Childhood chess prodigy Jordan Ford is making his move with hometown Sacramento Kings

Jordan Ford used to size things up on an entirely different playing surface when he rolled up his sleeves and went to work.

Years before he dazzled as a ball-handling guru guard at Folsom High School, where he earned Sacramento Bee Player of the Decade honors for the 2010s, and a lifetime before he became the starting guard for the Sacramento Kings summer league squad, Ford flexed his mental muscle with pieces on a checkered board that measures 21 inches wide and 21 inches long.

He used pawns, bishops, rooks, knights and a queen in an effort to conquer their king. He was literally playing chess while others were playing checkers.

Ford poured himself into this endeavor, generally 30 hours a week, because that’s how he was wired even then. He was nicknamed “The Storm” because playing this guy was like dealing with the force of a twister bearing down on an Oklahoma farmhouse. There’s nothing left but rubble.

Ford as a 6 year old required two or three stacked chairs to sit on when he faced adults, anything to boost him a bit to see the board. He won two California state chess championships by the time he was in the second grade. Then the prodigy retired from chess competition at the ripe age of 8. Yes, to spend more time with family, to be a kid, to savor an ice cream more than running someone off the board.

“Chess is such a great game,” Ford said this week. “It gave me a lot.”

Ford’s father, Cuzear, taught him chess when he was 4. Cuzear explained that he wanted his son to play chess to challenge him, explaining Tuesday in an interview that it helped in problem solving and competing with controlled emotion.

“I was convinced chess was a positive but difficult discipline to pursue, and chess sped up his processing speed,” Ford’s father said. “It didn’t make our kid a genius, but it sure helped his ability to process information quickly.”

Cuzear added: “He was able to calculate chess positions relatively easily. He developed nerves of steel because there’s nothing more pressurized than playing a competitive chess game, knowing that you can lose and be shamed by your peers.”

Ford said that it was more difficult to train for chess than basketball. In hoops, he can feel the game, he can dictate tempo, and he has teammates that can move by themselves, unlike chess pieces.

For a young man with an analytical mind and relentless work ethic, the two games blend over.

“The biggest thing chess taught me as a kid was how to develop a work ethic and what it takes to be successful,” Ford said. “I trained hard in chess, then I picked up basketball and it carried over. I still play my dad, and sometimes over the years, I’ll play teammates.”

Ford added: “My dad never pushed me in chess or basketball. It was something I wanted to do. He played baseball at UC Santa Barbara, and he knew what it took to be a good player. He’s been guiding me. My mom (Ann) has always been super supportive, too, and she’s the one who videotaped all of my games growing up. You can hear her on the tapes, excited. I look back and it was no accident that I am where I am now. You have to work at it.”

Sister taught him toughness

Ford’s transition from chess to basketball was not a smooth one. First, he had to get past his sister, Jennifer, who with crossed arms and a scowl dared the kid to enter the lane. Three years older, Jennifer was “The Storm” working over “The Storm,” bombarding him with a barrage of baskets in the yard or nearby park, often reducing Ford to a fit of emotions — things simply not allowed in a game of chess.

Cuzear recalled this week about those battles: “Jennifer was a brute, a pretty one at that, but a brute. She would pound Jordan in the low post all day long. Her nickname was Charles Barkley. She enjoyed the game for the simple pleasures it affords, and she was instrumental in toughening up the smaller, the weaker, Jordan Ford.”

Ford was soon hooked on hoops. He attended Folsom High summer basketball camps by the age of 10 He often arrived before any of the other kids, and he’d turn heads of the high school coaches by doing sit ups on his own, or sitting and dribbling a ball on both sides of himself.

Ford emerged as a starter as a freshman on the Folsom High varsity team, growing by the week, and he capped one of the region’s great prep careers by earning four Bee All-Metro honors and twice being named The Bee’s Player of the Year. In 125 varsity games, Ford averaged 19.2 points, and the Bulldogs went 87-13 over his last three seasons.

Longtime Folsom High coach Mike Wall said of Ford in 2016: “Point guard is the most important position on the court, and Jordan plays the position better than anyone I’ve seen around here.”

The coach still stands by that statement.

Ford came off the bench his freshman season at Saint Mary’s in Moraga, a mid-major powerhouse under coach Randy Bennett, and then he dazzled his final three seasons, including scoring 42 points in a West Coast Conference Tournament game as a senior when he averaged 21.9 points.

Bennett has said that Ford “might be the most skilled player we’ve ever had.”

Ford was not selected in the two-round 2020 NBA draft but signed with the Los Angeles Clippers and played on their NBA G League team. He had a stint with the Greek club Peristeri, resigned with the Clipper G League team and competed last season with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, where he averaged 14.7 points.

Summer showcase

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Ford is leading the Kings this summer, including two games at the California Classic at Golden 1 Center and a slate of games in Las Vegas, starting with Friday’s 7:30 p.m. opener against the Atlanta Hawks at Cox Pavilion. Ford is, in effect, on audition. He has been handed the ball with the mandate to make the offense go.

Against Golden State on Monday, Ford scored 18 points with three assists and one turnover. He scored on floaters, 3-point shots and layups.

Ford also worked hard on defense, applying ball pressure, as he continues to round out his game. Ford’s ball handling, game IQ and shooting is NBA quality, his agent, Calvin Andrews, said, but his slight frame and defense are the works in progress. No one understands this more than Ford.

“I’m always trying to put on weight, to get stronger, and I work hard at it,” Ford said. “Sometimes, I have to cheat a little and eat candy or junk food, but I mostly avoid really bad food. I eat as well as I can and as much as I can.”

Ford is not married. He has no kids and doesn’t have a girlfriend. The 25-year old is committed to basketball, and he’ll play somewhere this season, perhaps as the Kings’ third point guard or for another NBA team, or overseas where the cities may not be familiar to many in America, but the paychecks can be sizable.

“It’s not a bad way to make a living,” Ford said with a laugh. “I’ve played in so many big games, high-pressure games, and the challenge is second nature. It’s something I love to do. The challenge is what makes you a better player.”

Undrafted but not unseen

Ford wouldn’t be the first undrafted player to make an NBA squad, just the latest. His Kings summer coach, Luke Loucks, recalled the path of former St. Mary’s of Stockton star Gabe Vincent, who starred at UC Santa Barbara, went undrafted, bounced around, then settled in with the Miami Heat, where he started games at guard in the recent NBA Finals before parlaying that momentum into a three-year, $33 million dollar free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“There’s some parallels,” Loucks said. “Ford is doing all the right things. He’s showing up. He’s here early. He’s just sitting there watching De’Aaron Fox work out, waiting. He’s worked his butt off to get here. He plays the right way. He plays our style of basketball. He’s smart with the ball. He’s tough. He’s gritty. I’m super excited to coach Jordan.”

Ford said he is thrilled to play for a team he grew up following.

“It’s been awesome,” he said. “(The coaches) are telling me to run the show, play great basketball like I know how to, get guys involved, with a big emphasis on defense as well.”

Ford’s parents weren’t the only ones soaking in his game at Golden 1 Center this week. His agent was also there. Andrews is tasked with getting his client placed somewhere. Ford has known Andrews for 10 years.

“I think Jordan is an NBA player, especially in today’s game and how it’s played,” Andrews said. “There’s a premium on shooting, small ball, spacing and shooting, and he can fit right in. This is his year to make that move. He’s so much more experienced than he’s been. I see it in his game and in his approach. It’s all about displaying his ability to impact a game, and that’s the goal this summer. If he can continue to do that, someone’s going to like it and want to sign him. If (Monday night) was an indication of what Jordan can do, it’ll be a great summer.”