Daniel William McKnight
Cooke was a New York basketball legend in the making, overshadowing even LeBron James before the two dueled in high school. Then he became an NBA Draft cautionary tale. Now, as he approaches 40, the might-have-been and never-was is back where it started, and he’s happy he caught a rebound.
PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. — Lenny Cooke had cash in his pockets. Women on his lap. Drinks in his hands. Ice on his wrist. World at his fingertips.
He was in high school. He had everything he ever wanted.
“I felt like I was an NBA star already,” Cooke said. “I was going to every club when I wanted to go to it, just walk in, everybody in line being like, ‘Who’s this kid?’ It felt good. It fed my ego.
“It happened overnight for me. I never knew that was gonna be a part of my life, so it was a dream come true.”
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