out on the wing but nine games in, Rudd moved him down low to bang around with the big boys.
"At first glance, people are intimidated by Justin and he can get physical," said Rudd, whose team (9-4 overall, 6-1 in Anne Arundel County) visits rival North County (4-9, 3-4) on Friday at 6:45 p.m.
"Justin is a very soft-spoken kid and he also has a very good basketball IQ. He asks some great questions and is constantly studying the game."
Having a strong family influence on and off the court has shaped how Kuntz reacts to different situations, he said. After a turbulent childhood, Kuntz would much rather talk basketball instead of diving into his past.
"Justin doesn't like to recall that stuff and we don't press him on it," Terry Nobile said. "I'm not sure he's gained closure on his childhood but I do believe he's happy. Sure he's quiet but a lot of that is internal and I think it's about how people have treated him in the past. He's building relationships now and getting better at it every day."
Said Rudd: "That may be why he has some trust issues. Can you blame him? I just tell him over and over again that I'm not going anywhere and Glen Burnie will never let you down."
