First off he was a 20 year old senior and got cooked by a 16 sophomore 🗣️ wats the argument he had a chance to make it pro but wasn’t dedicated enough they said he was lazy wit no work ethic all i hear is excuses 😂 den in possibly the biggest game of his life he showed up drunk wat a waste 🤦🏾♂️🗣️
@@TJ-qr4os Nah...A Grown ass Man reminiscing 20 years about being in the league ...LET THAT SHIT GO! its done....Lebron probably forgot this guy name! LeBron thinking about purchasing an NBA Team....this guy talking about LeBron AND HOW HE took his style .....FOH
Yea Lenny Cooke was the #1 rated high school player overall. But instead of working on his craft, Dude was Cocky and thought he was that good. Dude was in Music Videos etc etc. Bron kept working and ultimately worked past Cooke.
Bro Lenny sounds like he needs to be exactly where he’s at . Bro you got a big game and you drunk and high. So the next game you score in 11 in the half and you’re satisfied??? You didn’t take the game seriously sir .
Its sad when someone peaks in high school and that is the only thing they can hold on too... Cooke was talented af but he acted like he had the bag b4 actually getting the bag.
Lenny Cooke was Lenny Cooke’s worst enemy. He called Kobe and T-Mac out at all-star weekend 2001 saying “he’d put money up to play them 1 on 1”. Lenny had zero direction, he was partying and drinking at 19 years old hanging with rappers in music videos (Keeping It Gangster video). Lenny was a raw talent that could have been molded into something by the right people. But Lenny thought he made it before it even started, he ruined his basketball career. I played with Lenny in 2002 before and after the draft, he told me he was entering the draft, I told him he’s bugging and needs to go to college. I wouldn’t say he was a power forward though a point forward yes. His arms were freakishly long but he could handle the rock.
He didn't go to school for his Senior year, but even so he was 19 in 2001, so 19 as a junior. The scouting report I saw mentioned off court being a cause of hesitation for teams, and he just spoke about going out to drink the night before a game. SMH, him not making it has nothing to do with Bron.
Amare was at Nike Camp. I was at Nike camp summer 01 (I'm no one special). Melo, Bron, Lenny was at ABCD. Lenny was good, but Bron buzz was going crazy. He was already no1 player in the country at the end of his Sophomore year going into this matchup. He legit could've went to the league Summer 01 and be the 1st pick. What Bron did against Oak Hill that school year, almost beating them was unreal.
So he was a grown ass man playing so long in highschool that he lost eligibility. He was going on 20 while Lebron was 15. Dude was still trying to play highschool basketball at 21yrs old is insane.
@@GuapoSantana try 2.8, Cooke was born in April, Bron in December. So close to 3 years, the classes only lined up because Cooke was held back a grade, truthfully, Cooke should've been long gone from hs ball so this is not a flex on his part.
@Footballer85749 I know when he was born played against him a few times, and my school played Bron once. I said it was about a 2.5 year difference between the two, and it's 2.67 if you want to be technical 👌
Lenny could play this a couple of ways. The way I'd play it if I were him is to market himself as the cautionary tale. He could go on a speaking tour and talk to AAU kids on how to not fumble the bag like he did. The perception is that he was right there with Lebron (we know he wasn't) but people believe he was, so milk that. And we love our redemption stories, I think people would pay a lot of money for him to speak to the up-and-comers. He's going the hater route, quicker, easier money I guess but hey the man never had very good judgment.
That would be challenging for him. He’s lazy and never learned the value of hard work. Despite his talent, he lacked work ethic. The old adage holds true: hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.
I think he needs to double down heck triple down on this narrative, "if I didnt get drunk before the camp big game I would be in Lebron's position" after all we can't prove it one way or the other. If he can wait it out another 10-15 years he can have his redemption match 1v1 versus Lebron and silence the critics lol.
@@abrahamabraham1019 major difference. In most parts of the country 15 year olds are high school freshman while most 18 year olds are high school seniors. And we all know most freshman don’t make varsity.
Dude was the #1 player in the country at one point and became content with that instead of looking at the bigger picture and being 20 years old in high school is crazy as hell he should be more ashamed of that than not making the league 😂
If you not from NYC, you will not understand how great LENNY COOKE was. He was the number 1 ranked dude in high school. His mistake was skipping college and going to the league. He should have gone to ST JOHNS and played at least a year or two. 🤷🏿♂️
Nah his mistake was letting the hype go to his head and not staying focused on top of being old as hell in highschool. I’m from Queens I’m 37 I remember his ass being everywhere but the gym clubbing. Wasted his gift smh
@@michaelstrickland3568 INDEED!!! But if he went to ST JOHNS for a year, MIKE JARVIS would have straightened him out with some good old fashion discipline and hard work. But LENNY listened to the wrong people. For GIL to say he wasn’t all that, THAT’S CAP!!!!!
At that time people already had character concerns about Cooke, meanwhile less than a year after that ABCD camp they were talking about LeBron leaving to play overseas after his Junior year of HS
5:40 Lenny also didn't know about LeBron James because LeBron was from the Midwest. Lenny, Carmelo, Raymond Felton, and Amar'e are from the East Coast, so they would've been more familiar with each other on the AAU and regional circuits.
thanks og i appreciate this vid. i grew up in the 2000's and played ball with a few of his family members. he was lazy asf and drank to much. dude was talented but ppl forget he and felipe were like 3 years older then the comp. Salute to u og Gil!
I remember watching Lenny Cooke documentary dude was talented but didn’t have that same hunger & drive as Bron & or Melo! Could get you a bucket though it was cool watching that!
As a native NYC. I must admit reading the Daily News about this game between Lenny Cooke vs LeBron James was very disappointing. Lenny Cooke was next up. He was supposed to be that Guy. LeBron James bussed his ass so bad. Slam magazine and countless magazines named LeBron James the Number#1 player in both classes of 2002 and 2003. Nobody has done that since.
To try and flex about having 11pts in the first half of a basketball game, “on a drunk night” is some bum sh**. That’s why he’s at where he’s at, getting drunk on the couch and watching Bron dominate the NBA for 20+ plus years
That Cam and Mase interview was a year ago. Why is this being talked about now?? 🤔 It was just two corny NY dudes gassing up a NY high school player of yesteryear.
@@poking1434 like I said he was probably kept back one year, it happens. He was born on November 16, 1982 and played his first career NBA game at 19 years old so he couldn’t be 20 years old in High School. I’m just countering what you said.
He’s built a career of talking about Lebron James. That’s another testament to Lebron greatness, the fact someone can get a bag for talking about him on High school.
I know a dude like Lenny…he used to walk about campus like his shyt didn’t stink. Got in trouble and he’s been missing ever since. These dudes have no identity outside of basketball.
We have to be honest lbj made his name off of lenny i never heard of lbj until they said he killed Lenny. That's facts but his name was made off him because of who Lenny was at that time. Same way Lance Stevenson made his name off of going at it wit OJ MAYO as a freshman at abcd camp. 2 things can be true at the same time
I watched that interview on Cameron’s show about a year ago but at no point was the age discussed. Thank you for making this make sense now! He older than him😂 This is why the story doesn’t hit the way it could!
LBJ was going into his Junior year, Lenny was older but he was going into his senior year, Melo, Amare and them came out in 2002, thats why Amare was drafted 02 out of high school
I remember watching his doc while he was at the ABCD camp. One of the counselors said they went to the club and at like 2am they saw Lenny there. He was late for every practice and workout. He was the definition of talent and potential that didn’t work hard. In all honesty per his play style, he was far off from an NBA player. He was silly enough and lazy enough to take an entire year off from legitimate basketball to “work out” and thought he would just enter the draft and be a first round pick after a year of absence. He likely does need therapy. I’m happy he’s making some money for his story however but he still needs to hold himself accountable and let his story be a lesson to others not a laundry list of excuses.
Not to mention this was 2001-2002 he entered the draft. 6’6 power forward would never play in the league with KG, Duncan, Dirk etc. I knew the Lenny Cooke story was bananas when I first heard it.
That’s odd Gil was already in the nba after playing two years at Arizona same age as Lenny and he was still in high school 😂😂😂….. same with Kirk cousins and Matt stafford , stafford was already in the nfl like 3 years before Kirk same Age
Back in the 70's and 80's it was easier to embellish your athletic accomplishments because it was harder to cross reference. Now with the internet, there are digital receipts.
I watched the Lenny Cooke doc. It was like watching Fruitvale Station.. it was just sad. He wasnt a bright kid, and the adults around him didnt know how to guide him. And tbh, I didnr think he was that great. Forsure not a generational talent. Him and his Lebron comparisons have to stop.
never thought gilbert arenas was gon be the former player who dedicated his platform after retirement to being the personal , unpaid PR team for lebron and his overseas bench player son. hope you atleast get that dm back gil😂😂😂
I didn't start drinking and smoking til college bc I hopped. If I smelled alcohol or weed on you I got excited. You couldn't keep up with me if you was on something. LeBron probably was salivating when he smelled Lenny. It wasn't nonsense business deal. Bro showed up and COOKED YOU and you shouldn't have even been there.
1st off Lenny had horrible. Coaches and administrators knew this man was old AF. That family trying to cash in on him at Old Tappan should’ve sent him to prep school.
I’m so glad someone finally pointed this out. He was definitely a good player but Him being 2 years older than Melo almost 3 years older Bron was never anything to brag about.
This kinda reminds me of Kyree Walker, who had a messed up home situation, and should’ve definitely went to college for some structure and fundamentals to his game, maybe some weight loss. The difference all he does is show love to other players. That kid is only 23 and i hope he gets a legit shot one of these days.
Summer of ‘01 Bron was going into his junior year. I know this for certain because I was going into my sophomore year and he graduated a year before me
@@thirsty57 they were ranked in the same class! bron was #1 a 10th....melo was #2 in hos class which he ended up taking the top spot! this was for #1 in the country......cooper flagg was #1 in the country BUT hes a JR/ and the number 1 senior is (bailey) and hes ranked #2 in the country becuz a jr jumped over him
Lenny Cooke has gon out his way to go on every platform possible to tell the same story because it’s benefiting him. We kno it’s a cool story but damn bro this has been goin on for like the last 5 years at some point u gotta move on in life. Literally nobody but niggas from his hood would know who he is.
