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Lenny Cooke Reveals What Happened From Being Ranked Higher Than Lebron and Carmelo To Not Making NBA
Jun 6, 2023
In the world of basketball, there are many who have risen to great heights and achieved success, but there are also those who have experienced tough breaks. One such figure is Lenny Cooke, a former basketball player who was once ranked higher than LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Despite his immense talent and potential, Cooke never made it to the NBA. In this interview, Cooke speaks with Sway and the team to explore more about his story by delving into his career and what happened along the way.
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Lenny Cooke Reveals What Happened From Being Ranked Higher Than Lebron and Carmelo To Not Making NBA
https://youtu.be/BXJC9wF5fwU
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0:00
Lenny was a real dude I'll give him that
0:01
yeah it is man Carmelo Anthony
0:04
who's a citizen of Sway in the Morning
0:06
absolutely an incredible a friend
0:10
he's a friend
0:11
um I've known him I remember the day he
0:13
got uh drafted when the NBA draft was
0:17
happening in New York and him and LeBron
0:19
were here in New York City and right
0:22
after the draft my good friend George
0:24
brought him by MTV
0:25
and I'm about I'm getting ready for you
0:27
know TRL do my thing you know MTV News
0:30
and bring he brought these two giants in
0:32
my dressing room
0:36
she's like man you gotta know who these
0:37
dues are wow the day that they were
0:39
drafted bro I was there and so I met
0:43
LeBron I met Carmelo got a picture with
0:45
him the whole nine went on to interview
0:47
LeBron for one of his DVDs
0:50
um sat with carmelo a couple of times
0:52
was very instrumental early on with him
0:55
and Lala you know that's Lala's my
0:57
sister I said I spoke Harley about
0:59
Carmelo you know the whole nine but I
1:02
always wondered Amari startermeyer too
1:05
was one of those names that was
1:07
incredible who I became friends with but
1:10
I always wondered what happened with our
1:12
guest today that podcast was all the
1:15
smoke one of the most reputable um
1:17
podcasts there is out right now Matt
1:19
Barnes and Steven Jackson getting a
1:21
round of applies I tend to listen to
1:22
what they have to say
1:24
come on man stack five man he one of the
1:27
realest behind the mic I always wondered
1:29
what happened to this one guy who was
1:32
ranked higher than those guys
1:35
you know we knew of him cause he was
1:37
Saucy as we say in Northern California I
1:41
always wondered what happened to him uh
1:43
and he went by the name of Lenny Cook
1:46
and we have him with us right now I
1:49
wonder for 20 plus years and I finally
1:52
got him right here to ask him yo what
1:54
happened Lenny come welcome Lenny Cook
1:56
back to the show
1:58
[Applause]
2:00
you're one of those guys bro
2:03
in Oakland there's a guy named Hook
2:05
Mitchell Mitchell yes sir yes sir you
2:09
know who that is
2:11
right did you ever see him play nah
2:14
before my time before whatever
2:18
I saw him play what are we trying to say
2:20
bro
2:21
um I got a chance to see him play at
2:23
mosswood Park in North Oakland okay
2:26
right and that's one of those parts
2:27
that's like what the Rucker is to New
2:30
York right that's my hospital at that
2:32
time at least and I've witnessed him
2:34
jump over a Volkswagen wow what two dunk
2:38
that's crazy oh my God but the thing
2:41
about Hook Mitchell is it wasn't just
2:42
his leaping ability like he could play a
2:45
game he had the game yeah
2:47
you had such a well-rounded game as a
2:51
high school player
2:52
and it was to me it was based on natural
2:55
Talent a lot for sure right for sure I
2:57
thought you was a very naturally
2:59
talented huge high school player yo
3:03
senior year you got a chance to play
3:04
Eight Games right in high school and in
3:07
those eight games you averaged 31 points
3:10
right yeah in those eight games and then
3:13
in you in that same year you turn 19 so
3:16
because of the rules yeah New Jersey in
3:18
New Jersey you could no longer complete
3:20
that last senior year yeah correct
3:22
correct ain't that something rules have
3:25
since changed because of you yeah for
3:27
sure to get into the NBA you have to be
3:29
at least 19 or one year removed from
3:31
high school right correct
3:35
so then you decided to go into the draft
3:38
what happened from there once I put my
3:40
name in the draft uh you know my image
3:43
was a little messed up so
3:46
it was it didn't have anything to do
3:48
with my basketball abilities okay the
3:51
mistakes I made my image hanging out
3:53
partying every night drinking women
3:56
people that want to take the risk which
3:59
I didn't understand the business side of
4:01
that back then you get what I'm saying
4:04
um so it was like I didn't know people
4:07
was watching me either yeah it was only
4:10
19. it was 18 19 right I'm hanging out
4:13
in the clubs and all of that but at the
4:15
same time people watching me so when I'm
4:17
going to these workouts with these
4:19
different teams they showing me pictures
4:21
of myself in clubs and all of this you
4:25
know what I'm saying so it was like
4:27
basically like they didn't want to take
4:29
the risk on the kid that wasn't ready
4:30
mentally so all you high schoolers out
4:34
here that's on Instagram see they didn't
4:36
even have social you wasn't even doing
4:37
social media
4:42
because through a lot of high school
4:44
athletes who are watching this to learn
4:46
from that yeah for sure for sure that's
4:48
what that's what that's why I'm blessed
4:50
with the opportunity to be on a platform
4:52
like Sway in the morning and uh it is
4:56
what it is and all of these different
4:58
podcasts and shows to share my story so
5:00
these kids don't have to go through the
5:02
things that I went through yeah because
5:04
they caught him in the club at a time of
5:06
watching social media correct the kids
5:08
nowadays are putting everything on
5:10
social media
5:15
so you was a
5:17
was it this lavish like
5:19
it's like I was I was running around
5:20
like a while give me a wild night it was
5:22
back then back then I mean every night
5:25
was a wild night you know what I mean
5:26
you you know Club chaos Club cheetah
5:30
Club Planet Hollywood like I was there I
5:33
was I was those guys but it could have
5:36
been just being at a club makes you a
5:39
liability because that's what I'm like
5:40
one of the first things that came into
5:41
my head as I'm hearing you is one why
5:44
not give a kid a heads up so they have
5:46
an option to choose maybe a more
5:49
straight edge life because any young kid
5:51
that's what they're gonna do at 18 or
5:53
19. I had no business in those clubs at
5:55
that age
5:59
and the people that was running the club
6:02
shouldn't let me in either
6:04
everybody blew it for many man
6:08
because while you were in that club and
6:11
you got your entourage and these people
6:12
want you in there because you bringing
6:14
attention to the club you know the the
6:16
big you know promised uh NBA soon to be
6:19
NBA player
6:21
um that there was no one to say hey hey
6:24
Lenny let's not do it tonight no I mean
6:26
I had I had people that was I mean
6:29
trying to get me on the street and that
6:30
road okay people people
6:32
misconstrued that okay I did have people
6:35
doing it and telling me what I should be
6:37
doing but
6:38
I was the one so it was like I don't
6:41
gotta listen to you you know she had
6:42
like clue always wanted me to be in the
6:45
gym not in the club like but DJ cool
6:47
yeah yeah so it's like
6:50
bro I got I understand but [ __ ] I'm
6:53
trying to party bro you was the one but
6:55
it's like I did have that you know I
6:58
mean a couple people in my life that was
6:59
telling me yo nah not tonight but it was
7:02
just my ego and who I was at that time
7:05
that was like nah I'm going out my ego
7:07
and who I was and that [ __ ] is addicting
7:09
too sure for sure man for sure going to
7:12
Club cheetahs it was going to Sue's
7:13
Rendezvous I know what he was Winnie I
7:15
saw you I was working at Hot 97 yeah
7:22
I was at Club cheetahs come on I was
7:26
there
7:27
um that that um did any pro athletes
7:31
ever approach you at that time and gave
7:33
you some wisdom or advice
7:35
a couple I mean I have uh Zach Randolph
7:38
at the time so it was it was a few guys
7:41
that was already in the league that was
7:44
giving me advice on what to do and what
7:46
not to do but like I said at that time
7:48
I'm like I don't like you gonna you're
7:50
gonna tell me what they're doing going
7:51
about your life you hear what I'm saying
7:52
so at the same time I'm still in New
7:54
York right now and I'm gonna be who I am
7:57
yeah he was young okay Lenny Cook is
7:59
here uh this is great and there's a lot
8:01
of great things happening for him today
8:03
for sure uh that we're going to talk
8:05
about just to give people context of how
8:08
great you were uh still are you still
8:11
you are still great appreciate it
8:13
absolutely you're even more great today
8:15
because you could sit here and tell this
8:16
story right for sure well not a lot of
8:18
people in here who could tell that story
8:19
who are still alive with us yeah yeah
8:22
you know what I mean but they're not in
8:24
the position to tell that story you
8:26
played against LeBron at one point right
8:29
when tell us uh
8:31
going into my senior year okay um he was
8:34
going into a junior year at ABCD camp
8:37
and everybody's like yo I mind you I had
8:41
played LeBron the night before they like
8:43
yo you got a big game against uh I'm
8:45
Carmelo Carmelo Anthony yeah and they're
8:48
like you gotta you got this kid from
8:50
Ohio named LeBron you got to play in the
8:52
morning nine o'clock in the morning I'm
8:54
like all right well it's whatever like
8:56
um I don't know don't care to know him
8:58
you know what I'm saying and so I came
9:00
back to New York that night after I
9:02
played Milo I went to the club and ran
9:05
into this kid at nine in the morning who
9:07
came correct
9:11
he was in bed while I was outside
9:15
that morning like he uh like the game
9:19
started I went crazy in the beginning of
9:21
the game first half of the game and how
9:23
much you scored the first half I
9:24
finished with like 13. okay something
9:26
like that and uh yeah the second half he
9:30
turned it up when I ran out of gas you
9:32
know what I'm saying and he ended up
9:34
hitting a game-winning shot and his name
9:36
just took off it went crazy from there
9:38
and I'm saying after he beat Lenny Cook
9:40
and his team won the won that game did
9:43
you actually guard him we didn't really
9:45
guard each other like no I mean um but
9:48
you you know we were the ones on the
9:50
court like everybody was watching you
9:52
know what I'm saying we didn't guard
9:53
each other full court and not it was
9:55
never none of that what about with
9:56
carmelo me and Carmelo battle y'all went
9:59
at it and then Carmelo battle hey that's
10:01
my bro how did he held his own though
10:02
that's for sure yeah I mean but I
10:05
watched Carmelo from the two years that
10:06
we was at ABCD you know what I'm saying
10:08
like the first year he was there he
10:11
wasn't as skilled he wasn't as talented
10:13
as that following year like you could
10:15
tell he worked on his game he had like a
10:17
six inch growth spurt I mean he came
10:20
back and he yeah he was different he was
10:23
definitive too when um LeBron managed to
10:26
communicate at all I've been in good
10:28
game I outside of that game we ended up
10:31
playing against each other when um in
10:33
the summer league uh I was playing with
10:35
the Celtics and he when he first got
10:37
drafted to Cleveland and uh I didn't get
10:40
the chance to play that game they didn't
10:42
play me at all but after that game was
10:44
over he came to me like we hugged he
10:47
like yo you should have been out there
10:48
blase blah whatever whatever but after
10:50
that like we haven't had communication
10:52
but LeBron if you listening I need to be
10:54
on the barbershop baby okay come on get
10:57
him over there man they doing great work
10:58
over there come on man then you can get
11:01
your beard cleaned up all right
11:04
okay I I I love this um that you're here
11:08
to tell this story because like the hook
11:10
Mitchells or someone I know and uh is
11:14
very incredible we have these stories
11:18
you know what I mean and like I said I'm
11:20
just blessed with the opportunity to
11:21
share mine okay
11:23
um I did get in that stage in that
11:25
depression mode where I didn't want to
11:27
talk and all of that but at the end of
11:28
days like yo you gotta come to reality
11:30
you know I mean that that's over with
11:32
yeah I'm saying so you can help somebody
11:34
else you know what I mean so how do you
11:36
get over it being over with though
11:39
you're like how did you my children okay
11:41
my children you know what I'm saying
11:42
once my kids started playing basketball
11:43
with my sons my daughters you know what
11:45
I'm saying so once they started playing
11:47
basketball it was like yo you can't stay
11:48
in the show forever yeah like because
11:50
you don't want your kids to be taken
11:52
advantage of and all of that like like
11:53
you were
11:54
so out of the your high school career
11:57
what it like if you had to name just if
12:00
you were now because I know when they do
12:02
NBA orientations they have some of the
12:04
established uh players come in and
12:06
they'll talk to the up and coming ones
12:08
yeah like what to watch out for yeah for
12:10
sure like I've reached out to the MVP uh
12:13
mbpa you know I mean to be into that
12:15
rookie transition program where I can
12:17
talk to the athletes and all of that you
12:19
know what I'm saying so what would you
12:20
say to them it was like five points you
12:22
would make I mean the main the main
12:23
ingredient is use Lenny Cook as an
12:25
example of what not to do okay you know
12:27
what I'm saying but other than that is
12:29
like you got to keep your image clean
12:31
keep positive people around you keep
12:32
people around you that want the best for
12:34
you and what's not what what they can
12:36
get from you you know what I'm saying
12:37
and you'll be fine but at the end of the
12:40
day when you're playing this game as far
12:42
as basketball like there's no days off
12:44
because when you not working somebody
12:45
else is there it is man let me cook his
12:48
hair man we're going to talk more with
12:50
them we're gonna find out about the what
12:51
he's learned about the business of
12:53
basketball and then I want to talk about
12:54
Allen Iverson and some of the cool
12:56
things that you're doing with him and
12:57
that you're doing with kids I'm opening
12:59
up these phone lines especially if you
13:01
got kids that are playing sports this is
13:02
a great time to call and ask questions
13:04
and talk about that plan B Sway in the
13:07
morning we balling up in here we got
13:09
Lenny Cook here
13:11
Lenny Cook man one of the most um
13:14
promising prospects to come out of high
13:16
school back in the early 2000s and
13:19
um got into a little conundrum because
13:21
he turned 19 in the middle of his senior
13:23
year and had to leave the school because
13:25
of school policy at that time and
13:27
entered the draft and things didn't work
13:30
out according to plan it's around the
13:31
same time LeBron and and
13:34
Carmelo Anthony and all these guys were
13:36
being looked at and so Lenny Cook is
13:38
really graciously telling us his story
13:40
which is now a tool for people who are
13:43
coming out of the community young
13:45
athletes you ain't got to be an athlete
13:47
you know it's just life man life in
13:48
general man yeah mistakes
13:51
um egos put it put it put put your pride
13:54
to the side man and do what you got to
13:57
do you know what I'm saying yeah at the
13:58
end of the day
13:59
it's a long journey after basketball or
14:02
whatever it is you know what I'm saying
14:03
you can't you're not gonna you're gonna
14:05
spend more time off that court or that
14:06
field or whatever than you will on it
14:08
absolutely right you went through some
14:11
heavy duty depression yeah right so you
14:14
went overseas and start playing overseas
14:16
yeah I played overseas my first job was
14:18
in the Philippines I played in the
14:19
Philippines Kuwait China Brazil
14:22
um I played I played in a couple
14:24
countries you know what I'm saying where
14:25
I had a great successful overseas career
14:28
yeah I'm saying but at the end of the
14:30
day it's just like you want to be home
14:32
doing it yeah and the money's different
14:34
too yeah yeah
14:36
tax free over there
14:43
all right um and so you're playing over
14:46
there you came back home you got into a
14:48
serious accident yeah I was playing in
14:50
the uh in the ABA with the Long Beach
14:52
Jam at the time
14:53
um tiny Archibald shout out to Tiny
14:55
Ultra Ball he was my coach at the time
14:57
and the first game of the season after
14:59
the game we won we ended up going to a
15:02
team dinner and after the team then I
15:04
was in a bad car accident when one of my
15:05
teammates you know what I'm saying and
15:07
my they wanted to amputate my leg you
15:10
know I mean I was in a wheelchair for
15:11
two years almost two years wow and uh
15:14
yeah so everybody really thought it was
15:16
over but I ended up bouncing back from
15:18
that okay and I was out of shape of
15:20
course overweight and that's when I got
15:22
the job to go play in Kuwait but that's
15:25
when I knew basketball was over for me
15:27
because I never been cut a day in my
15:28
life and I was out of shape when I got
15:31
that job and he was like you gotta go
15:32
home so I knew it was over they cut you
15:35
off the Kuwait basketball team yeah yeah
15:38
I mean I I wasn't I wasn't ready yeah
15:41
you know what I'm saying I mean it don't
15:43
matter what country and when you know I
15:44
mean these guys they love the game
15:46
they're gonna they compete so I wasn't
15:49
ready I was out of shape I just took the
15:51
job because I wanted something to do I
15:52
needed the money and yeah that was the
15:55
first time a team ever let me go you
15:57
know what I'm saying did you have
15:58
therapy uh I did rehabbing all of that
16:00
for my legs and all of that yeah what
16:02
you learn about mental health during
16:04
that time I mean mental health is crazy
16:06
like we talk about it a lot now yeah but
16:09
back then like people wasn't talking
16:10
about it it was even you was crazy or
16:12
you won't you know I'm saying like
16:14
mental health is something big now back
16:16
then like I felt like like I said the
16:19
depression stage alcohol I mean I I was
16:22
abusing alcohol real bad um it was just
16:25
like I was mentally gone yeah and what
16:28
brought you back like I said my kids man
16:31
and just loving the game too though like
16:33
like I feel like my my calling was to do
16:37
this instead of play basketball
16:38
to change lives to impact lives instead
16:42
of being in the NBA
16:43
um because if if that was the case he'd
16:46
have took me then yeah and I was in that
16:47
car accident you know what I'm saying
16:49
and he didn't so I feel like my calling
16:51
is to make sure I impact lives and
16:53
change the community I love Lenny Cook
16:55
I'm saying that live on there I love you
16:58
brother appreciate it you you are a
16:59
asset to this community you are
17:02
tremendously necessary you got the
17:04
attention of the youth
17:06
um I love what you're doing man thank
17:07
you I love it man go ahead on Mike Muse
17:09
you've been pointing at me
17:12
because he's a big fan of basketball
17:14
everybody in here is a big fan of
17:16
basketball so go ahead Mike yeah I'm
17:18
just wondering I think about when
17:19
players go overseas there's always that
17:21
hope that they're going to be able to
17:23
get into the NBA like they hold out on
17:25
that and so I'm just curious about when
17:27
you got cut from Kuwait that was pretty
17:29
much the Awakening for you that it was
17:31
over yeah I'm just curious were you able
17:34
to watch the NBA after that and when did
17:37
you get comfortable and then if so once
17:39
you get comfortable watching it I did I
17:41
watched the NBA um a lot while I was
17:44
overseas I did like Kuwait was my last
17:46
job so it was like I knew it was over
17:49
but like when I was in the Philippines
17:51
Brazil China and all of that I kept up
17:53
with it over here you know what I'm
17:55
saying but it was just more so like it
17:57
wasn't hard for me to watch it wasn't
17:58
hard for me to watch because once I
18:00
didn't get drafted it was like all right
18:03
well I know I can still play basketball
18:04
and provide for my family somewhere else
18:06
you get what I'm saying so at the same
18:08
time it was just like
18:10
I keep up with the guys over here I know
18:13
I'm not gonna get another shot you know
18:14
I mean I'm getting older
18:17
um so I just go over here and play you
18:19
know what I'm saying I still played in
18:20
the minor leagues when I came here the
18:22
usbl the ABA you know what I'm saying
18:23
stuff like that but I knew the NBA
18:25
wasn't for me
18:27
all right Lenny Cook's here Lenny when
18:29
you mentioned playing with LeBron and
18:32
how you could tell he was very well
18:34
rested he had his curfew and he came in
18:37
and you realize it's not just the skill
18:40
but the body has to be prepared from
18:43
rest what is your relationship of rest
18:45
now because in general and I think with
18:47
a lot of men you think that you know you
18:51
can forget about it put it to the side
18:52
right I still don't get a lot of rest
18:54
come on
18:56
I still don't get a lot of rest but I
18:59
mean it's very important though like I I
19:01
don't get a lot of rest because of what
19:03
I'm doing you get what I'm saying like
19:04
me going around talking to kids all day
19:07
participating in camps and all of that
19:09
then I'm still ripping and running with
19:11
my brother DJ Clue at the same time so
19:14
um it's just like you got to be mentally
19:16
prepared for all of those things you
19:18
know I mean like I take my naps okay
19:22
yeah but at the same time like it's very
19:25
important to get your rest get them
19:27
power naps 15 20 minutes man make a
19:30
difference
19:38
all right um look let's talk about this
19:40
Allen Iverson and Allen Iverson classic
19:43
will be hosting their first ever Lenny
19:46
Cook Legends showcase featuring the top
19:48
high school players and teams in the
19:50
country this is in January yes sir yes
19:52
sir congratulations
19:54
absolutely what's your relationship with
19:56
Allen Iverson cool man like uh he uh he
20:00
just different man they made me him
20:01
Bobby Bates Stephen Jackson man they
20:04
just made me feel appreciated this year
20:07
um so I was there when they had the
20:09
Allen Iverson classic in Pennsylvania uh
20:11
like five six years ago but I was just
20:14
there to watch so this year they brought
20:16
me in as a mentor and
20:19
uh like the day before the main event
20:21
game we had the award ceremony and I
20:23
knew nothing about this now and they
20:26
honored me with the purpose award wow
20:28
you know what I'm saying so it just made
20:30
me feel appreciated and then a couple
20:32
days ago I get a phone call like uh
20:34
check your messages in about five
20:36
minutes
20:37
I got something for you and they sent me
20:40
a screenshot of the flyer the Lenny Cook
20:42
showcase like I always wanted a Lenny
20:45
Cook game damn you know I mean in honor
20:47
of me and what I've done to this game of
20:48
basketball and I have it now you know
20:51
come on courtesy
20:54
man love y'all thank you man Allen I AI
20:57
beautiful dude man and then so the top
21:00
high school players like you were a top
21:02
high school player all the Lenny Cooks
21:04
around the country I'll get the Showcase
21:06
you'll get the showcase for sure
21:10
what advice would you give Allen Iverson
21:13
was one of those people that the league
21:14
you know gave a lot of problems because
21:16
of the way he expressed himself we're
21:19
seeing that happen with John Morant uh
21:21
right now a lot of us uh you know don't
21:23
know what to make of it but if you had a
21:25
chance to sit down with that young man
21:27
what would you say to him it's crazy
21:29
because I've been reaching out to him
21:30
social media like I post something about
21:32
John Moran every day somebody helped me
21:34
reach out to him and I just want to have
21:36
a conversation with him off camera like
21:38
it could just be me and him because I've
21:40
been there I know you don't want to be a
21:42
Shoulda Coulda Woulda you already got a
21:44
name man like you said you said examples
21:47
for millions of kids bro these kids look
21:49
up to you forget the brands forget Nike
21:52
forget all of those guys the impact the
21:55
impact that you have on these kids man
21:57
you can't be out here making those
21:58
mistakes yeah incredible dude man
22:01
incredible I love watching them play the
22:03
whole night sure well if we all feel
22:04
like ah it's just he's gonna get by this
22:06
yeah I mean I believe he's gonna
22:10
you got to separate yourself from
22:12
certain people like whether they get mad
22:14
or not you got to separate yourself bro
22:16
they're not all gonna be there at the
22:17
end of the book for sure some of them
22:20
just there for a couple of chapters
22:21
that's it right uh Lenny Cook is here
22:23
man we got people on the phone lines
22:25
before we go to these phone lines you
22:27
ever meet MJ I played in the um Michael
22:30
Jordan game I haven't met Michael Jordan
22:32
what Mike say about your game we've
22:35
never really chopped it up about it was
22:36
more so just about like school and all
22:39
of that like because it was a lot of
22:40
what's in the
22:41
um spot at the same time during his
22:43
games but it was never like a one-on-one
22:45
sit down okay let me let you take that
22:48
sip so you get your mouth right doing
22:51
this question all right um yeah easy
22:53
y'all easy man easy easy I didn't say
22:56
anything
22:59
wrong maybe I'm too old to pause but I
23:02
talked about that who did
23:05
was like that they're still doing it
23:08
still doing it
23:10
uh
23:12
Kobe you talk to Kobe Kobe did you have
23:15
one-on-one interaction with Kobe for
23:16
sure what did Kobe say to you so we in
23:19
ABCD camp and he's our guest speaker
23:24
and go I like he asked like anybody got
23:27
questions nobody wanted to ask questions
23:29
you know what I mean I asked yeah where
23:32
are you gonna play me I want to know
23:33
right now like who he lives at you asked
23:36
Kobe when you're gonna play yeah she was
23:38
just an arrogant pompous little yeah
23:39
like that was terrible yeah
23:42
this is Kobe in like what year 2000 like
23:45
he only been in the league a few years
23:47
wow but okay he's like nah I'll I'll
23:50
play you in various ways when you get in
23:52
the league and at the time I didn't know
23:54
what that meant you know what I'm saying
23:56
like that was that like as I got oh this
23:58
is like yo
23:59
[ __ ] you really not mentally ready you
24:01
know what I'm saying like but then after
24:03
all of that like I got to speak to him
24:06
one-on-one and he's just like yo you got
24:07
the talent you know what I'm saying but
24:09
you gotta clean your image up bro like
24:12
everybody know who you are but everybody
24:13
know the mistakes you're making too you
24:15
know what I'm saying and after that he
24:17
came and watched me play he watched my
24:19
game stayed the whole game you know what
24:21
I'm saying so it was definitely like
24:22
Kobe Kobe definitely have an impact on
24:25
Lenny Cook there it is man I like that
24:27
man uh we got Alex on the line from New
24:29
Jersey Alex rise and shine how you doing
24:31
what up Alex
24:33
what's up Tracy what's up Mike what's up
24:34
sway how y'all doing doing excellent man
24:36
we got Lenny Cook you from Jersey he's a
24:38
jersey Legend
24:40
matter of fact what's up Lenny what's up
24:42
graduated from Northern Valley old Japan
24:44
I know you were at Northern battles camp
24:45
for a little bit right yeah yes sir
24:48
that's awesome brother you know to this
24:50
day your name is still brought up like
24:52
every athlete that comes up in the
24:53
programs at Northern battle Japan like
24:55
we still talk about you and how you
24:57
would cook uh you were cooking LeBron in
24:59
that camp we get to see the clips on
25:00
YouTube still so that's actually super
25:02
cool for us man so I appreciate it man
25:04
thank you thank you I'm definitely going
25:07
to get out to Old Japan man I need to go
25:09
to the school you know I mean and just
25:11
chop it up walk around the schools and
25:13
stuff like that because that's that's
25:14
definitely oh Japan was special to me
25:17
wait hold up he said you was cooking
25:19
LeBron well I mean look we're not going
25:21
we're not gonna get into that a lot of
25:23
people know a lot of people know
25:25
[Music]
25:26
but cooking them
25:29
cooking them though
25:46
I appreciate y'all man thanks for having
25:48
me that couple games I was there like it
25:52
was amazing like the games were sold out
25:54
like days before like you know what I'm
25:56
saying you couldn't get a seat in the
25:57
gym man like oh Japan showed me some
25:59
great love do you feel like high school
26:01
players should by the way thank you for
26:02
your call Alex you know um when all that
26:06
money is being made do the players are
26:08
the players supposed to get any
26:11
I mean they do now they do now I mean
26:13
the high school players get enough
26:14
everybody's getting money
26:15
did they get paid in the paint Now
26:18
deals and stuff like that like I can't
26:21
get paid now but back then it was like
26:22
if you take something you're done you
26:24
mess up your eligibility for college and
26:26
all of that you know what I'm saying for
26:28
context LeBron James Ronnie is the
26:30
highest paid nil player in the country
26:33
yeah including college and he's only
26:35
including College what kind of what are
26:38
the amount to about I think he's in the
26:39
five mil right now
26:41
Mikey Williams had it first and then he
26:44
he got in trouble you know what I'm
26:45
saying he was the first nio deal
26:47
actually uh but yeah those guys are
26:49
getting paid man shout out to my little
26:51
nephew DeJuan Wagner Jr okay
26:53
um he's getting he got an nil deal he's
26:56
he's one of Kentucky you know I'm saying
26:58
sold yeah those guys these get these
27:00
kids is in the right position man which
27:01
is why in the NCAA March Madness why he
27:04
saw a shake up in the brackets where you
27:06
see teams who are seeing number one like
27:07
Alabama should never have been number
27:09
one traditionally yeah because their
27:10
football program sure well because these
27:12
high school kids are choosing nil deals
27:13
like the boosted alumni you know
27:15
supports Alabama will give them deals on
27:17
the side or to encourage them to come to
27:19
Alabama so that's why we saw this new
27:21
parody within the March Madness brackets
27:23
yep correct yeah wow Lenny Cook man hey
27:26
brother I want to thank you for coming
27:27
by man
27:29
thanks for having me you know
27:32
great story bro right no it's still
27:35
going that's what makes it so great so
27:36
in January we got to support the Lynn
27:39
first ever Lenny Cook Legend showcase at
27:41
the Allen Iverson classic uh but anytime
27:44
before that if you just want to come up
27:46
here and chop it up man uh man just let
27:48
me know I'm your new homie man I'm your
27:51
new homie all right I was already your
27:52
homie you just didn't know it thanks
27:55
though I appreciate you I tried to dunk
27:56
on Lenny when he was in the lobby y'all
27:58
how'd that go yeah how did it go don't
28:02
quit your day job bro whatever man hey
28:04
Lenny thanks for coming through to the
28:06
citizens thank you as well how can they
28:08
reach you Lenny if they want to reach
28:09
you on social media
28:11
um Instagram I am Lenny Cook Facebook
28:13
just Lenny Cook man you can email me
28:15
lenny375 gmail.com I'm available for all
28:18
bookings baby let's go let's go man
28:20
Lenny in the game baby he's in the game
28:22
DB how can they reach you everything is
28:25
at it's really DB go check out my
28:27
leftovers mix from yesterday it's at
28:28
Mixcloud it's really DB and I'll be
28:30
posting today's mix there as well torch
28:32
hit me up I'm at torchington that's
28:34
torch i-n-g-t-o-n Mike Muse yo hit me up
28:37
at I am Mike Muse m u s and Sam e on
28:40
Twitter and Instagram trigger it's Tracy
28:42
g i t s t r a c y g everywhere hey Lenny
28:46
I'm glad you're here that's my nephew
28:47
right there he's like he's 20. so he's a
28:50
year older than you were at that time
28:51
you know and I'm glad would you did you
28:54
get any good information from this
28:55
conversation yeah I did it and I'm from
28:57
Jersey so I hear about all of the
28:59
Legends yeah like especially on the ABCD
29:02
Camp that's in Teaneck that's what I'm
29:03
from okay I know I used to run through
29:06
team neck Englewood and all of that yeah
29:09
the party days
29:14
did you ever you ever connect with a
29:16
celebrity back then a couple I gotta
29:20
yeah I got a couple on the list you
29:22
don't talk about that no no no no no I
29:23
got the book coming out stay tuned
29:26
all right our man real sway across the
29:28
board we'll bet you'll be back tomorrow
29:30
on that no citizens we got nothing do
29:32
you want to say anything in closing
29:33
Lenny man look man I just want to
29:35
appreciate all my fans all my supporters
29:37
man through my ups and downs you know I
29:39
mean shout out to my lady Chrissy shout
29:41
out to him
29:42
shout out to everybody in Emporia
29:44
Virginia Atlantic City New York all
29:46
across the world man that support Lenny
29:48
Cook man thank you thank you brother and
29:50
on that note we got nothing left to say
29:54
[Music]
29:57
foreign
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