Mo'ne Davis is still only 13 -- but the multi-sport star with the 70 mph fastball was the face of the Little League World Series last summer after she became the first girl to win a game in LLWS history. She was later named the youngest-ever AP Female Athlete of the Year, and was selected as Sports Kid of the Year by "Sports Illustrated" -- among many other accomplishments. A legend already? Quite possibly, even though Davis isn't even in high school.
Davis and bona fide superstar Jackie Joyner-Kersee, owner of six Olympic track and field medals, talked in Davis' hometown of Philadelphia, where she plays on the high school girls' varsity basketball team (despite attending Springside Chestnut Hill Academy as an eighth-grader) and on the otherwise all-boy Anderson Monarchs baseball and basketball teams.
ESPN's Jemele Hill led the conversation, and the three chatted about everything from hide-and-seek (in the batting cage!) to serious topics like gender and race.
The two-part segment, part of a "SportsCenter" Black History Month special titled "Trailblazers: Past, Present and Future," will air on ESPN Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
Can't wait until Sunday to get the scoop on Mo'ne? We've got three moments that got cut (reluctantly) from TV, but prove that this power duo is just as cool as we suspected.
From Wilma Rudolph to Ronaldo
Jemele Hill: Who, Jackie, are some of your favorite athletes?
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Wilma Rudolph, Michael Jordan. I remember when I was younger, I had an opportunity to see Flo Hyman play volleyball here and Rita Crockett against the Japanese team, and she was about seven feet, great volleyball player -- just [an] awesome woman. At our high school they would take us to see them when they'd come to Carbondale, [Illinois,] and we'd have to drive two and a half hours.
Let's see, who else? Then there were a lot of athletes competing today from Kobe to LeBron to Russell [Westbrook] to [James] Harden. I love athletes that give it all, and you see it day in and day out. I hate to see Kobe going through...the injuries, because I know what his body has gone through, and I'm hoping maybe he'll give it another year or two or three more.
Hill (to Davis): Your favorite athletes?
Davis: For basketball, I would have to say Steph Curry. For baseball, Chase Utley, and for soccer, probably Ronaldo.
Hill: Pretty impressive list. Why those in particular?
Davis: Well, Steph Curry, I like the way he plays. He's just good all around. And Chase Utley, he's like the same way. He's very -- for an infielder, he's very soft-handed and he's really smart on the field and [he has] mental toughness, and Ronaldo, I just like the way he plays.
If you can't be an athlete...
Hill: Let's put sports aside. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Davis: Sports aside?
Hill: Sports aside. You can pick an athletic career, you can't pick an athlete.
Davis: Would a sports commentator [count]?
Hill: See, you're cheating. You're cheating with that.
Davis: It's not an athlete, though. Probably a sports commentator.
Hill (to Joyner-Kersee): When you were 13, what did you want to be?
Joyner-Kersee: Oh, when I was 13, I really -- it wasn't a title at that time, but I really saw myself doing things in the community, a teacher, because I believe in helping people and trying to find a way to do those things.
Beyoncé is boss
Hill: Who are your favorite musicians?
Davis: I like a lot of, like, the popular ones, like Ariana Grande or Bruno Mars, into like the pop kind of genre.
Hill: I know we look old but we actually know who these people are, just so you know. Who else do you like to listen to?
Davis: Well, Beyoncé is like one of the top people up there.
Joyner-Kersee: We've got that in common. I like Beyoncé.
Davis: Beyoncé is probably one of my favorites.
Hill: Have you met Beyoncé?
Davis: No.
Hill: All right, just checking. (To Joyner-Kersee) Who's some of your favorite music?
Joyner-Kersee: Beyoncé. I love old school, O'Jays and Yolanda Adams. I like her. I have a mixture. I love Drake. I like some of Nicki Minaj. I love that, that we can have that moment.
Hill (to Davis): Do you know who the O'Jays are?
Davis: No, but I heard of Yolanda Adams on the radio station.
Hill: (joking) I knew she had no idea. I knew she had no idea what O'Jays were.