“Even if you go through adversity, keep going. Nothing can stop you.”

The Spark Before the Darkness

Born in Ottawa and raised between the Canadian capital and Montréal, Joseph’s basketball journey began in the shadow of his father, a respected coach and former player who introduced his son to the game. Like many Canadian kids, Joseph’s first sporting love was soccer, but the hardwood courts would soon capture his imagination. 

His exceptional talent became evident early. At Mont-Bleu High School in Gatineau, Joseph became the kind of player coaches notice - the one they move up to play with older students because his skills demand it. His final high school season at École secondaire St-Laurent was nothing short of dominant, where he earned RSEQ Division 1 Most Valuable Player honours, averaging 22 points and 11.4 rebounds per game while shooting a remarkable 53 percent from the floor and 46 percent from beyond the arc. 

It was 2020, and the basketball world was Joseph’s for the taking. He was preparing to attend St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in New Jersey, a launching pad that has propelled numerous players to Division I scholarships and professional careers. His trajectory seemed inevitable - until an ordinary night changed everything. 

The Moment Everything Changed

What began as a casual July evening in 2020 - teenagers setting off fireworks in a Gatineau park - became the pivot point around which Joseph’s entire life would revolve. There was nothing particularly reckless about that night. Joseph wasn’t even sitting close to the fireworks. But in a cruel twist of fate, one errant firework flew directly into his right eye. 

Initially, the pain wasn’t severe. At the hospital that night, doctors mentioned potential scarring, applied bandage, and sent him home. It was only upon his return to the hospital the next day that Joseph received the devastating news: he would be completely blind in his right eye. 

“The doctor told me straight up and it was hard,” Joseph recalled in early 2023. “I cried and didn’t want to believe it, but I had to face reality. I grew up with two eyes. It was mentally tough at first. If I go back in time, I wouldn’t have been there. I felt sorry for myself.” 

In an instant, his basketball dreams - the Division I scholarship, the professional career - seemed to evaporate. The preparations for St. Benedict’s Prep were replaced by rehabilitation, surgical procedures, and a profound reckoning with what his life would now become. 

Reimagining the Game

For many, the story might have ended there. A promising career cut short by tragedy. A cautionary tale. But Joseph’s story was just beginning. 

After months of recovery, Joseph returned to the court in April 2021 - not as a shadow of his former self, but as something new: a player determined to redefine what was possible. With a patch over his right eye, he began the painstaking process of relearning every skill he had once taken for granted. 

This wasn’t simply a matter of practicing harder than others. It required Joseph to fundamentally reimagine his relationship with the game. A basketball player’s spatial awareness - their understanding of where they are in relation to teammates, opponents, and the basket - is built upon years of visual input from both eyes. Joseph had to reconstruct this awareness from scratch, with half of his visual field permanently dark. 

“Shooting, moving my head, going back to see the ball, the court,” he explained. “I had to visualize and imagine the court.” 

Working with high school athletic trainer Isabelle Chiasson at Saint Laurent Express, Joseph committed to a grueling regimen: four hours daily, every day for four months. The focus was comprehensive - running mechanics, head positioning, court positioning, and spatial awareness. It wasn’t about compensating for a disability; it was about building a new foundation for excellence.

“To be honest, I don’t know how… I just do it,” Joseph said of his ability to play at an elite level with limited vision. “I tell myself I can do it, I’m capable of doing it and just do it. I go out there and do it. Basketball has always been in me. It was difficult and challenging at first, but now it’s like I have two eyes and it’s not difficult. Shooting’s OK. Driving’s OK. I think my left eye compensates.”

The results of this relentless dedication would soon become evident. That summer, playing for the Red Rush Basketball Program, Joseph delivered a breakthrough performance in a tournament final against Vanier College. It wasn’t just that he played well - it was that he played as if nothing had ever happened. 

“I just felt really natural,” Joseph remembered. “I felt like everything was just normal, like I’ve been through nothing in my life. I t was like playing basketball or just doing what I love.”

Rising Through the Ranks

After impressing at Vanier College, where he averaged 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game, Joseph’s collegiate journey took him to Concordia University in 2022. It was there, under the guidance of head coach Rastko Popović, that Joseph would transform from an inspiring comeback story into a legitimate professional prospect. 

“I don’t think people understand how hard it is to play basketball with the situation he has,” said Popović in early 2023. “It shows how talented he is. To do it at this level, still, is just remarkable. He doesn’t use it as an excuse, ever. He just goes and plays. He competes.”

As a freshman during the 2022-23 season, Joseph made an immediate impact, averaging 15.0 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting a career-best 41.7% from three-point range in 10 games. His performance earned him a spot on the RSEQ All-Rookie Team - a remarkable achievement for any player, let alone one who had completely rebuilt his game from scratch less than two years earlier. 

Rather than resting on his accomplishments, Joseph elevated his game even further in his sophomore season. Averaging 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.8 steals across 16 games, he established himself as one of the premier scorers in the RSEQ, ranking second in the league. His season was highlighted by a dominant performance against McGill on November 11, 2023, when he posted 26 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks - a statistical line that showcased his evolution into a complete player. 

This past season, as a junior in 2024-25, Joseph reached new heights. While his scoring average dipped slightly to 13.9 points per game, his playmaking improved significantly to 2.7 assists per game. He recorded a career-high 31 points against Laval in November, and his consistent excellence earned him RSEQ First Team All-Star honours and recognition as a Second Team All-Canadian. 

Beyond individual accolades, Joseph helped lead Concordia to national prominence. After a devastating loss to UQAM in the 2023-24 RSEQ finals, the Stingers rebounded this season, advancing to the U SPORTS National Championship tournament. There, Joseph’s contributions were instrumental in the team’s Consolation Final victory over UBC, where he scored 19 points and recorded three steals. 

Beyond the Stats

What makes Joseph’s story transcendent isn’t captured in statistics or accolades. It’s found in the countless hours of unseen work, the moments of doubt overcome, and the unwavering belief in possibilities where others saw only limitations. 

For Coach Popović, whose obsession with the game is legendary among his players, Joseph’s dedication stands out even in a program known for its work ethic. 

This attention to detail has been mirrored in Joseph’s approach to his own development. While many would view his visual impairment as a ceiling on his potential, Joseph has treated it as just another problem to solve through meticulous preparation and unwavering determination. 

“I visualize myself with two eyes,” he explained. “Aim the ball. Shoot the ball. Same release, same motion.”

This approach - treating limitation not as an excuse but as a puzzle to be solved - has defined Joseph’s career. It’s why his story resonates far beyond basketball, speaking to anyone who has faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. 

The Next Chapter

When the Montréal Alliance selected Joseph in the third round of the 2025 CEBL Draft, it wasn’t a charitable gesture of a feel-good story, It was a professional team recognizing what Joseph himself has always known: that he belongs at this level. 

The selection brings Joseph’s journey full circle. The boy who moved to Montréal at five years old before returning to Ottawa in sixth grade is now back in the city where he rediscovered his love for the game after his injury. After participating in the Alliance’s training camp during the 2024 season, Joseph now has the opportunity to make his mark on the professional stage in the city that helped reshape his basketball identity. 

For the Montréal Alliance, Joseph brings more than just his scoring ability, rebounding prowess, and defensive intensity. He brings a living testament to the power of resilience - a player who sees possibilities where others see limitations. 

As he transitions to the professional ranks, the challenges will be greater than ever before. The game will be faster, the athletes more explosive, the margins for error smaller. But if Joseph’s journey has taught us anything, it’s that challenges are just the precursors to new heights. 

“Even if you go through adversity, keep going,” Joseph once said. “Nothing can stop you.”

For Jaheem Joseph, those words aren’t just inspiration for others. They’re the principles by which he has rebuilt his basketball career - one drill, one shot, one game at a time. And as he prepares to don the Montréal Alliance uniform, they remain the guiding vision for a player who refuses to be defined by what he cannot see, focusing instead on the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. 

Jaheem Joseph, selected in the third round of the 2025 CEBL Draft by the Montréal Alliance, is currently completing his Theology degree at Concordia University while preparing for his professional basketball debut.