THE RISE OF MICAH SAMUELS
Recent Takoma Academy graduate Micah Samuels is arguably the best Adventist player in the class of 2025. (Photo by Evan Watson/Cosmo Studios)
Written by Lauryn Gandy
If you do not know the name of Takoma Academy’s Micah Samuels yet, you are about to, and you will never forget it.
Born with a basketball in his hands, Micah’s journey started early, dribbling around his house before most kids learned how to tie their shoes. By the age of six, Micah was already stepping into organized basketball, setting the stage for a future fueled by passion, faith, and determination.
Growing up in a Panamanian household with a cultural affinity for soccer, the Maryland native’s world was shaped not just by sports, but by the strong values of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.”I still played soccer but I didn't take it as seriously as I did basketball. I still played with passion and wanted to win all my soccer games, but basketball was just different for me.” While his peers were grinding seven days a week, Micah stood firm. No games on the Sabbath and no Friday night practices. But that did not slow him down at all. If anything, it made him stronger. He says, “I remind myself God is walking every step with me.” His favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Micah Samuels headlines the first-ever AdventistHoops All-American all-star games on August 2, 2025, in Loma Linda, California. (Photo by Evan Watson/Cosmo Studios)
LeBron James was his idol, but the “real MVPs” who sparked Micah’s love for the game were the older guys in his church league and his father. They created a pathway for him by teaching the game and showing him things that he can still use to this day. He wanted to be like them—their influence was truly bigger than basketball.
Micah considers COVID the most challenging part of his basketball journey. Gyms shut down, practices stopped, and his jump shot felt lost. But Micah did not give up. He found an AAU team, put in the hours, and came back even stronger, developing the court IQ and passing ability that now make him a true floor general.
His proudest moment so far was winning the Southwestern Adventist University Hoops Classic tournament in Keene, Texas, as a sophomore. “It was the greatest feeling of all time,” Micah says. But even bigger than trophies is how Micah leads, not just with skills but with heart. “I bring my teammates up, I keep the atmosphere positive, and I always keep that next play mentality,” he says.
Before games, Micah locks in with calming music. No hype tracks, just calm focus that turns him into beast mode when it is time to hit the court. Off the court, he is the same. Supportive, easygoing, and family-oriented. “You usually have to beg Micah to shoot the ball because he is such a giver,” says his cousin and teammate Matthew McKenzie, who has grown up and played alongside him. “He is one of the most unselfish guys I know.”
Micah’s advice to younger players is simple. “Play in the DMV. It is DIFFERENT down here. The energy, the hunger, the grind, it is all on another level, and I know firsthand.”
(Photo by Evan Watson/Cosmo Studios)
Looking ahead, Micah’s goals are crystal clear:
Graduate Takoma Academy on June 8 [Check]
Get a summer job
Strengthen his relationship with God
Take his game to the highest possible level
He dreams of majoring in social work and minoring in criminal justice in college, and yes, he is definitely planning to play ball at the next level. One day, he would love to go one-on-one against Kevin Durant, but for now, he is focused on becoming the best point guard he can be, sharpening his skills, deepening his faith, and proving that SDA players can be just as successful as anyone else.
Micah Samuels is not just a basketball player. He is a leader. A motivator. A fighter. A believer. And this is only the beginning for him. Everyone watch out. Micah Samuels is coming, and he is bringing God, family, and unstoppable fire with him.