Cori and Legacy Benjamin have a passion for basketball and show a distinct level of talent at the ages of 12 and 11 respectively. Their dream is to become the first female players in the NBA.
The sisters are known as the Benjamin Ballers, their physicality and range of shooting allowed them to excel in the AAU circuit. They are the daughters of the former NBA player Corey Benjamin.
They have over 5,000 followers on Instagram, their numerous highlight reels have thousands of views. The videos consist of Cori finishing plays in the paint and Legacy making defensive stops, profiling their speed and toughness.
Cori and Legacy Benjamin initially played on boys teams. A year ago, they began playing on girls’ teams in their organization, allowing the female players to get to know them.
Cori was the reason why Legacy began playing basketball.
“We were at my sister’s basketball game and mom told me to go sit on the bench,” Legacy said. “Then the coach mistakenly put me in the game instead of Cori.”
They have participated and excelled in several tournaments since they started, making it to the AAU National tournament. During one game in the tournament, four players on Cori’s team fouled out, the game was put in Cori’s hands.
“I had four fouls and I believe we were up by one shot … if I would have fouled out, I would have to forfeit,” she said. “We ran a play and then they threw it to me to hold the ball for the last few seconds.”
Both Cori and Legacy have won MVP awards in several tournaments and showcases that they have participated in, including the Elite Basketball Circuit, Above the Rim Classic, and Ball is Life Junior All American Camp.
The Benjamin Ballers have also showcased their talents during halftime of two different L.A. Clippers games. They were also participants of the jr L.A. Sparks All-Star game in 2018.
Often, Legacy is the youngest on the squads she is on and her teammates will tend to underestimate her capabilities. When she plays, she wears glasses much like Showtime Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“She’s a really good lefty and her defense is impeccable,” said their mother, Tyra Hunt. “She has very long limbs, so it makes it hard for the defenders to try to maneuver around.”
Cori is a quiet storm: a young lady of few words who allows her talents on court to speak for itself.
“Cori is good on offense and defense,” Legacy said. “On defense she could rebound, box out to get the ball. On offense, she can just run straight through everyone.”
Off the court, Legacy is an effervescent figure on campus, a student who is involved with student council.
Legacy also helps news students get to know the campus, she desires to help her fellow students step out of their comfort zones.
Cori enjoys learning about science and robotics. In her studies, she learned about coding and how to make a flashlight.
“We finished a project making a burglar alarm,” Cori said.
Their talents have opened many doors for the Benjamin Ballers, allowing them to meet several professional athletes including WNBA Champion Jordin Canada, NBA Legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving, reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams, and NBA icon Chris Paul.
