Killeen boy and star Ellison High basketball player bond over artwork, form unique friendship

KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - A Central Texas kindergartner and a star high school basketball player already committed to Oklahoma State have forged a unique friendship over art as the young boy has taken a liking to drawing pictures of the player.

6-year-old Daxon Snider has always loved to draw and he’s now using that passion to create pictures of 6′3″ Ellison High School point guard Jamyron Keller.

“Because it’s the only thing I do and I got addicted,” he said while drawing at his desk in his Killeen bedroom. “I got addicted to drawing Sonic (the Hedgehog) and when I did that, I got addicted to drawing things, like stuff I imagined about.”

That “stuff” as of late has been Jamyron.

Daxon first had a chance encounter last year with the high school senior in his mom’s office at Ellison High School where his mom, Jessica, was coaching at the time and a teacher.

Daxon was enamored with Jamyron from the beginning and started off by going home and drawing basketballs.

Next came the player.

Daxon’s first drawing of Jamyron was simple, a stick figure of the player with a basketball.

“Because I like him,” he said when asked why he first chose the player as his subject. “Because I like basketball.”

Daxon surprised the player by delivering the drawing in a frame.

“It meant the world to me to see that somebody as young as Daxon recognized me in any way, and the drawing just made it even more special,” Jamyron said.

Since then, Daxon’s gone back to the drawing board again and again; and as his skills improved, so did his picture.

Just recently, Daxon delivered Jamyron another picture in much more detail complete with Jamyron in an Ellison Eagles jersey with his number 1 on the front.

Jamyron said he couldn’t have been more touched.

“Just to see he pays attention to every detail whether with my hair or my shoes and I loved it,” he said. “I loved every bit of it, and I also made a new friend along the way.”

The Killeen standout put the pictures in his locker at school. He said they remind him that younger generations are looking to him for an example.

“They’re there because they remind me to go out every night and perform not only on the court but in school or whatever the case may be because someone may always be looking up to me or watching and listening,” Jamyron said.

Jamyron’s next game will be Friday night against Lake Belton at Ellison and when he tips off there will be a pint-sized artist in the stands soaking in all in for his next masterpiece.

“I’m his biggest fan,” Daxon said.

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