NBA Prospect Marjon Beauchamp Will Always Embrace Yakima Roots

Marjon Beauchamp has a chance to become the NBA’s next big superstar.

One day he could have his jersey available in sporting good stores across the country, and one day he might be celebrating three-pointers in Madison Square Garden.

But for right now, he’s just a humble 18 year old kid, trying to figure his life out. 

When you look at Beauchamp’s sparkling resume, a lot of people would assume he’s from a ‘flashy’ city like Seattle, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward is one of the nation's top basketball recruits, he’s won three state titles, and his social media following tallies over 40,000. Currently he’s preparing for the NBA Draft with the prestigious Chameleon BX.

Down the line, it’s likely a befuddled reporter will ask what it was like growing up in Seattle (where he played three years of prep ball). At that point, Beauchamp said he will deflect the spotlight onto his true hometown: Yakima, Washington. 

“Yakima is what made me the person I am today,” Beauchamp said. “It’s a tough city, and nothing came easy, but that only made me stronger.”

For the first 15 years of his life, Yakima was all that Beauchamp knew, and he loved his community.

His family’s name is deeply ingrained into the city’s history. MarJon’s grandfather, Henry Beauchamp was Yakima’s first African-American mayor; He had a vision where everyone strives to help one another, and help make their community a better place.

Henry Beauchamp passed away in 2013, but his legacy lives on with the Henry Beauchamp Community Center.

MarJon’s father, Jon Beauchamp, was heavily involved in the local youth basketball scene. He’s also a top ten all-time scorer at Davis High School, and played his college ball at Eastern Washington University.

With such a quality family lineage, MarJon grew up hoping to one day make his own positive impact on the community.

He found his calling early on the hardwood, where he established himself as something of a basketball prodigy. 

Alongside other local standouts like Brock Ravet and Antonio Salinas, MarJon and his Yakima AAU team would become an unlikely small town powerhouse.

Historically, Yakima youth basketball teams have stood very little chance against the nationally ranked programs in cities like Seattle and Portland.

This made it all the more impressive when Beauchamp helped lead his team to several championships on the westside, shocking much more established programs.

With his lanky frame, accurate shooting, and excellent quickness, Beauchamp was beginning to show signs of a potential D1 athlete. Still, the idea of becoming a 5-star NBA prospect was never even a thought. It just seemed too far fetched for a kid from Yakima.

Local referee Doug Dorton has seen many generations of kids come through the area; He recognized Beauchamp as different from the very first game.

“Even as a young kid, he made everything look effortless,” Dorton said. “He had natural finesse and a beautiful shot. With his frame, it was clear he was going to have an incredibly high ceiling.”

As Beauchamp solidified himself as the gem of the Yakima farm system, the stars were aligning for him to become the next face of Davis High Basketball. 

The hype surrounding him would reach delirious levels as he started his freshman campaign.

Beauchamp got thrown into the fire right away, making his summer league debut against the defending champions Sunnyside Grizzlies.

Still just 14 years old, Beauchamp absolutely demolished the senior-laden reigning champs. He dropped a shocking 25 points in just the first half, and sat out much of the second half with the game in control.

As fun as his first game was, it was ultimately a reality check.

To put it bluntly, Beauchamp’s skills were already far greater than the best competition he’d face in the region. And he still had four more years where he needed to improve. 

Beauchamp was now faced with a brutally difficult decision: should he stay in Yakima, where he could lead Davis to league titles, shatter school records, and continue his family's legacy?

Or should he head to a big city, where the competition would be greater, with more exposure, and a chance to take his game to unknown heights?

During that time, former NBA superstar Brandon Roy was announced as the new head coach of Nathan Hale High School (Seattle).

This piqued the interest of Beauchamp, who recognized that learning under an NBA great could be exactly what he needs.

“I decided I needed to take advantage of this,” Beauchamp said. “But it was really hard. I had to leave my mom; She just had twins. I had to leave my town, my best friends, it was really tough.”

Even at just 14 years old, Beauchamp realized the sacrifices he would need to make to live his dream.

So he and his father packed their lives into a couple suitcases, and moved to a remedial one-bedroom apartment in North Seattle.

Beauchamp’s life went from glamorous hometown celebrity, to no-name bench warmer living in an unfamiliar city with no friends. Essentially overnight.

Jon Marc Beauchamp recognized the hardships his son was facing, but never let him feel pity, and never let him lose sight of the big picture.

“The mentals were up and down during that time,” Jon said. “But I kept telling him ‘you have to decide if this is really what you want to do. And if it is, then you need to commit to it.’” 

Behind a bevy of nationally ranked seniors, Beauchamp would see just a flurry of minutes his freshman year; Only a handful of which were noteworthy.

But even though he wasn’t winning All League awards, Beauchamp’s debut season was still considered a wild success.

He learned what it takes to compete against the country’s best, he earned the trust of an elite coaching staff, and he got exposure playing in a nationally recognized league (Seattle Metro). On top of that, his team also won the 3A State Title.

Moving to Seattle was a huge risk, but it was paying off with huge dividends. With how well his first season went, all bets were off to keep trying new things.

Going into sophomore year, his head coach Brandon Roy left Nathan Hale for Garfield High School. So naturally, Beauchamp left to reunite with his coach. 

Once again, Beauchamp was stuck behind a cast of established seniors, and so once again, playing time was scarce. He did however continue to elevate his game, and was able to snag his second State Title.

As good as his basketball career was trending, his classroom work was nowhere near where it needed to be. So prior to his junior year, he made the call to transfer yet again. This time to Rainier Beach High School, where he’d have more academic resources at his disposal. 

It was Beauchamp’s junior year where he went from raw prospect to bonafide superstar. He was installed into the Rainier Beach starting lineup from day one, and would go on to earn Metro League MVP honors.

On the season, he averaged a head turning 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He also won his third State Title.

Beauchamp’s breakout junior year would put him on the radar of just about every major DI program in the country. With his race blend of size, explosiveness, and scoring, he was becoming a prototype for the modern game.

During the span of his junior year he received 26 D1 offers; From schools like

“It’s that dream that so many kids have,” Clark said. “To see that it’s possible, that someone from your own community accomplished it. For young kids, I think it gives them drive and motivation to believe.”