In 2000, Lenny Cooke was one of the best high school players in the United States. At one point, he was ranked higher than LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in the prep players' rankings.
However, while LeBron and Melo went on to become lottery picks in the 2003 NBA Draft and have great careers in the NBA, Lenny vanished without warning, and his star faded even before it could shine.
Looking back, Cooke says he truly believes that he was better than King James at one point. However, the 2001 ABCD Camp changed the trajectory of his basketball career.
"The first time that we faced each other was at ABCD Camp," said Cooke. "I didn't know who he was. He came into camp with a chip on his shoulder. A lot of people didn't know who he was at that time. You know what I'm saying? And I ran out of gas in the second half, I did my thing in the first half, and his career took off from there. "
Lenny never recovered
Cooke's team defeated Melo's squad in that camp to advance to the championship game. Standing between Lenny and the championship was a team led by a junior from Akron named LeBron. Cooke had the better team, but James had a big game that kept his team in the thick of the contest.
In the dying seconds, Cooke hit a midrange shot over LeBron to give his team a two-point lead. But Bron responded with a three-pointer that beat the buzzer and upset Lenny's team. James became an instant celebrity and later the No.1 ranked player in the country. Meanwhile, Cooke's star quickly faded and in no time, he was forgotten.
"He had the right people behind him," added Cooke. "He knew what he wanted. He knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life and he dedicated himself to it. He ain't take no days off. It was school, basketball, and that was it. With me, it was basketball and clubs. It was two different situations and he took the right route."
Listening to the wrong people
While the Kid from Akron had the right people behind him, Lenny listened to the wrong people. Cooke's mother, Alfreda Hendrix, confirmed this during an interview with The New York Times in 2012.
"He was a teenage kid, and every day, he had money in his pocket — and I don't mean $200 or $300," she said. "It was whatever he wanted like the world was his, so he took advantage of it. I guess he didn't figure that things were going to fall down because people kept telling him it was only going to get better and better."
An agent convinced Cooke that he would be taken in the 2002 NBA Draft, even without college basketball experience. He declared for the draft but after 58 picks, he left the Manhattan hotel disappointed. One year later, LeBron was the top pick of the 2003 NBA Draft while Melo was picked third overall behind James and Darko Milicic.
Related: Lenny Cooke says LeBron James is not a 'dog': "He don't wanna be judged for making the wrong play"
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