“That was my dream before sports came”: Duke signee Shelton Henderson reveals his career plans before becoming an elite basketball prospect

Duke signee Shelton Henderson has put up excellent performances leading his team at the Bellaire Academy, Texas to its first-ever state championship appearance. However, the small forward had a different dream growing up.

In an interview with the Sports Stars of Tomorrow TV show hosted by Charles Davis, which was posted on YouTube on Mar. 4, Henderson said (0:20):

“I like to cook. When I was younger, I wanted to be like the White House Chef. That was like, my dream before, like, sports came about.”

Playing sports has been life-changing for the five-star small forward. From a young boy with dreams of cooking, he is now the No. 2 small forward nationally and Texas’ top prospect in the 2025 class.

Shelton Henderson's coach, Bruce Glover, recalls how his journey started, saying:

"Our track coach, he said, 'Coach, there's a guy you gotta see. He has to be the best eighth grader in the city.' And I'm like 'Really?' And then we got out, and then I looked, checked an email and his mom had reached out. I said, 'That's the kid.'"

Finding the budding talent out has proven to be a great deal, as Henderson was the dominant performer, helping the Cardinals book their place in the final of the Class 6A Division I championship against Duncanville.

How Shelton Henderson and Bellaire reached the state championship game

Shelton Henderson and the Cardinals booked their ticket to the finals with a 65-57 victory over No. 4 Brennan High School. The Duke signee came up big in the game, contributing 26 points, 20 rebounds, and four assists to the Cardinals' historic victory. It was another game for the 6-foot-6 forward to remind detractors why he's the No. 1 prospect in the Lone Star State.

The story took a different turn in the final, however, as Henderson led his teammates against a traditional powerhouse in Texas, Duncanville. The Panthers were not newcomers to the state championship game, with five championships under their belt coming into the game. Notwithstanding, only two points separated the two teams at the end of the fourth quarter as Bellaire went down 54-52.

TCU commit, Kayden Edwards, was the hero for Duncanville, as it claimed its sixth state championship. The shooting guard finished the game with 23 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Shelton Henderson's 25 points were not enough to send his school to its first state championship glory.

Henderson's next career adventure will see him join Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils next season.