Card Essentials: Oziyah Sellers

Welcome to the latest installment of Card Essentials, where Stanford student-athletes share the stories behind the items they carry every day, big or small. We caught up with Oziyah Sellers, a junior for Stanford men's basketball as the team wraps up its final home games of ACC play. Sellers is a having a breakout season where he is averaging 13.9 points a game while shooting above 40 percent from 3-point range. Oziyah took some time to tell us about some of his essential items and what each item means to him.

GoStanford.com: Right now we see that you have a really cool pair of Kobes. How do you incorporate shoes into your uniforms or game day outfits?

Oziyah Sellers: "Shoes are a big part of my life. You know, since I was little, I always wanted to collect shoes. Then for basketball, Kobes are a shoe that I like to play in. This year, I kind of have you on the Grinches just because there's just no shoe that can be compared to those when it comes to their feel and their look. But I have other pairs too, like the ones that I am holding right now. So, Kobes are definitely something that are big for me in my basketball game.

GS: "How essential is your massage gun to you in preparing you before game day or helping you recover after games?"

OS: "Yeah, the massage gun is super important to me. I mean, it's pretty self-explanatory as a basketball player, I get a lot of wear and tear on my body. So whenever I could get some type of recovery, I always try to do that. I use this massage gun whenever I'm just laying around the house or at the gym or just got some free time. I just usually just massage my legs, my arms and back, whatever. So this is definitely an essential item for me."

GS: "That candle that you have there looks pretty special. Do you use candles a lot around your dorm?"

OS: "I'll say I kind of got big on candles once I got to college and started living on my own. You know, my parents used to always light candles around the house, so it's kind of something I grew up on. Once I got to college, I kind of started getting into them. It's just an easy way for me to just wind down at the practice. So whenever I'm cleaning around the house, I just light a candle. You get a good smell so it's a good essential for me."

 

GS: “As athletes, we know that you guys are always encouraged to stay hydrated, especially before, during, and after games. How do you use hydration to help you with your performance on the court?"

OS: “Yeah, I specifically have a gallon of water because I’ve been trying to drink a lot more water. I’ve been trying to drink a gallon a day, even on the days that I don’t I still try to get in as much hydration as I can.

GS: “We see that you have some clippers with you. Do you cut your hair or how do you use clippers in your daily life?”

OS: “So this is essential for me because my dad is actually a barber. I have been around that my whole life and I love to have my hair fresh. Right now I kind of need a haircut, but he’s coming down tomorrow so I’m excited for that. Since he’s a barber he taught me how to cut hair a little.”

GS: "Of course as a student you’re going to need something to be able to do all of your schoolwork with. How important is your iPad for your daily life?”

OS: “My iPad is super important to me as well and is pretty self explanatory. With being a student, you need some type of device to do your schoolwork on. Other than school, I am able to use my iPad to watch film on practice and games. I also use my iPad when I am just lounging around if I’m watching movies or on the plane to watch a TV show. I would say that this item is pretty essential to my daily life.”

GS: “We see that you're holding a pair of headphones. I know a lot of athletes listen to music for their pregame so how essential are your headphones to prepare or throughout your day?”

OS: “My headphones are definitely of importance to my life, more specifically music. With being an athlete you're always traveling so these headphones are just easy to throw in quickly. Listening to music and my headphones are definitely essential for me in my daily life.”

GS: “That chain that you have looks really special. Is there any significance with the chain that you have with you?”

OS: “So this chain actually started off as my dad’s chain. He used to wear it all the time. I used to always play with it growing up and wanted to have it myself. Growing up, he actually ended up passing it down to my older brother. When he got it, I was super jealous and I would always beg him for it. He ended up passing it on to me. This is definitely something that important in my life as it hold a lot of family value.”