THE BLUEPRINT | Lenny Cooke

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It wasn't the battles against Lebron and Melo that should've allure you, because it was much deeper than that! It was the way he conversed with them - calling Melo over to his section, putting his hand on top of his head, asking him how much he scored in his previous game as if he was his little brother. It was the private charter being sent to him from his guardian Debbie Bortner, after being in the club until 4am the night before an AAU game. And no one told him he was out of pocket - he was "Lenny Cooke" for God's sake! It wasn't who he played that convinced you he was the #1 ranked player in the nation, it was how he was treated - and how he treated others! However, when your ego is bigger than your game (..and boy did he have game!), the results are almost never in your favor. As far as friends, there are only a few who stuck around and remained loyal. But he still finds himself reaching out to everyone else without feeling the reciprocation. It was tough entering the draft and not hearing his name called. And it took years to overcome that pain - especially when your son's favorite player is Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony and he's begging you to sit down and watch the game with him. But as time went on, Lenny just had to accept it was over. Now starting his own non-profit organization and becoming the assistant coach at Atlantic City High, he sees life through a different lens. The documentary wasn't a false tale, but he didn't agree with how it ended. Which is why he is now pursuing his book that tells the full story about his life - especially being in a brutal car accident 2 years after the draft that almost costed him his life. When it's all said and done, Lenny just wants to be the blueprint for kids who want to pursue their dreams through the sport of basketball. And if he can help just one kid, he knows he's doing something right.