1. How long have you been playing basketball for?
   • “I started playing basketball ever since I was 4 years old. Growing up, I was obsessed with the game of basketball. I never wanted to walk off the court and I always held a ball someplace near me.”
2. Do you plan on continuing to play in college?
   • “I will be attending Boston University, I will try to further my basketball career there. It is not set in stone if I will play, however, I have been in contact with the program.”
3. What does it feel like to hold such an impressive record?
   • “Throughout the years of high school, the record was this glorious feat in my head. Early on, it got to my head and after speaking with a couple of coaches, I realized the record meant nothing if we didn’t have a successful team. Playing without the mentality of ‘shoot first,’ my game grew and brought me to that 1000 point mark. Once I broke the barrier, it did not hit me as I expected. I carried on through the game and almost forgot it happened. However, with my season-ending injury, I look back and feel as if I put everything into the sport and I can smile at the accomplishment.”
4. Who do you think has influenced you the most when it comes to the sport?
   • “Steve Cronin has provided such an amazing influence on my game. From the age of 5, Cronin would be working with me to develop my game. Throughout the 13 years with Cronin, we played in over 100 tournaments with him as my coach, practiced a couple times a week, and built a special bond that goes far beyond basketball. The credit goes to him.”
5. What advice do you have for younger athletes?
   • “Give the sport you play everything you got. You never know when the game will be taken away from you, so never take it for granted.”

On Jan. 12, senior Julien Hakimian set the record for his 1000th point on the Boys Varsity Basketball team. Since the age of four, Hakimian worked toward greatness. Working with personal coach and friend Steve Cronin since age five, the pair forged a “…special bond that goes far beyond basketball” throughout the 13 years they have known each other. Hakimian credits Cronin with one of his most recent achievements as a basketball-player: His 1000th point on the school team. “Throughout the years of high school, the record was this glorious feat in my head” he says.

When Hakimian first walked out onto the court that night, his friends and family cheered from the sidelines, coaches yelled proudly from the benches, and cheerleaders shook their poms with extra spirit as he sunk the ball into the hoop for his 1000th time. Reflecting on the moment, Hakimian recalls that once he secured the achievement, “…it did not hit me as I expected. I carried on through the game and almost forgot it happened.” Deep down, he acknowledged that “…the record meant nothing if we didn’t have a successful team.”

Ending his season prematurely due to an injury, Hakimian says, “I look back and feel as if I put everything into the sport and I can smile at the accomplishment.” As he prepares to venture on to Boston University after graduation, he has conferred with coaches about their basketball program, but for now, he will “…try to further my basketball career there.”

Although he leaves behind an amazing legacy, Hakimian departs with an important message for younger athletes: “Give the sport you play everything you got. You never know when the game will be taken away from you, so never take it for granted.”