Without hesitation, Justin Hosier easily knew who the best ball handler he ever faced was.

Fortunately, it wasn’t someone who blew past him during a high school basketball game.

Most of the time, it was only in his driveway.

That person will now have their name placed next to his on the Palmerton gymnasium wall.

“My younger brother, Brayden, is the best ball handler I ever played against,” said the elder Hosier - a 2020 Palmerton High School graduate. “He’s got such smooth ball-handling paired with a quick, yet smooth shot. And his hands on defense are unreal. I would go to make a move on him and before I knew it, he would have taken the ball away from me.”

The days of playing ball against his older brother in the driveway helped Brayden turn into a star in his own right. He recently reached the same 1,000-point plateau that his older brother did years earlier. The younger Hosier reached the mark in a 63-50 victory over Northwestern on Dec. 17 in a game in which he scored 31 points, reaching the mark on a three-point shot.

The younger Hosier appreciated his sibling’s support as he was growing up, and was one of Justin’s biggest fans during a career that ended with him scoring 1,253 points as a Blue Bomber.

“It was just so cool to follow in my brother’s footsteps,” said Brayden. “There were plenty of times (when he was closing in on the milestone) when it seemed nerve-wracking, but I tried not to get caught up in the whole thing. It was nice that people were asking me how far I was away from it. But I’m just glad now that I’ve accomplished it, I can go out and be able to play without thinking about it.

“My brother had a big part in this because he has always pushed me along the way. We would be playing on a driveway for hours ... he taught me a lot about the game.”

The older Hosier realized his brother’s determination and grit from an early age.

“Growing up with him was obviously a fun time as we did a lot of things together,” said Justin. “We played tons of football, and that certainly toughened him up considering I was much bigger and stronger since we are four years apart. But he always held his own.

“When it came to one-on-one in the driveway, he always played me tough. The one thing about him is that he always was able to get a shot off against me even though I was significantly taller.”

Brayden took the cue, and he began to surmise that the milestone his older brother hit was within his reach as well.

Along the way, Hosier credited the guidance and reinforcement from his father Dean - who coached him in elementary school - as well as Palmerton junior high coaches Brian Stevko and Jeremy Coleman with helping shape and mold him early in his basketball career.

As far as the 1,000-point plateau is concerned, Brayden realized relatively early in his high school career that it was a possibility.

“It was in my sophomore year that I began to think about it,” said the younger Hosier. “Last season, I figured I had a real shot at it, but it was still all about the team. I just want to be a contributor to the team. It’s a great individual honor, but ultimately it’s about us winning a championship.”

The older Hosier had a similar thought about his brother’s rise.

“Just from my experience playing against him and watching him play, I was 100% confident that if he continued to work, he no doubt would score 1,000 points,” said Justin.

Brayden, who plans to attend Penn State Lehigh Valley in the fall and pursue a degree in civil engineering, also acknowledged his teammates, many of whom he has played with since third grade.

“We still have a lot to do as a team,” said Brayden about his goals in the closing stretch of his high school career. “We have a group that has been playing together for a long time, and I believe this team can go all the way.”

The Bombers’ team success could help Brayden achieve one other individual accolade - highest scoring player in his family. He currently has 1,179 career points, and needs just 75 more to pass his brother’s scoring mark.

His older brother is cheering for that to happen.

“I’m super proud of him, and hope he scores more than me,” added Justin. “He undoubtedly deserves it. I can’t express how grateful I am that we were both able to score 1,000 points.”