"Jabril's like my brother, really," Lunsford said. "We grew up in the same house.
"I love going down there to watch his games. I think I've made it to all but three of the home games. I get good seats. In the third or fourth row. It excites me to be right there for all the action, and to hear the crowd go wild. Makes me feel really special."
So does playing at home.
Aside from Jabril Trawick, Lunsford also counts the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook among his heroes. And he's not above thieving a signature gesture.
For a Public B game Thursday, Lunsford and the Jaguars traveled to Abraham Lincoln. Early in the contest, Diante drained a left-wing trey and, like Westbrook is known for doing, held both hands up to his mouth. The thumbs and index fingers formed circles, leaving three digits on each hand highly visible.
He then dropped both hands straight down to his sides.
Understandably, the silence was deafening.
"Yeah, I didn't expect any noise," Lunsford said, smiling. "I'm just so used to doing it. When I do that at home games, everybody goes 'Booooom!!' That's the tradition. All the fans. They go 'Booooom!!' "
Lunsford hit three treys (in six attempts) as U. City triumphed, 57-54. In all, he contributed 18 points and four apiece of rebounds, assists and steals.
Plus, his eyes bugged out a few times as he watched Lincoln's Michael Bowlers, a 6-7 senior center, erupt for 35 points, 26 rebounds and five blocked shots.
The ambidextrous Bowlers shot 16-for-28 from the floor (the other Railsplitters were 8-for-35) and, on several occasions, dribbled hard but smooth to the hoop from beyond the arc.
"That guy is gooood. He was even bringing the ball up sometimes," Lunsford said. "He's strong and plays the game with passion."
Ditto for No. 21 for UC.
