As ex-NBA player Avery Johnson spoke to student athletes in the auditorium, theater students met with actor Glenn Morshower – best known for his roles in “X-Men: First Class” and the Transformers movies – in the BlackBox Theater.

“It’s amazing that our teachers go out of their way to bring such amazing and talented people to RHS,” senior Katie Oehlerts said. “It’s such a great opportunity for us to hear what they have to say.”

The two presenters travel the country as motivational speakers, but both Johnson and Morshower have special ties to Dallas.

Johnson served as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks from 2004-08 and was awarded NBA Coach of the Year in 2006.

Morshower was born and raised in Dallas. The first show he went to, which he credits with starting his love affair with acting, was “A Christmas Carol” at the Dallas Theater Center.

Before giving his formal speech, Johnson held a press conference with Communications Magnet students and Talon reporters.

“Being able to have a special press conference with Avery Johnson was really cool,” senior Patricia Sundara said. “It made me realize how much I love being a journalism student.”

Johnson’s presentation outlined a path to success. He encouraged students to use positive imagination and to get behind principles, not behind what’s popular.

“In school, my friends called me a teacher’s pet because I would always say ‘Yes ma’am’ and ‘Yes sir,” Johnson said. “They told me I was acting like I was white. I told them, ‘I’m not acting white. I’m acting right.’”

He also stressed the importance of choosing positive role models.

“Get behind people who are going somewhere, not parked cars,” he said.

In the 1999 NBA Championship, Johnson made the winning shot in game five, securing the San Antonio Spurs their first NBA title in the franchise’s history. He said he had practiced that shot a million times before the big game, and encouraged students to do the same.

“When I wasn’t practicing my shot, I was running on the track. When I wasn’t running on the track, I was practicing my fundamentals. I was doing everything possible to make sure that, when game time came, I was prepared,” Johnson said. “If you’re going to make it to the next level, you have to have consistent practice and preparation. This also applies to school. Your homework is practice for when the SAT comes.”

Morshower’s presentation focused on building self-confidence. He said that he relied on personal assurance and a positive attitude to land roles in “24,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “Moneyball.”

“If you ever think that you’re not good enough, or that you don’t measure up, let me give you some proof that you’re a winner,” Morshower said. “On day one of your existence – your conception – you out-swam over 600,000,000 other competitors in order to arrive here on planet Earth. I am literally speaking to an auditorium full of nothing but gold medalist swimmers.”

He told the theater students that, while he thinks show business is the most difficult industry to break in to, someone has got to do it – and it might as well be one of them.

“When someone tells you that only one out of ten thousand ever achieve their goal, you tell them ‘Well, that’s just the Little Leagues for me, because I out-swam 600,000,000 competitors to get here.’”

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