AURORA, Colo. — Through the noise of a high school basketball game, some players prefer to let their actions speak louder than words.
"We just like to see what happens and then react to whatever's necessary," Rangeview junior Christian Speller said. "We're kind of laid back and chill."
"We" is referring to Christian and his fraternal twin brother, Christopher. Together, they make up two-fifths of the Rangeview boys' basketball starting line-up.
"We've been playing ever since we were young, so we've got big chemistry," Christopher said. "I'll know what he'll do before he'll even do it."
The twins, by nature, are on the quieter side. They even admit their coaches and teammates want them to talk more.
"They try to get me to talk like him, but it's just not for me, I guess," Christopher.
The "him" in this case, is a man who amplifies any court he visits. Their father, Kyle Speller, is a professional when it comes to dialing up the volume on the sidelines.
"We always hear him. We can clearly distinguish his voice from other voices, whether it's good, like he's cheering for us, or it's a bad call and [he's] got to let the refs know," Christian said of his father with a laugh.
"I can hear him all the time," echoed Christopher. "Sometimes he can get mad and argue. He sometimes encourages me to go do better and push forward to win."
If Kyle Speller's voice sounds like it could fill an arena -- it's because it does. The eldest Speller is now in his 14th year as the Denver Nuggets PA announcer -- the first African American Public Address Announcer in franchise history, as well as the state of Colorado for any of the major professional teams. He also has been the team chaplain for the past 12 seasons.
Kyle Speller grew up playing the game as well. It was his passion that inspired his boys to play.
"He played in high school and in college, so he's the main influence on us," Christian said. "I just want to take after him."
"He taught me most of the things I know," Christopher added.
Christian and Christopher credit their dad for instilling their passion for the game, which in turn, has heightened their bond over the years.
"We can have our own separate things, our own separate activities or whatever, but we can all come back together and relate to basketball," Christian said.
The twins' play on the court speaks volumes about their appetite to play, even if their words -- compared to their father -- are few and far between.
Christian and Christopher have helped the Rangeview Raiders earn a No. 4 ranking in the 5A classification. Their team finished with a 21-2 regular season record (undefeated in league play), and will find our their seeding for the 5A tournament on Sunday.