This story aired in the April 09, 2026 episode of Crosscurrents.
As the Golden State Warriors take the floor for their final home game of the regular season, questions still linger. With injuries shaping much of the year, and the postseason picture uncertain. Will younger players get a chance to step into the spotlight?
It’s a moment built on opportunity, something every young player dreams of. Including Chance McMillian of Vallejo. After completing his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team’s developmental affiliate, he’s one step closer to reaching his long-held dream.
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Story Transcript:
REPORTER: I’ve got a front-row seat at a Warriors game. Thousands of people are still filing into the arena. On the court, players warm up as they prepare to take on the San Diego Clippers. Yes, the San Diego Clippers because this is the NBA’s G League. We're in Santa Cruz, inside the Kaiser Permanente Arena. It’s the home of the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The G League is the NBA’s developmental league. Where players fresh out of college or simply chasing an opportunity, are developing their skills and showcasing their talent. All in hopes of earning a call-up to an NBA team.
The horn sounds and kids from the Santa Cruz community sing the national anthem. The players stand upright, focused, with their hands over their hearts. You can feel it. The nerves, the anticipation, the moment right before everything begins. Once that ball goes up, it’s not just a game anymore. It’s a chance to be noticed.
The game tips off, and early on, it’s back and forth. Santa Cruz comes out strong and builds a lead. At one point, with the shot clock winding down, Warriors player number 55 pulls up and knocks down a three. That’s 25-year-old Chance McMillian, a Vallejo native who was signed by the Warriors organization late last year. At any moment, he can be called up to play for the Golden State Warriors. A team he’s rooted for since he was a kid.
While everyone else is watching Chance make shot after shot, I notice something else. The tattoo on his left arm, a reminder of the city we both come from, Vallejo. A place where a lot of us grow up with hoop dreams.
CHANCE: I wanted something on my arm so when people look at my arm they see my journey. Where I’m from and what I’m about.
REPORTER: And that’s exactly what it is. His life, his city, embedded on his arm.
CHANCE: On my shoulder it’s clouds. Right under the clouds are palm trees. The side of the palm trees is the bay bridge and right under the bay bridge is the Vallejo city sign.
REPORTER: And as he keeps going. It starts to sound less like a tattoo and more like his story.
CHANCE: And then under that is a rose because that’s my mom’s favorite flower.
REPORTER: And right there, that’s where the story really begins. Back home with his mom, Judy, in Vallejo. At just two years old, while most kids were watching cartoons. Chance was watching highlights of NBA legend Dr. J, Julius Erving.
JUDY: What are you going to ask me, wait tell me up front.
REPORTER: Judy Eastman-Bowers McMillian is a Vallejo mom through and through. There’s a warmth to her. The kind you feel right away mixed with love, humor, and a little bit of “I don’t play about my baby.”
JUDY: This is the first time anybody ever asked me about my baby while recording it. I’m a black mama now, don't mess around.
REPORTER: Ms. Judy saw his dream long before Chance could even say it.
JUDY: He was four. He would watch them in the All Star game. So, he figured he could do the same thing. So, he stood up on the ottoman and he jumped. Then blam, the hoop is broken. Can’t fix it, it’s broken.
REPORTER:The next day, Judy went to her dad, Chance’s grandfather and told him what happened.
JUDY:My Father got another Fisher-Price hoop sitting in the house. He said, take that back up there so that baby can play. He broke that one too.
REPORTER: After that, Judy had to get him a standard hoop and a standard basketball. The ones adults use but Chance was only four.
CHANCE: I was always on the side of my house when I was younger. Like early in the morning, as soon as I wake up, I’m going outside. My mom used to get mad because I was banging the ball against the house.
REPORTER: And just like the ball, his mom was always there.
CHANCE: Honestly basketball has been a part of my life forever. My mom put the ball in my hands when I was young.
JUDY: Looking at him when he was younger. He always had a ball in his hand. It got to the point where I knew there was nothing that was gonna deter him because he had now gotten focus. So, I used that focus to make sure he achieved what he needed to do.
REPORTER: And once that focus was there, the NBA dream became their goal.
JUDY: And once he stated that this is what he wanted, which was to be a college graduate and a NBA player. I kept him on that track.
REPORTER: By the time he was in fourth grade, Judy started putting Chance in youth development leagues across the Bay Area, AAU basketball. While playing in a league out of San Francisco, that’s when he began to realize he might be different.
CHANCE: The parents would say “he is held back.” Truth is, I’m the exact same age.
REPORTER: They were literally questioning his age because of how dominant he was. However, talent alone isn’t enough to make it to the NBA especially growing up in Vallejo where resources and access aren’t always guaranteed. It took a village to keep him on his journey to the NBA.
CHANCE: My mom, my brother, my sister and my niece. They all played a part in taking me to my AAU games and practices. They all would buy me food after practice. Those were the main people there on the come up, so I definitely cherish them.
REPORTER: But as he got older, things got more complicated.
JUDY: It was intense. I saw it trying to derail in the 12th grade of high school.
REPORTER: Chance was thriving on the court, but struggling in the classroom. That’s when his mom stepped in.
JUDY: Before I let anybody else take basketball from you. I’ll take it from you.
REPORTER: She pulled him out of St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School and made one call to Coach Dwayne Jones. Coach Jones is a legend in Vallejo. He's the first ever head basketball coach at Jesse Bethel High School and also a counselor. He had already been watching Chance for years. Now he had an opportunity to guide him. He recalls the day he met Chance and his mom like it was yesterday.
COACH JONES: That Monday,five days before school started. Chance and his Mom came to my office. I told them both that dreams do come true.
REPORTER: When Chance arrived at Jesse Bethel High School, his GPA was around a 1.9, making him ineligible to play. Coach Jones gave him a deal. Handle your business in the classroom, then you’ll be able to showcase your talent on the court.
COACH JONES: And he did it. He handled his part.
REPORTER: From there, things opened up. Chance was locked in his senior year at Bethel.
CHANCE: He instilled confidence into me and I was playing free out there. I was dominating.
REPORTER: That confidence carried him from Vallejo to the college level, playing at Grand Canyon University and Texas Tech. During his time in college, he developed into a defensive presence and reliable shooter. The kind of player the Warriors scouts pay attention to. Eventually, the Warriors noticed.
REPORTER: Tell me about the day when you got picked up by the Warriors organization.
CHANCE: What? I cried. I was speechless. I didn't say anything for 20 seconds. It's crazy. I had no words.
REPORTER: He stepped onto the Santa Cruz Warriors court for the first time last winter. I caught another game in March towards the end of his first season. Santa Cruz versus the South Bay Lakers. It’s loud. It’s hot. The gym is packed. The Santa Cruz Warriors are wearing their white, blue, and yellow jerseys. Right there in the middle of it, the kid from Vallejo, Chance McMillian. I’m seated literally on the floor, watching it all up close.
Early on, Santa Cruz builds a lead. But the South Bay Lakers take control and never let go. It’s a tough loss for Santa Cruz but Chance still shows up. Nineteen points. Playing unselfish basketball. Still finding a way to grow his skill. After the game, I spoke with Santa Cruz head coach Lainn Wilson who’s been watching Chance all season.
LAINN WILSON: For him to do what he’s done so far has been impressive. He’s been eager to learn and he picks up on concepts quickly. He’s figuring out ways on how he can impact the game with his scoring and then getting others involved. He’s made a lot of progress there.
REPORTER: And as his game grows, so does his purpose.
CHANCE: It is not just about me anymore. It’s about people around me and the people who may see me. Just knowing that you’re not the only one, you could do it too. Whatever you want to do.
REPORTER: Being a kid from Vallejo as well. I know it’s not about what you don’t have. It’s about perspective, focus, and how far you’re willing to go. If you look closely, that mindset is already tattooed on him.
CHANCE: So if you look at Vallejo sign. Under Vallejo, it says City of Opportunity. So I see every day as an opportunity and I try to make the most of it.
REPORTER: Because every time Chance steps on the court. He represents something bigger than just himself. His family, his roots, and the message his mom has instilled in him since he was a child.
CHANCE: First of all do good in school. Listen to your parents and follow your dreams.
REPORTER:For Chance McMillian, the dream is still alive. The NBA, the Golden State Warriors. The same team he grew up watching. However, it’s bigger than just the dream because along the way he’s become a reminder that kids from Vallejo can make it too.
