Basketball is more than a game for senior Marcus Smart and his family. It’s a lifestyle. Camellia Smart gave birth to four boys: Todd, Jeff, Michael and Marcus. Each played or plays basketball in high school. Every jersey they wore displayed the #3 on the back. Generations before started the basketball tradition. Camellia’s mother played basketball in school and for fun, and taught her sons and grandsons. The older generations took the younger to the gym.

 “Everybody was a gym rat,” Camellia said.

 Todd Westbrook was the oldest, and the responsibility rode on his shoulders to teach his younger brothers to play the game. Westbrook enjoyed teaching his brothers the game and all about life.

 “He (Todd) was a big inspiration to his little brothers,” Camellia said.

 His mother would say that Todd was motivation and a rock for her and her sons. Teaching each of his brothers the game was something that Westbrook enjoyed. His love for basketball was strong. He had played basketball ever since he was tall enough to shoot the ball into the hoop. Although most children do have their similarities, Todd and Marcus were one, according to their mother.

 “They both hate to lose. With competitive hearts, both Todd and Marcus were and are true players of the game,” Camellia said.

 Marcus lives for his brother’s legacy on and off the court. By the time Marcus reached the age where he could really learn to shoot, Todd was sick. Although Todd could not teach Marcus himself, he taught Marcus to play basketball through his brothers.

“Life is short, so take each day as if it is your last day. And God is good,” Todd would say.

***

 In 1985 doctors found a tumor behind the eye of a 15-year-old Todd. As the doctors broke the news to Todd and Camellia, she shook with emotion.

 “I almost went crazy sitting in there, I had to catch myself,” Camellia said.

 Todd stared at the doctor with no expression on his face. Camellia looked at her son, scared of his reaction.

 “What are we gonna do about this?” Todd asked the doctors calmly.

 Camellia was stunned. Her teenage son was just diagnosed with cancer, and he did not seem scared at all.

 After a round of chemotherapy and radiation, the tumor shrunk but did not disappear. In and out of the hospital, Todd missed most of his junior year at Lancaster High School in Dallas, but returned his senior to take his basketball team to the state tournament.

Through the years, Todd had his good days and his bad. When his sickness worsened he would come back home, go through treatments, and get back up again.

“He never cried…he never cried in front of me. He was so brave,” Camellia said.

By the time Marcus was born, Todd had been sick for several years. Not understanding what cancer was, Marcus lived life knowing that his big brother was sick, but did not understand the seriousness. When Marcus reached the age of eight or nine, he began to understand what cancer was.

“By that time, all I could think was that I am about to lose my brother and there is nothing that I can do about it,” Marcus said. “And that there may not be a solution to fixing it.”

Even though Todd was sick for so long, Marcus said he never showed it. He did not want anyone to ever feel bad for him. His relationship with his brothers was part of the reason he kept a smile on his face, Camellia said. After attending Dallas Carter High School his freshman year, making the varsity team, then going to Lancaster High and graduating, Todd’s life consisted of basketball and family. Later, as he attended Hill Junior College and Cedar Valley Community College, Todd’s cancer worsened. 

***

Todd came home to his mother one last time with a cold. Camellia sent him to Baylor hospital where they did a chest x-ray diagnosing him with pneumonia. Prescribing him with antibiotics did not help. He stayed sick.

Driving down the street a week before Christmas, Smart at age nine sits in the passenger seat next to his mother, Camellia Smart.

“Marcus what would you like to have for Christmas?” Camellia asks her son. Waiting for the response of a new remote control car or a video game Marcus looked up at his mother.

“Nothing momma.” With a laugh, Camellia asks her son again.

“I just pray and ask God to let me and my family be together for the holidays,” Marcus said. Filled with shock, Camellia pulled to the side of the road.

“Are you serious?” She looked at her son with tear brimmed eyes.

“Yes ma’am,” he answered. He did not want anything, because he knew what his family was going through with the cancer, Marcus said. He wanted to forget about all the bad and just spend the last moments with his brother.

That Christmas Todd spent with his family in their home in Desoto. Though he was sick he still bought presents for his family and spent quality time with his brothers. One in particular was a necklace for his youngest brother, Marcus. A necklace with a number 3 dangling from the chain. Marcus has worn it every day since he got it.

Only three weeks later, finally after being taken to Parkland hospital the doctors told him that the cancer had returned. It was on his lungs.

After doing little chemotherapy, Todd decided he was tired of suffering. The chemotherapy stopped.

Arriving home from school in January of 2004, Marcus and his cousin D’vonte’ Westbrook walk into the house. His cousin’s mother, Pia Westbrook walked into the room, tears flooding her eyes.

Marcus’ heart stopped. His world felt as if it was coming to an end.

“What’s wrong with Todd?” a 9-year-old Marcus asked her.

He knew something was wrong with Todd. When nothing but silence left her lips, Smart repeated his question, standing in front of her waiting.

“Todd is dying. He is brain dead and there is nothing that the doctors can do,” said Pia. The words left her lips slowly.

“What?” Marcus choked.

Still as a rock, thoughts ran through his mind.

No, this is not true. Not yet.

As the realization kicked in, tears spilled down Smart’s face. With nowhere else to turn Smart busted through his front door and ran to the front yard. There he fell to the ground and put his head in his hands. His cousin grabbed him and held him close. 

***

After arriving at the hospital before his dad could stop the car, Marcus opened the door and ran.

Through the hospital doors he ran down the halls, looking for Todd. Finally after seeing his family, they brought him to where Todd was.

Laying there in the hospital bed was his big brother, the man who had taught him to play basketball, the man who taught him to be everything he could be. Camellia grabbed Marcus as he began to sob. He reached out to touch his brothers foot, and felt the chill that covered his body.

“It was a nightmare for me, I could only think that this wouldn’t be happening,” Marcus said.

Once he arrived at the hospital, Todd was already gone. Giving his brother one last hug, he told him goodbye. Though the sadness over took him, he knew he was in a better place, and he would be looking down on him Marcus said.

After an 18-year-battle with cancer, Todd Westbrook died January 9, 2004 at 7:59 p.m.

“He enjoyed life to the fullest,” Camellia said. 

***

On Dec. 2, Marcus stood in the middle of the Lancaster High School gym before the Marauders’ game against Lancaster to retire the #3 jersey. He stood surrounded by fans, friends and family to show his love and support for all that his brother had done.

Todd played for Lancaster from 1986-1988. Although he missed most of his junior year, he returned in 1987 to lead the Lancaster Tigers to rank second in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 4A poll, and to the 4A state semifinals. His jersey is now displayed in Lancaster high’s newly built gym.

“It was an incredible feeling to go back to my home town, to see that his legacy still lives,” Marcus said.

Like his brother, Marcus was placed on varsity his freshman year of high school. As Marcus goes forward in his basketball career, he said Todd is always a thought on his mind. Some of his teammates look at him as a leader, but Marcus said all the teammates are leaders together.

“My job is to keep us focused, and to keep us going,” Marcus said.

Marcus said he knows this is what Todd would have wanted, and that playing basketball would have meant something to him. Without Todd, things would be different for the Smart family. The heartache and troubles they went through, though difficult, helped to make them stronger.

“When tragedy happens you don’t just stop,” Camellia said. “You have to keep going, and that’s what Todd would have wanted.”

 In Todd’s remembrance, Marcus got a tattoo in his brothers honor his freshman year: a basketball with Todd’s name, the #3, and REST IN PEACE. Todd’s words and actions are remembered every day, Marcus said.

“I want to do everything to make sure his life here on earth wasn’t useless,” Marcus said. “He made an impact on my life, and I impact others because of him, by telling everyone that every day isn’t promised and that you should be thankful for the days you have.”