Belleville native E.J. Liddell is determined to be the best version of himself — on and off the court.
“I made it to where I want to be,” he said. “And I still have bigger pictures in my mind. I’m still a dreamer.”
Liddell’s dream started long before he stepped onto an NBA court. A high school basketball phenom, Liddell eventually played for the Ohio State Buckeyes before being drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft. Liddell signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls last fall.
His former junior high coach, Tyrus Short, said he knew that Liddell was special from the moment he saw him play in the fifth grade.
“The footwork and basketball IQ was off the charts,” he said. “I told my wife that I was coaching my first D1 kid. She asked me, ‘How do you know, he’s only in fifth grade?’ I told her, ‘When you see it, you know.’”
Joe Muniz, Liddell’s former high school coach, saw the same qualities.
“He means a lot to me, and he means a lot to my family too,” Muniz said. “He’s just a good young man. His humbleness and his willingness to work through things [make him a great player].”
Muniz said his favorite memory of Liddell’s play is “probably the two state championships at Belleville West. Just working so hard to accomplish that goal [with E.J.] and to do it twice with the whole team was huge.”
It wasn’t just raw talent working in Liddell’s favor. He developed his basketball IQ through a desire to know the game on a deeper level. He said he found a better understanding by watching and playing the game whenever he could.
He also credited his coaches and parents for helping him hone his skills.
“It means a lot. They [former coaches] see how much I care for the game and care for people,” Liddell said. “... I’m thankful for my parents raising my siblings and I right — and giving us the opportunity to shine without distraction.”
Liddell needed that support. Shortly after being drafted into the NBA in 2022, he suffered a torn ACL that kept him out of the game for months. He leaned on his parents, friends and teammates to get through the long recovery.
Liddell said he cherishes his time whenever he returns home to Belleville.
The move from playing college basketball to professional basketball made Liddell work even harder to perform at his best. In college, he competed with other Division 1 players at the top of their game. The players who made it to the NBA, however, were the best of the best.
“The transition from college to the big leagues [is that it’s] no school and you're kind of on your own in a sense,” he said. “You have to continue to put in the work to be where you want to be.”
Outside of playing basketball, Liddell enjoys reading, journaling and watching inspirational movies. He believes that fueling his subconscious mind with intellectual content is another way to achieve a better version of himself.
He has three different journals: one for the airport, one for basketball and one for “etcetera.”
In response to being asked what his main goals were for the year, Liddell said: “One is to have fun with the process of continuing to get better. I’m not the same guy I was two years ago when I tore my ACL. I’m not the same guy as I was last year playing. And I’m honestly just building my house right now of being consistent with myself and keep taking steps.”
Liddell had to learn quickly not to compare himself to other players. He realized that the only way to improve is to be focused on his own game. Liddell said he is forever grateful for those who have influenced him.
“With all these blessings that I’ve received – it can get taken away just like that if you’re not humble. … I feel like blessings will keep falling on my lap because I’m grateful. I give thanks to God for everything that I’ve received since I was little.”
To hear more about Liddell's journey to becoming an NBA player and his life growing up, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
