Thomas Sorber didn’t have to share time at Archbishop Ryan High School’s gym early Monday morning June 23 with about 100 young men. The young man projected to be a top-20 pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft was headed that afternoon to New York City, where he would see his face plastered over displays in Times Square.
Sorber wanted to be inside his former high school gym for their summer basketball camp. He made it a priority to share his journey, his energy, and what he considers his blessings with the young men who may someday follow in his footsteps at Ryan — and to the NBA.
“That’s just the person I am,” said Sorber, who played his sophomore through senior years at Archbishop Ryan and one year at Georgetown University before declaring for the draft.
“Give back to the kids, give back to the community, just try to come over here and give them a little quick couple words.”
Those who know Sorber vouch for his current sense of life balance, but they also know how the importance of such an extra, inspiring presence can mean to a child who needs it.
Sorber, expected to be the first NBA draft pick in Archbishop Ryan history, deeply needed that foundation.
“His father passed away when he was 8 years old,” said Joe Zeglinski, Archbishop Ryan’s head coach, about Thomas’ dad, Peter Sorber.
“He really used that as a kind of a building block and a motivation.”
The faith-filled 19-year-old Sorber has seen God place two key building blocks in his life. One of them is his mother, Tenneh.
“Growing up, my mom had to work two jobs (and) take care of two kids in order to pay for our school fees,” said Sorber. “It was just difficult times, difficult times. She’d know that.”
“That’s who raised him, raised him the right way, a hardworking kid, humble kid, real tough on him,” Zeglinski added. “I remember receiving phone calls at night, ‘Where’s Thomas? He’s got to get his butt home,’ things like that.”
Archbishop Ryan’s school walls, the gym’s hardwood, and caring relationships would give Sorber what both he and Zeglinski cited as the second building block.
“Since the first day I stepped into the school, everybody showed me love, and it just felt like a family,” Sorber said.
“When Thomas first came here he had to wake at 5 a.m. to get to Ryan,” said Zeglinski.
“I would pick him up at the train station sometimes, and that conversation in the car was like having a conversation with an adult. He was just way beyond his years in that aspect.”
Those talks certainly led to the kinds of lessons Sorber gave the approximately 100 kids at the camp early Monday morning — the lessons that led Sorber to fill Archbishop Ryan’s trophy cases with all-Catholic, all-state and Philadelphia Catholic League championship trophies.
“Coach Joe told me, ‘I’ll give you the world, but you’ve got to put the hard work in,’” Sorber told the camp attendees.
“You’ve just got to be team players. Listen to your coaches. Every time you step up to the floor, it has to be 100%. Every time you step up to the floor, you’ve got to have that mentality just to push harder and keep going.”
“Always get 1% better every day. You don’t have to get 100% better every single day, but try to get 1% better every single day, and then you’ll turn out to be who you think you want to be.”
Leaders at Archbishop Ryan say Sorber’s humility grounds him enough to believe in such foundational lessons.
“When we used to have young kids come from St. Anselm’s and St. Martha’s, they would come to watch Thomas play,” said Archbishop Ryan President Joseph Sanginiti.
“After the game, Thomas came out of the locker room to meet these young boys. He’d get down to their level, and they were just thrilled.”
“There’s a genuineness to him,” Archbishop Ryan Principal Joseph McFadden added.
“He worked as an office aide in our student affairs office, (and) he was just always this happy, pleasant student that was talking with anyone, happy to help in any way. Not, ‘I’m a basketball player, I’m the star of the team, and I’m not doing any of that stuff.’”
“Being able to relate to so many different people, that’s what he did here from day one. He just lifted up his teammates and lifted up this whole school,” said Zeglinski.
“Everyone rallied behind him when he was here, and we’re going to continue to do so.”
These foundations remain evidence of God’s presence for Sorber.
“He’s all around me. Every time I look up, I see him,” said Sorber.
“It’s also my father, too. Just doing this for him, doing it while I have his last name on my back, and just keep making him proud. He’s smiling.”
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