On August 4th 2022, I had the honor of meeting and sitting down with former college and pro player, and now new head coach of the Lakewood boys basketball team Cameron Lee. We discussed his origins going back to his time at Ridge View High School and his career going from college to playing pro overseas, and his transition into coaching, while also talking about his message to his players and the inevitable end goal for his team.
The first thing we talked about was his days at Ridge View High and what it’s like being in that culture. He praised it for its “rich basketball tradition” and showed homage to guys like Brian Quick, Jarvis Davis, and the guys before him who helped paved a way and how putting on that uniform “Means a lot” and his time spent their being “Special”. Next I asked about the shift from High School to college and what it’s like adjusting to a school 17 hours away from home at Cameron university. He felt the biggest adjustment from the basketball side of things was “The speed of the game and physicality” and how at that level dealing with players whose body’s are more matured and developed was his biggest adjustment period but noted that “skills transfer” and that he’s a big believer of being able to pass, shoot, dribble, and putting the ball in the net would translate; while the biggest adjustment off the court being the switch of cultures and how different it was from home, but still being able to meet great people and managing to adapt and get comfortable. I questioned him about his decision to take the big risk and challenge to go overseas and why it was so important for him to play pro. He answered that as me and others who aren’t familiar with him start to learn more of, and about him, we’ll start to learn that he loves the game of basketball and has a true passion for it, and a majority of his life has been dedicated to the sport, and that the long dream of playing professionally didn’t become a true realization until the end of his junior year in college; with playing at the D2 level and in pro-am leagues against guys who played overseas or at the D1 level and realized “I’m actually pretty good” but how it was because of the hard work and time he put in into the sport that gave him the opportunity of playing professionally. Going into actually playing overseas he mentioned how regardless of what it was whether it be overseas, G-league, or the NBA; “I always wanted to be a pro”. He said he knew some clubs were looking at him but once he got that call it was a huge moment for him. He hugged his mom and the emotions started coming with that moment being so “Surreal” with everything he went through from not playing 11 games straight his sophomore year in high school and contemplating on if basketball really was the route to getting that call to go play pro and make money playing basketball. We then talked about his transition into coaching and how he became to take the path of a coach with his story being different. He talked about how tearing his Achilles just days before signing his next contract ended his season and how sitting at home became bore-some and having nothing to do and the newly hired head coach of Ridge View High Yerrick Stoneman eventually inviting him out and him coming on as a volunteer. Even being on as a volunteer he admitted he wasn’t “fully committed to the coaching grind” as he was still working on getting healthy to return playing. Eventually getting healthy he attempted to make another run at playing pro but in his words “The cards just weren’t right” so he decided to return as a volunteer and take coaching more seriously, and getting his reps as a coach by success on the jv level and sub-varsity level. We discussed the transition of the added title from, volunteer, to assistant to now head coach and how it took him to be more committed. He said it helped him make his mind by deciding coaching was the career field for him as the struggle of letting go of playing at a high level took a toll on him mentally as giving up on something you held on to almost your whole life was hard. He mentioned it made him mature and fully buy in to coaching and being under coach Stoneman as an assistant benefited him tremendously and helped him become the coach he is today. He described himself as a players coach and that working as a substitute teacher and interacting with the kids everyday helped him build those relationships and established himself by making his mark and earning his respect as a coach and that his relatability to the kids will help grow even stronger relationships. I asked him how his experience in life from being a player and coach and all life lessons he’s learnt factor in to how his team is built and conducted. “I’ll use all of my life’s experiences” he answered. He was adamant about how much he loved to pour into the youth and giving back to the younger people to help them reach their goals is a passion of his”. He also said how he’s willing to lace up and practice with the players to show he knows what he’s talking about and how that’ll help make the players “buy in quicker” to the agenda and goal he’s pushing for, but also it helping in the players lives to help them grow and mature and him being a role model outside of basketball. Lastly I asked him about the real message he’s going to try to push to his team and the inevitable end goal he wants to reach. He answered “If you have something you want to achieve; you have to commit to it” and how once you commit “you have to push yourself harder than ever before” while also putting an emphasis on “family” and how you must value and be their for the people that you choose to surround yourself with everyday.
Now for my thoughts: Meeting and talking with Coach Lee in person and him being my first story/interview in my career was such a great opportunity and experience. Hearing him talk I could tell he was really big on commitment from the story’s of his life’s experiences and how he wanted it to be a big message for him. It was also very clear he is very sincere and genuine about helping the youth from how helpful he was to me and how willing he is to help me in any way he can. When I told him my interest and aspirations in sports journalism he said he’s always willing to help young people with a vision who’s doing something good. Coach Lee was very easy to talk to and comforting and I’m very grateful for him allowing me to meet him and interview him as my first official story and I hope this is the start to a great relationship and I look forward to working with him more in the near future.
Ojore Brown