From foster care to Washington State University to his new home in Thailand, basketball player DeAngelo Hamilton discusses the music that’s shaped his journey and helped him find inner peace on and off the court.
Full Episode
DeAngelo Hamilton — who many will recall from his Washington State days when he went by the last name “Casto” and established himself as an elite shotblocker — joins us on The Athletes Playlist podcast from Bangkok, Thailand to share some of his favorite tunes.
After losing his mother at the age of seven, DeAngelo moved from St. Louis to Washington State when he was adopted by a family living in a rural area south of Spokane. Despite being a latecomer to competitive basketball, he went on to lead Ferris High School to back-to-back state championships and star at WSU, where he made the PAC-10 all-defensive team. But it wasn’t until his career took him to Japan, exposing him to meditation and a new world view, that he found the “Zen and peace” he’d always been looking for.
From Bob Marley’s message of perseverance to Miley Cyrus’s irresistible bangers and independent spirit, DeAngelo discusses the music that’s influenced his life and career.
Subscribe: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google | iHeart
Time Stamps
Start – 19:30: Moving from St. Louis to foster care home in Freeman, WA // Finding new music and basketball family at Ferris High School // Traveling the country and playing nation’s best in AAU
19:30 – 36:00: Joining an elite freshman class with Klay Thompson at WSU // Working through distractions and police targeting // Searching for love with Beyoncé’s “Halo”
36:00 – 52:00: Bad timing and disappointment with NBA // Personal discovery and spiritual enlightenment in Japan // Finding self-love with Demi Lovato’s “Warrior”
52:00 – End: Bob Marley as soundtrack for “redemption season” // The relatability of Miley Cyrus’s free spirit and winding journey // Giving back to Vietnam // Beginning journey as coach and mentor
Highlights
Ready for love
Finding “peace and Zen” in Japan