Faith, Family, Finish
They saw a kid with a basketball
and a dream.
His big brother saw a future.
And through every storm,
he believed God had a plan.
This is the story of Malik Mighty Rivers.
Started with a cracked-up hoop and a dream in his chest,
No expensive shoes, just a heart that wouldn't rest.
While the neighborhood slept,
he was working on his game,
Praying God would guide his steps and give purpose to his name.
His big brother Marcus said,
“Don't you dare quit,
God gave you a gift,
now put your faith into it.
You ain't gotta be the greatest when you step on the floor,
Just be better than yesterday,
keep your eyes on the Lord.” Some nights he missed shots,
some days he felt small,
But Marcus kept reminding him that champions can fall.
“It's not about perfection,
it's the courage to improve,
Keep your faith, keep your focus,
let your hard work prove.” Lord,
I give You the glory,
every blessing, every win!
You gave me strength to rise when I was struggling within.
And to my big brother,
you believed before the fame,
You kept pushing me forward when nobody knew my name.
Hands to the heavens,
let the whole world see,
The man I am today took faith and family.
From the playground to the league,
through the struggle and the pain,
God gave me the sunshine after walking through the rain!
Now it's Madison Square Garden,
thirty thousand in the stands,
Malik Rivers with the ball,
got the whole game in his hands.
Fourth quarter, two seconds,
down by one on the board,
He takes a breath,
says a prayer, puts his trust in the Lord.
He rises for the jumper,
lets it fly into the night,
BUZZER! BALL GOES THROUGH!
The arena comes alive!
But backstage, past the cameras,
past the trophies and the lights,
He finds his brother Marcus,
gives him thanks with tears in his eyes.
“You were there when I was nobody,
you stayed when times were tough,
When I thought I wasn't good enough,
you told me I was enough.
And God, I know this journey was never mine alone,
You gave me strength to chase this dream and a brother to
call home.”
A jersey can't define me.
A trophy can't explain me.
The money can't replace the ones who helped create me.
When the bright lights disappear and the cheering fades away,
I'll still thank the Lord above
for another blessed day.
Lord, I give You the glory,
every blessing, every win!
You gave me strength to rise when I was struggling within.
Marcus, you're my brother,
you're a reason I believed,
You kept pushing me to greatness when I couldn't see the dream.
Hands to the heavens,
let the whole world see,
The man I am today took faith and family.
You can take away the trophies,
but one truth will remain: God gave me the purpose.
My brother helped me find my way!
Malik Rivers. NBA champion.
MVP. All-Star. But before the world knew his name...
God knew his heart.
And his big brother never stopped believing.