# Story: Lenny Cooke, memba him?



## sincere (Feb 24, 2012)

Pretty sad how things have went for him, partially it was his own fault but fate also still played a huge role in this..it also brought back that one game where Lebron ripped him a new one..crazy. Its a long friggin story so heres the link opcorn:

http://parkrivals.com/2012/03/04/story-lenny-cooke/


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Welcome to the site

But yeah this is pretty much one of the worst modern failures there was. He didn't even get in one NBA game...he barely got summer league looks, and now it looks like it's toast with him being that big


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

Damn he got big. Sucks it didn't work out for him, some of it isn't his fault, some of it was. Sad story, but at least he seems to have his shit semi in order now.


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## matt! (Feb 21, 2005)

I used to watch Lenny Cookie a lot when I was growing up. He was phenomenal, he was like 2 or 3 plays ahead of everyone else on the court. And he was STRONG, there was nobody who could contend with him. Then...he went against LeBron that day, and he was just never the same again. Really sad story.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

I'm not big on romanticizing guys like Lenny Cooke. Like LeBron, except more raw? Yeah, ok... 

Nine teams took players who never even played a game over Cooke, and he barely got a sniff after that, so either he was a total head case or he obviously wasn't an NBA player. I mean, even a suicidal lunatic like Leon Smith was a first round draft pick three years prior and got looks from multiple teams.


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## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

This is one of those times where you really appreciate the NBA age limit.


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## Tooeasy (Nov 4, 2003)

that article took me into the depths of youtube where i saw lebron, kobe, and shaq high school videos and interviews. Kobe aint changed a damn bit hahah


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## sincere (Feb 24, 2012)

seifer0406 said:


> This is one of those times where you really appreciate the NBA age limit.


there is?


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

He doesn't even look like the same dude. It's kind of tragic in a way to have a lot of fame as a teen and then become a regular person because the fame changes the way you view things. Kudos to him for having some semblance of a life, but he didn't have superstardom written all over him. Gerald Green has more physical talent than Lenny did and he's still hanging on for dear life. It isn't all talent.


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## ChrisWoj (May 17, 2005)

Honestly - it is obvious he has no motivation to overcome. He's one of those people that - any time life throws something at you, you just let it happen and slide on your way. Just looking at the way he's let himself go makes that much obvious. If he had any real motivation to overcome the troubles life gives you he'd look the part. It doesn't sound like he pities himself, he's a self aware guy that understands he let something special slip by him - but it also sounds like he just isn't motivated enough to act on that.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

Most of you are too young to remember him, but I would like to see a simiular article on Schea Cotton.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

ChrisWoj said:


> Honestly - it is obvious he has no motivation to overcome. He's one of those people that - any time life throws something at you, you just let it happen and slide on your way. Just looking at the way he's let himself go makes that much obvious. If he had any real motivation to overcome the troubles life gives you he'd look the part. It doesn't sound like he pities himself, he's a self aware guy that understands he let something special slip by him - *but it also sounds like he just isn't motivated enough to act on that.*


The fact that he's currently unemployed (and not in the basketball sense either) underscores that.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Speaking of people who've let themselves go, here's a couple of pictures of Mike Sweetney in Puerto Rico from last week.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

Sweeney played for the clerics this preseason and I honestly didn't recognize him. I started a thread about it on the clerics board.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Sweeney looks like he might have a heart attack on the court

Sucks for Cooke he probably can't even go mentor or coach anywhere because by all accounts he wasn't a particularly intelligent or savvy player.


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## eazy8o5 (May 15, 2010)

korleon young


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## marcus_sr (Jan 1, 2012)

Never thought he was as good as people made him out to be, never the less still a sad story.



sincere said:


> Pretty sad how things have went for him, partially it was his own fault but fate also still played a huge role in this..it also brought back that one game where Lebron ripped him a new one..crazy. Its a long friggin story so heres the link opcorn:
> 
> http://parkrivals.com/2012/03/04/story-lenny-cooke/


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## Hyperion (Dec 5, 2006)

Having a bad attitude closes doors on you. He probably would still be floating around the league had he been humble and willing to show up at any time of the day for practice. 

Also, I don't think he was as good as James, anywhere close. Telfair was considered better than Marbury, the proof is in the pudding on that one.


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