Lenny Cooke

From Hoopedia

Lenny Cooke (born April 29, 1982 in Brooklyn, New York) is known primarily for being an early entry candidate in the 2002 NBA Draft. He had averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks per game in his junior year of high school. Following his junior year, he averaged 31.5 points for the first eight games of his senior year. When he turned 19 in 2001, he was academically ineligible to play according to high school rules in in New Jersey.

1 Biography
2 Career
3 2003 Awards and Accomplishments
4 References
5 External links

[edit]

Biography

Cooke could not play organized high school basketball as a senior because he unintentionally exhausted his high school eligibility. Cooke attended La Salle Academy in his hometown Brooklyn, New York, from 1999-2000. He then achieved an average 30 points and 15 rebounds. Cooke went to Northern Valley Regional High School located in Old Tappan, New Jersey, from 2000 to February 2002. Next, Lenny attended Mott Adult High School in Flint, Michigan in February and March 2002, though did not play basketball. At Franklin K. Lane High School, in Brooklyn, NY, he was honored as Freshmen of the Year. He earned MVP honors in the 2000 Adidas ABCD camp. He scored 21 points to help the Eastern Conference defeat the West 115-103, at the EA Sports Roundball Classic at the United States Center in Chicago on March 8, 2002. Lenny Cooke was rated #4 High School Player in the United States in the Prep Stars Recruiter’s Handbook. Lenny starred on the #1 ranked AAU basketball team in the nation, the New York Gauchos.

[edit]

Career

Cooke had other options for college basketball: North Carolina, Seton Hall, St. John's, Miami, and Ohio State. However, Cooke chose to seek out the money by declaring himself eligible for the 2002 NBA Draft. He went undrafted. When all 29 of the NBA teams passed on Cooke in both rounds, he turned to the Rucker Park Summer League in New York, playing for the Terror Squad team.

Later that same year, he was drafted by the Columbus Riverdragons of the NBA D-League. Additionally, Lenny tried out for the Brevard Blue Ducks of the USBL in April 2003. He signed with the Brooklyn Kings in May, also in the USBL. In 15 games, he averaged 28.8 points per game and a little more than nine rebounds.

Later that year, Lenny was back to the Rucker Park Summer League. Then, he would find himself playing in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs.

Cooke signed with the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association in December 2003. Lenny averaged 16.7 points and a near seven rebounds per game.

By 2004, he had returned to the PBA's Purefoods team but suffered his second injury with the team in the season opener and was out for the rest of the tournament. After not being drafted to the NBA, via age limit, he continued to work out. Cooke is currently playing for the Minot Skyrockets of the Continental Basketball Association.

[edit]

2003 Awards and Accomplishments

These were his 2003 Awards and Accomplishments in 2003

League Scoring Title
Rookie of the Year
All-USBL Second Team
All-Rookie Team
League Steals Leader
League Offensive Rebounds Leader
League Field Goals Leader
League Free Throws Leader
Two-Time Player of the Week
Two-Time Rookie of the Week
Most Points: Single Game, Most Field Goals: Single Game, Most Free Throws Made: Single Game

[edit]