Senior Luke Laczkowski converts on a putback layup. A timeout is called. Applause erupts from the stands.
The cheerleaders present the new all-time scorer with a sign of congratulations.
“That last basket made Luke Laczkowksi the St. Mark’s all time scoring leader, surpassing his brother, Andrew,” Announcer Doc Browning says.
History has been made.
Standing by Luke’s side, his brother, coach and biggest supporter Andrew Laczkowski turns to congratulate him.
Luke’s biggest inspiration now stands one spot behind him on the all time scoring list.
What seemed to be a simple shot amidst their 34-point lead turned out altering the history of St. Mark’s varsity basketball. However, Luke was not always destined for greatness.
In a house with two older brothers, competition was inevitable. As the youngest, Luke would often get overpowered, having to compete as an underdog.
“We have a basketball court in our backyard, and we’d play two versus one, Tate and I versus Andrew,” Luke Laczkowski said. “Andrew would just leave me open on the block because I couldn’t even make a layup.”
Although Luke had to work from behind, he was given a natural blueprint. Luke took advantage of this opportunity by not only accepting the challenge of higher competition, but also taking aspects from each of his brothers’ games.
“My brothers created me into the player I am today… I am like a blend of both of them,” Laczkowski said. “Andrew showed me work ethic. He worked his butt off throughout high school and especially college, and I feel like I’ve definitely valued seeing him doing that. For Tate, he was a pretty good shooter throughout high school, and it was his main role.”
Entering Varsity Basketball as a freshman, Luke received limited playing time, leading him to question his future role with the team. However, with a burning desire to see the court, he dove into the grind of AAU during his summer of sophomore year. Feeling like a new and improved athlete, the stars aligned during his sophomore year, allowing him to play a significant role on the school team.
Early in his junior season, Luke reached the coveted 1,000-point mark. Although he remained focused on the challenges directly ahead of him, the thought of 2,000 points and the all-time scoring record lingered in the back of his mind.
“My dad and I started tracking my points and what pace I needed in order to break 2,000 in an excel spreadsheet,” Laczkowski said.
Laczkowski’s hard work and success over the past two years gave him the opportunity to play Division I collegiate basketball, committing to Saint Louis University with thorough consideration from him and his family. With the unwavering support of his family, Luke’s goal for his senior season, rather than pursuing personal accolades, was to live the moment to the fullest and enjoy it as much as possible, ultimately aiming to conclude the season with an SPC championship banner hanging in the new athletic center.
“I’m not gonna have this much freedom to play basketball ever again on any other team,” Laczkowski said. “Every year there are guys I get super close with because of basketball. That’s the great thing about basketball, being a team sport: you make some of the closest friends. I want to go out with a bang in my last season.”
During Luke’s final season, Andrew returned to Dallas from UPenn and took a job in the St. Mark’s athletic department, allowing him to contribute to the program while watching his brother’s final season. As Luke was approaching Andrew’s record, Andrew’s support only strengthened.
“I told him not to worry about the record because we had known going into the year that he was going to break it. It was a matter of when not if,” Andrew said. “I have been happy to be here and help him through different things like being a team leader or how to fight a certain situation on the court, or just to be a welcoming voice from the bench for him.”
After breaking the record, Luke is trying to delay his gratification until his final goal of winning SPC is complete. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t resist reminiscing about his journey with his family, observing the impact he and his family have left on St. Mark’s.
“(Andrew) told me the night after I broke his record that he was amazed at how far I’ve come,” Laczkowski said. “And, I mean, it’s kind of ridiculous how much they’ve helped me throughout the process just of high school and then also choosing where I’m going to go to college. Without them, it wouldn’t have been this easy.”