Inkster senior athlete still dominating the hardwood at nearly 80 years old
(CBS DETROIT) - An Inkster athlete known for his dedication to basketball is still active on the hardwood at nearly 80 years old.
For 79-year-old Victor Deihl, his love is basketball. He palmed his first basketball before the age of 10.
"In Inkster, when I was probably about 9 years old, my neighbor put a basketball rack up on his house, and I used to go over there and shoot around," Deihl said. "When you get on that court, everything disappears. It's just me and the ball and the competition. It's a relief. It afforded me the opportunity to go all over the world."
Now, 70 years later, he's still going strong.
"Losing was not an option. It just had to be winning or nothing else," he said.
A graduate of Inkster High School, Deihl played in junior college for a few months before enlisting in the Army, where he also played basketball. From there, he went to Belgium, where he played professionally for 12 years.
But when Deihl returned to the States, addiction got the best of him.
"Basketball saved my life," Deihl said. "I overcame that addiction, but when you overcome an addiction, you have to have something to take its place."
When he was reintroduced to the game in the form of a senior league, he fell in love all over again.
"Oh, my goodness. It was just like a breath of fresh air. It was great," he said.
Deihl is now an incredibly decorated athlete, boasting dozens of rings, awards, trophies, and medals. This year, he was named MVP in his division at the Masters Basketball Association Tournament in Florida but admits he may have to hang up his hoop shoes soon.
"I still love the game, but I don't want to put my body through what I put it through to be able to play at the level that I play at," he said.
Deihl is proof age ain't nothing by a number, and when you're determined, you can beat every odd stacked against you.