Little big man

"Are you going to play varsity next year?" they asked Nakiso.

"I hope so," he replied.

"No, we don't think you have a chance."

Like a boxer who had just taken a shot in the kidney area, Nakiso was stunned and writhing in pain. People had discounted him before, but to hear this from his own two coaches?

"They didn't think I could do it," Nakiso said. "That really stuck in the back of my mind. I was shocked and hurt, but I love to prove people wrong and I'm kind of glad they said it. It's motivation for me to show what I'm made of. Things like that really get me going."

The 5-foot-4, 130 pound shooting guard is often the smallest guy on the court, but makes one of the biggest impacts. Nakiso is averaging 10 points per game and has connected on 68 3-pointers this season. Nakiso scored 18 points — he was 6 of 11 from beyond the arc — in Burlingame's 53-38 win over South San Francisco in the opening round of the Peninsula Athletic League playoffs on Wednesday.

Transition year

"To me, the best thing you can do in basketball is shoot and to do it well," Burlingame coach Jeff Dowd said. "I love shooters, and Chris has become such a dangerous threat from outside. Last year was a transition year and kind of tough for him in that his role was to come in the game and shoot. If he didn't make his shots, he was coming back out. This year there's a lot more trust and faith because I know he can shake off an off shooting night and he plays tough-ass defense."

Even with his remarkable shooting skills and ultra quick release honed by countless hours in the gym — sometimes he'll shoot 600 shots a day — Nakiso was never a good defender until this season.

"From the moment I started playing, I always liked to shoot but I didn't like to play defense," Nakiso said. "We even have this drill in practice called "Gladiator" where you have to stop three players 1-on-1 for eight minutes. If you don't, you have to run. Last year I was one of the worst defensive players on the team. I was in the Gladiator all the time. It's not easy with Drew (Shiller) around; he's a pain to stop."

Now you'll see Nakiso get up in the face (or chest) of every opponent he guards, clawing, bumping, scratching and harassing his way to steals. Nakiso generates anywhere from one to six steals per game. The Panthers' theft leader, ironically enough, has a Burlingame police sergeant for a dad. Ed Nakiso said his son always had cat-quick reflexes.

"When he was sixth-months to a year old I would have him on my lap and drop one of those soft Nerf balls by his face," Ed Nakiso said. "Even then he was catching it and just showed really good hand-eye coordination. He just had a knack for finding the ball. Everybody likes the underdog and he feeds off of that. Being small isn't a hindrance for him and he certainly doesn't look at that as a negative."

Chris Nakiso is one of the few Burlingame shooters who has the green light to hoist up a 3-pointer at any time. With Shiller attracting numerous double-teams, Nakiso is left open from beyond the arc. More often than not, he delivers. Matched up with players sometimes a foot taller than him, Nakiso has learned to play big in a small body. He's worked on his dribble-drives to the basket, movement without the ball and overall court awareness. He's always been quick and possessed a tough, hard-nosed mentality belying his diminutive stature.

"It just shows height is the most overrated thing in basketball," Dowd said. "Chris should be an inspiration to all the little guys."

Well respected

He's certainly well respected. Before Wednesday's game, a photographer assigned to take pictures of Nakiso, upon seeing a host of players under 5 feet 6 inches during warm-ups, asked a reporter, "So who's the little man?" Upon which Burlingame assistant coach Cliff Cretan replied, "There's only one little man."

Nakiso is aiming to play at least two more years of basketball at the junior college level before transferring to San Diego State. He grew up playing a number of sports — including soccer, baseball and most recently golf — but one of the most memorable moments of his athletic career came during his freshman year on Burlingame's frosh-soph football team. With the Panthers pounding rival San Mateo, Nakiso took a handoff from Shiller and went around the left end for a 2-point conversion in the final moments of the game. His teammates were so excited for him that Mike Mutto came off the sideline and carried Nakiso off the field.

"That was the greatest feeling," Nakiso said. "I wasn't really a football player, but I played that one year for the experience. When coach (John) Philipopoulos called my name I was really nervous. It ended up being quite a moment."

Nakiso carries a quiet confidence, rooted in the fact that at first glance his opponents will always underestimate him.

"It's just another chance to rise to the challenge," he said.

Nakiso's toughest loss, however, came off the court. He was only 10 when his grandfather, Bill Black, passed away. Bill was like a second father to Chris. They went on hunting trips together — Bill to hunt, Chris to commune with nature — and the two forged an unbreakable bond built on love, faith and generosity. When Chris found out the bad news, he was waylaid like never before.

"I felt like life had stopped and I couldn't continue," he said. "My grandpa was always there for me and we had so much fun together. He was always willing to talk and listen and he was my best friend. Losing him was a killer. I know he's checking up on me."

Bill Black must like what he sees.