When Powe was 2, his father left home for good. When he was 7, his 5-year-old brother accidentally set their Oakland duplex afire while playing with matches, and their family lost everything.
His mother worked such long hours to try to support her seven children that Powe had to repeat the fifth grade after staying home for most of the previous year to take care of his younger siblings.
For several years, the Powes bounced around from homeless shelters to drug-infested tenements to motel rooms to foster homes.
Powe’s mother got involved with drugs, was convicted of shoplifting and twice arrested for collecting food stamps without informing her temp agency employer. She did jail time.

Powe’s ordeal was not over. While attempting a dunk that spring, he tore the ACL in his left knee. He decided against surgery and while wearing a knee brace he led his team back to the state title game as a senior.

In April 2004, he underwent bone graft surgery to prepare for major reconstructive knee surgery the following September. He sat out the 2004-2005 season.

“The best part,” Powe said, “was it taught me to cherish anything you have, always work hard and don’t take anything for granted.

He’s different,” Rivers said. “You tell him he’s not good enough at something, and he’ll go work at it. You tell another guy he’s not good enough at something, and he’ll go pout and call his agent.”

“I’ve got a special place for what he’s gone through,” Rivers said. “He’s a survivor. That’s a characteristic that I think every coach wants on his team.”