[4] He was raised by his mother and his extended family in the Maxwell Park neighborhood, and began playing basketball at the age of four.
Gardner was chosen to participate in the NCAA's High School Slam Dunk contest during the Final Four Tournament, where the crowd watched the same showmanship that has led to hundreds of thousands of hits on his YouTube highlight videos.
[8] He averaged 23.7 points, seven assists, four steals and four rebounds per game during the 2010–11 season, leading Westwind to a 30–2 record and a state title.
[5] After a preseason stint with the Windy City Bulls in November 2016,[19][20] Gardner joined the Westports Malaysia Dragons of the ASEAN Basketball League in February 2017.
[21][22] After one season, Gardner played in lower professional and semi-professional leagues in China, Japan, and Hong Kong.
[26] Gardner joined the coaching staff of the New Taipei Kings in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League for the 2024–25 season.