Trayvon Lathan came to Chowan in the Fall of 2003 after being recruited by then-Head Coach Jim Tribett. The Chesapeake, Virginia native attended Deep Creek High School and had a solid scholastic career, before developing into the most prolific offensive player in four-year program history at Chowan.Â
In Lathan’s four-year career at Chowan, the 6-7 guard amassed 1,925 points, still leading all-scorers in program history. He ranks 1st in 10 different statistical categories, making him the most explosive and decorated player in the program’s history.Â
The self-proclaimed, late bloomer shot up six inches in height before his senior year in high school, and began to hone his skills with some of the best scholastic coaches and players in the Tidewater area of Virginia. This development aided in the immediate impact he made to the men’s basketball program. In his first season with the then-Braves, Lathan posted 21.3 points a game over 26 games played. He also grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game and dished out 85 season assists. These stats were good enough for him to earn USA South Rookie of the Year honors as well as USA South All-Conference honors. Lathan went on to average 17.9 points a game in his sophomore season, and 16.2, and 16.1 points per game in his junior and senior seasons respectively. He racked up the regional and national honors in these same seasons, earning NCCAA All-American honors three times, NCCAA All-Region honors three times, and guiding his squad to a 3rd place NCCAA National finish in 2005-2006. Lathan was the ABCA Region Player of the Year in his junior year and notched his first career triple-double with a 15-10-14 outing against Millersville University on January 30th, 2006.Â
Lathan’s offensive prowess at Chowan made for a successful post collegiate professional career. Following graduation from Chowan in 2007, Lathan moved to Santa Barbara, California where he began working out with the likes of Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant, and current Chowan Hall of Fame member, Fred Vinson. He played for the Santa Barbara Breakers that same summer and went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. In 2009 he helped the Los Angeles Lightning to an IBL Championship and then headed overseas. He capitalized on opportunities in Middle East Basketball League before returning to Canada in 2011 where he played for three seasons. He was named a CBL All-Star in 2013-2014 with the Moncton Miracles. His success in the CBL landed him in the Mexican Basketball League (LNBP), the largest basketball league in the country.Â
In all, Lathan played basketball overseas for 11 seasons in the likes of China, Lebanon, Taiwan, Canada, Germany, Barbados, and Mexico. He spent the last five years playing in the LNBP for the Zonkeys with headquarters in Tijuana. Lathan helped the Zonkeys to three consecutive titles, and also earned League MVP honors in his last two seasons. Lathan retired in 2018 after claiming his LNBP Title.Â
Currently Lathan is a business owner in his hometown of Chesapeake. He is co-owner of Lathan Demolition and Landscaping. He is still active on the basketball circuit up and down the East Coast, helping to develop talent, just as he was developed as a young player.