Powell decided that should he make it to the NBA, he would dedicate his career to a calling much greater than himself and use the tools his mom taught him to help other people.
Jacqueline Weir passed away from breast cancer on Sept. 13, 2012, and never saw her son make it to the NBA. But her memory and lessons have guided Powell every step of the way the last eight years.
“She said if you want something there’s nothing that can stop you from getting it other than your own decisions,” Powell said. “A few of the things that we talked about are kind of in the works now, so hopefully she’s looking down and smiling.