Excitement is in the air as Biola’s basketball 2-time all-conference player business senior Daniel Esparza scored his career high of 39 points on Jan. 25, against Hawaii Pacific University. The cheers are captured for this special moment as cinema media arts freshman Ricky Esparza is courtside, capturing not just the energy of Chase Gymnasium but also his older brother. Through Ricky’s lens, he not only becomes a storyteller but also a supportive brother.
POINT START
The six-two point guard, Daniel Esparza, did not start his college career at Biola; he transferred after his freshman year at San Luis Obispo.
“I felt God was calling me to enter the transfer portal. So I decided to come here,” said Daniel.
Daniel encouraged Ricky to commit to Biola when he learned about the film program. He knew his younger brother wanted to attend a Christian college, stay close to home, and be near family. While most siblings seek independence and space from each other, the Esparza brothers believe that family is everything.
“Daniel is my best friend,” said Ricky. “He’s the first person I call for anything and then just being able to hang out with him and see him every day is pretty cool.”
Daniel wanted to share a year of college.
“Family taught us to look out for each other, stay humble, and give all the glory to God,” said Daniel.
Now, the brothers are taking on college together and have become a duo on and off the court.
COURTSIDE
Ricky is able to cheer courtside for his brother while building his resumé. He is able to capture those memorable moments for his brother, which adds depth to his cinematography work.
“I’m a fan of seeing good performances. I’m a fan of competition,” said Ricky. “So it’s just super special being able to witness my brother’s success; it is just super amazing, and I’m super proud of him.”
The brothers foster their relationship through the game.
“It’s super special for me to get the moment,” said Ricky. “Then we both watch it back together. So just seeing his game performance on a video screen is super cool.”
Although Ricky is a focused videographer, sometimes he can’t help but be a brother.
“There are definitely times where I have found myself yelling and cheering for Daniel,” said Ricky.
In videography, there is something so raw and beautiful in genuine emotion, and Ricky’s cheers for his brother are as real as it can get. His cheers have even made it to the final product sometimes.
INSPIRED BY FAMILY
When the brothers were younger, their mom captured photos and videos of them in action during their sports, which inspired Ricky to pursue sports videography and photography.
Being able to capture and freeze time, stopping all the action and just focusing on a single moment in sports is what Ricky loves most about this form of storytelling.
Ricky discovered his passion for photography and videography during the COVID-19 pandemic. He picked up his mom’s old camera, began experimenting with photos, and quickly became addicted to this new form of storytelling.
“He loves what he does, so it’s really cool to see him capturing moments of not only me but of the other guys on the team as well,” said Daniel. ”It’s cool to see how happy it makes him, and he’s really good.”
ROOTED IN THE GAME
Before Ricky picked up the camera, he was a ballplayer himself.
“He’s really good at knowing how to get the right shot. He knows the perfect angle. He knows how to make something look really cool because he played the game,” said Daniel.
Ricky knows how to create visually compelling shots because of his experience playing the game. This gives him an edge when editing clips, as he understands how to make the footage resonate with basketball players. His unique perspective brings his love for the game into every frame.
The Esparza brothers actively support each other in achieving their dreams. Daniel has a business where he is a private basketball trainer, helping young adults develop their skills, while Ricky promotes his business by creating short Instagram reels. If you’re interested in basketball training with Daniel, you can reach out to him on Instagram @dsparzhoops, and if you want to check out Ricky’s videos, follow him @skinnyguardflicks.
“We do it because it’s what we love, and we’re both doing it together. It just made for fun. It’s for the glory of God, and it’s just to help build our future,” said Daniel.
Through basketball, the brothers were able to connect on another level. The game is more than a game, and their passions intertwine with each other where the brothers can witness the success of one another.
