For every Lebron James there is a Lenny Cooke. The summer of 2001 belonged to Cooke,
a seemingly creation by the basketball gods Jordan and Magic. He was a silky smooth guard from
Brooklyn, NY. Simply put, he was the biggest thing to hit the Big Apple since the Statue of Liberty. Until something funny happened, he met someone better. You know the rest from there. The cautionary tale of a fallen star…

Lenny Cooke was born April 29, 1982 in Atlantic City, NJ. At the age of 8, he and his family moved to Brooklyn, NY. After becoming a member of the Long Island Panther AAU organization, Cooke quickly became a prodigy. He was soon next in line of famed New York City superstars, favorably compared to the likes of Lou Alcindor. Blessed with the physique of a NBA shooting guard, and a basketball IQ ahead of his peers, Cooke was a sure fire can’t miss prospect. This
was the guy who outplayed Carmelo Anthony at the famous ABCD Camp. Yes THAT Carmelo Anthony! After his matchup with Cooke, Carmelo had this to say about the wingman, “It was his size how strong he was how he could pass the ball and play the point, kind of like Magic. He was really explosive.”

However, at that same camp was an equally gifted albeit slightly less heralded forward from Akron, Ohio by the name of Lebron James. A member of Lebron’s “entourage” noticed a small camera crew following Cooke for the documentary he was shooting at the time. He decided to ask why. When told of the reason by one of the directors, he boasted, “You better come up to Akron and shoot Lebron.He’s the real deal!”

As the game began, Cooke buckled James with a killer crossover that left many observers ready to proclaim him the winner midway through the first half. Current NBA star, Chicago Bulls Center Joakhim Noah, remembers watching Lenny crossing over his rival several times before draining a perfect jumper. However Lebron, blessed with the same energy and passion that he plays with today, shined brightly in the second half. The final tally had Lebron outscoring Cooke 21 to 9. It was what he did at the game’s end the left many in attendance shaking their heads in disbelief.

The game was very tightly contested as the teams exchanged the lead several times heading into the closing seconds. As he took the inbounds pass, James guarded closely by the Cooke, dribbled near midcourt and with both feet flung in the air heaved a three pointer that touched nothing but the bottom of the net. To add insult to injury, the entire sequence of events were caught on camera by Cooke’s personal camera crew. The legend of King James had began and so did too the demise of Lenny Cooke. As Carmelo stated, “after that we really didn’t hear from him much.”

Today, Lenny Cooke shares an apartment with his girlfriend, Anita Solomon, and his daughter Nyvaeh. There isn’t a hint of any of that recognition he received in high school. I guess there isn’t much need. These days Cooke takes solace knowing his name is even mentioned when discussing the game’s greats such as Lebron and Carmelo. “When I see them I
get the most respect. “He said. “They know how good I was.”

*OFFiCiAL*

By: Jamaar Hawkins