Douglas Langford to Play For Harvard

Three years ago, his parents made the difficult decision to relocate him to the U.S. at the age of fourteen. Today, Douglas Langford Junior committed to playing college basketball at Harvard University. Langford grew up in the Culture Capital, Dangriga. His father, Douglas Langford Senior is a respected basketball player in Belize who had dreams of one day joining the N.B.A. Those dreams were never realized, but when his son came along with similar desires and the dedication to realize that dream, the best option was to get him into a high school basketball program in the U.S. Douglas Langford Junior has been excelling ever since, both academically and athletically. Life has now come full circle for his family, as Langford Junior is one step closer to the N.B.A. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Belizean basketball athlete, seventeen-year-old Douglas Langford Junior is headed to Harvard University.

 

Douglas Langford Jr., Basketball Athlete

“It means a lot to finally get this accomplished, because upon arriving to America my freshman year when I was fourteen the coaches told me you have a lot of potential and you have the ability to change not only your life but your family’s life forever. It was not something I took literally. Harvard was never in my mind.”

 

 

 

Langford has officially committed to playing basketball at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He secured a four-year scholarship that is valued at approximately seven hundred thousand Belize dollars. Born and raised in Dangriga, Langford’s parents decided to relocate him to the U.S. at the age of fourteen.

 

 

 

Terri Langford, Mother of Douglas Langford Jr.

“As a parent dedicated to trying to support your child as any other parent would, you make sacrifices and don’t think about them. You push through, you encourage, you hold on to their hands for as long as you can and then you let go for them to make good decisions, decisions that they will have to uphold as they grow older. For me, watching him grow into the young man they have become has been nothing short of incredible. I know people like seh “monkey nuh seh deh pikni black”? Well, the truth is Douglas Langford has always been a disciplined and dedicated young man.”

 

Douglas was the captain for team Belize at the FIBA Under-Eighteen AmeriCup 2024 held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in June. Standing at six feet, six inches tall, and weighing in at two hundred pounds, Langford received offers from at least six different tertiary education institutions in the U.S.

 

Douglas Langford Jr.

“Going into this process of hard work and just seeing how the chips were on the table, I think the best pick was Harvard. It means a lot because yes you can take away basketball, you can take away athleticism, but you can’t take away Harvard, especially a Harvard degree. That is something that will be with me for the rest of my life. That is why this was my best choice. It is just another step in my basketball journey to be a better player and a better person.”

 

Adding to his accomplishments, Langford was also named the 2024 MVP at the Basketball Without Borders. The NBA basketball camp brought together sixty of the top high-school-age prospects, from seventeen countries, in Brazil.

 

Paul Lopez

“What would you say you cherish the most, playing for Harvard as an athlete or the academic pursuit aspect at Harvard?”

 

Douglas Langford Jr.

“I would say, the academic pursuit at Harvard, because it is the best in the world hands down. It doesn’t get any better than that. But, playing basketball there with a head coach who I call a guru. I always had a passion for Coach K at Duke. He was the assistant coach there. And he went to being the head coach at Michigan and then he left. Now he is at Harvard. So, to me it is like if I can’t get Coach K, then I can get a sample of him at Harvard. So, that played a big role.”

 

We also spoke with Douglas Langford Senior. He was beaming with pride.

 

Douglas Langford Sr., Father of Douglas Langford Jr.

“My dream was to play in the NBA. I never made it. My son came along, and we made the decision for him to go to the states for him to get better at playing basketball, pursuing his education. It would have been best for us to let lose of him for him to go at the age of fourteen to get that start. I am so proud of him. It is like a dream come true. I would never have thought that when we sent James to the states at the age of fourteen that a day would come when he would commit to Harvard. I never had Harvard in my mind. It is a dream come true and I want to tell him congratulations.”

 

And his parents are not the only ones filled with joy. Langford has been receiving praises and congratulatory messages across social media from those at home. He begins his journey at Harvard in summer 2025.

 

Douglas Langford Jr.

“I am proud. It is just something I want to share with the people, because it takes a village to raise a child and I thank everyone for their support, for being in my circle and looking out. It means a lot to see that so many people support me and want to see me do good. So, that means a lot. I can’t let all these people down. And, I just want to say thank you Belize and Belize all the way.”

 

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

The Ministry of Sports has issued a release congratulating Langford for commitment to Harvard University. The release says in part, quote, “Langford Jr.’s journey in basketball is characterized by unwavering dedication and resilience. He has been an integral participant in the National Primary School Program, organized by the National Sports Council (NSC), where he developed both his skills and his passion for the sport. His outstanding performance at the recent Argentina Tournament further established his reputation as one of the premier young athletes in the region, ultimately leading to his recruitment by Harvard University”, unquote.