By Mark Bryant | Special to The OBSERVER
The Grant High School Pacers boys basketball team took on Cesar Chavez High School’s Titans in a nonleague game Dec. 23 at Chavez’ home gym in Stockton. Grant entered with a 2-4 record; Chavez was 8-1.
The Pacers, however, looked like the team with only one loss, easily handling the Titans 79-58. Shining brightest was senior Kiku Parker Jr., with 25 points in his Grant debut following his transfer from El Camino High School.
Parker’s first game for Grant followed a legal battle in which El Camino claimed Parker was recruited to Grant illegally, causing the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to declare him ineligible. A subsequent appeal hearing Dec. 6 resulted in Parker being granted eligibility one week later.
“It feels amazing to be back,” Parker said. “It feels good to be back out there, competing with the team.
“We can be really good – section champions, maybe even state champions.”
Parker has been one of Sacramento’s brightest up-and-coming high school basketball stars. He became a noteworthy player at El Camino, breaking the school’s career scoring record last December as a junior.
But his El Camino career was punctuated by problems with coach Mamo Rafiq. Parker’s family says Rafiq has a history of being abusive and manipulative toward players. Rafiq at one point ordered Parker to take off his jersey in the middle of a tournament game in Yuba City, stating that Parker did not deserve to wear the uniform.
“There were a number of coaches who witnessed that incident who said that they had never seen that level of public humiliation on a high school kid,” said attorney Luke Apfeld, who represented Parker in his appeal process.
Rafiq coached at Yuba City High School before being let go by the Yuba City Unified School District in 2018 amid numerous parent complaints.
The coach later relented, allowing Parker back on the team, but stripped of his captaincy and team room privileges.
Apfeld noted Parker moved out of the San Juan Unified School district in October 2021 and that Rafiq would drive Parker to and from school at El Camino, which is in Sacramento’s Arden-Arcade neighborhood, but refused to do so after the Yuba City incident. “That was a real hardship for [Parker’s] family,” Apfeld said. “Even after letting him back on the team, he refused to help him. If you can’t get to and from school, and you’re out of the district, you should be able to transfer, no questions asked.”
Former El Camino assistant Charles Gazaway said the Yuba City incident sealed Parker’s fate as far as him finishing his high school career at El Camino.
“If that doesn’t happen, Kiku stays at El Camino,” Gazaway said. “Mamo has never apologized for anything he said or did to Kiku and his family.”
Gazaway added that he first became aware of Parker’s substance when the latter was young.
“I met him when he was 7. I was coaching my kids and we played against his team,” he said. “He beat us. He was the reason they beat us. He was tough. He was willing to push himself and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I complimented him in the handshake line when the game was over.
“Kiku is a competitor. He wants to win at everything. I said to his father: ‘Whatever you’re doing, keep him motivated.’ He is an outstanding young man. I let him in my house; he can come to visit anytime. I know he was raised correctly. He is dedicated and a hard worker. The basketball community of Sacramento stood up strong for Kiku.”
‘It Feels Like They Are Trying To Ruin My Life’
Parker’s decision to transfer to Grant, which is part of the Twin Rivers Unified School District, coincided with his parents’ move to Del Paso Heights, where Parker grew up.
Rafiq and El Camino athletic director Ron Concklin then protested Parker’s transfer, saying they had evidence of precontact enrollment between the Parkers and multiple area schools, which would make Parker ineligible at Grant.
In November, CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Commissioner Michael Garrison ruled Parker ineligible pending the result of his appeal.
“Pursuant to a change of residence, his family moved to the Del Paso Heights neighborhood,” Apfeld said. “This move was clear and above board. This is a vindictive attempt to destroy [Parker’s] career.”
Apfeld added that numerous NCAA Division I programs are interested in Parker, as are several Division II schools, and that those programs couldn’t recruit him while he was ineligible. “This was future harm that was impacting his college chances,” Apfeld said. “The family was impacted with the undue stress and burden placed on them.
“This is a young man who tried to do everything right and transparent, according to the rules, and yet people stood in his way, punishing him for no reason.”
Parker in the meantime could only wait and hope the appeal process ended in his favor.
“I did nothing wrong. I just want to play basketball at my school and study sports medicine,” said Parker, who plans to major in kinesiology. “I left El Camino when my family moved, and I enrolled at Grant properly. The El Camino coach treated me horribly, but I truly can’t believe that the people at El Camino would go this far. It feels like they are trying to ruin my life.”
Parker was allowed to practice with the Grant team despite being barred from playing. “He is being a leader and trying to be part of the team. He is tremendous in practice and a tremendous teammate, even though this is all hanging over him,” Apfeld said in early December.
“A coach should be doing everything in their power to teach and be a mentor, to educate young people. I haven’t seen any of that coming from [Rafiq] at El Camino. This is the opposite of what every parent would want their kid to go through.”
Appeal Decision Greeted With Relief
Apfeld hailed ruling Parker eligible on appeal as the correct decision.
“Kiku was under a lot of stress. He is relieved that it is done and over with, and that he can now pursue his career and academics on the next level,” Apfeld said. “There was a lot of community support, which Kiku and his family appreciated.”
“Our job is to protect and support our kids. It didn’t happen for Kiku at El Camino. He was subjected to the whims of an unfair coach and administrator, and his future was on the line. They jeopardized that. We did our homework and based on what we found, there was no evidence of improper contact and recruiting. There is always a healthy skepticism, but everyone we talked to told the same story,” Apfeld added.
Grant Coach Deonard Wilson said he appreciated the support for Parker, noting that at least two Sacramento area high school teams recently wore “FREE KIKU” shirts to games.
“The kids know it was wrong,” Wilson said. “The basketball community in Sacramento and people around here know the deal. Everybody knew it was personal. They were just trying to hurt a kid.”
Wilson added that Parker’s presence against Cesar Chavez made the difference.
“He answered our scoring struggles. We just expect him to give us 30 points a night — coming from his scoring, assists and defensive stops. He’s a super-hard worker. He gives his all. He’s gonna go straight at you. He will not back down from anyone. He has determination and tenacity.”
For Parker’s father, Kiku Parker Sr., the appeal decision was a matter of principle.
“It was 100% wrong what El Camino did. For him to be at that school for three years, coming from people who said they cared about him, that wasn’t fair. They knew what basketball meant to him, and to strip it away from him, that wasn’t right. It doesn’t add up.
“Basketball is going to get Kiku to the next stage in life and he is going to use that. Why would anyone want to take that away? This is bigger than Kiku. How could the school and faculty not see the problem? Do they not care?”