“Hoop consistency in February leads to making currency in the summer.”

Put that catchphrase on my guy Keion Kindred, who preaches this to his clients and is the best trainer I’ve ever seen.

Every Wednesday at 7pm at an undisclosed gym in LA, K-Kindred and Chris Young have this exclusive “invite only” organized open run that brings out the best ballers in LA. Period.

The first Wednesday of February, this hump day sees a couple dozen basketball souls who are bustin’ their humps on that grind to keep their jumpers sharp and drives to the rim even sharper.

In preparation for what?

That intense summertime hoop challenge, which will unfold in a few months to come. Air West in Feb is the lead up to the summer.

What makes Air West extraordinary?

Where else in LA, or in the world for that matter, can you find 8th grade prodigies linking up with NBA draft hopefuls, seasoned overseas pro vets between contracts, and some dope young buck college ballers? All of it regulated by 1st rate refs: That’s Air West.

It’s refreshing to see dudes that play the right way, pass, make smart decisions on the court, guys who respect the game down to the marrow of their bone. 100.

Air West ballers? How can I get the reader to realize just how focused these guys are and what hoops means to them?

If you were a tree cutter, than a chainsaw would be the tools by which you made money. At Air West, these guys’ tools are their bodies. So imagine these ballers having themselves in tip top shape, their mentality on point.

Simply put, most guys that ball out at Air West make their bread through their b-ball ability. So seeing well cut arms, muscular limbs, and springy legs to dunk with is the norm.

To remind readers of the history of Air West, it’s the creation of and founded by long time friends, playground legend Chris “Ghetto Bird” Young and former top prep talent turned uber trainer and coach Keion Kindred.

They formed Air West to provide a safe and dope run for the best ballers who happen to be in LA, its been running nearly every Wednesday for half a decade now. Air West is that one professional place that local ballers can count on.

On a recent visit, the guy I was super impressed with at Air West was former USC guard De’Anthony Melton, who was working all night with this driven look on his face, like he had something to prove.

It was exhilarating to to see him cutting across screens with purpose, poppin that J crisply in games, on his mission to make the L.

Some draft boards and insiders have him rated as a 2nd round NBA pick. He’s at Air West tonight to increase his skills toward increasing that stock fosho.

I love going to Air West. It’s the family atmosphere that makes it truly unique.

Who is always there supporting the guys? Chris Young. He has this heartwarming way with everybody, like how he chops it up with all the players, spectators, and refs. He treats them all equal, they all feel valued.

Chris takes time to check in on their lives, encourage them on. C-Young has an easy way with people at Air West, all while doing a modern imitation of Super Fly, in his gray Nike sweatsuit no less.

Who else did I notice this night?

6-8 Jordan Bell from Inglewood High, who is transferring from Northwestern State to Cal St Northridge this year. I witnessed him using his strong body to make his way inside, and popping his J to keep his defender honest.

Another great guy who caught my eye was Sean “Simba” Hampton. He’s unmistakable with his golden shimmery tinged hair as he flies through the lane in these short intense 15 minute games.

The pace of the games at A/W is frenetic, ballers imposing their will, a display of skill, that’s the hallmark of all games at Air West.

S-Hampton hails out of Dorsey High, played college ball for Pasadena CC, then put down his professional game in Peru, China, and Mexico.

He says of Air West, “I love this league because you have professional refs, it’s an organic place to play, and because you never know who will be here.

“But showing up and seeing a great baller like James Harden lacing up, that makes everyone want to play their best. We try to rise up and compete with him. This place is just special!”

Hampton epitomizes the type of baller you most often see at Air West: a late 20’s guy, keeping his skills sharp to prepare for future contracts.

Ballers in L.A. rely on Air West to keep that competitive edge going and to keep their body tone, because you don’t want to get crossed over, dunked on, or out-shot amongst your friends and colleagues.

Trust me, you have to earn respect each time you walk on the Air West floor. A name means nothing because you’re only as good as your last game in all these players’ eyes.

There are no other high caliber basketball places that run in L.A. year round. The Venice Beach League and The Drew League only run in the summer so Air West is the spot to get that needed hoop experience.

Another baller that impressed me was six-foot six 8th grader George Ochoa Jr.

He held his own against pro level comp and said of his Air West experience, “I’m really happy to play here. These guys are helping me see the game at a high level. They talk to me about when it’s best to take my shot or when to pass it off to others in maximizing the possession.

“Playing here has made me see I can keep up with grown men, pros that take hoop seriously. I respect these guys at Air West a lot. Playing here has shown me I need to work on my conditioning to stay up with the fast pace and constant movement.

“I’m proud to live in south LA near USC; many guys balling at Air West are also from my community. Balling here has been awesome for my development.”

“Lil George,” as his dad calls him won’t be a pro for awhile but the invaluable advice that he and fellow 8th grader Brandon Perez from L.A. have gotten at Air West has been an absolutely incredible experience.

It was truly special to see Keion Kindred stay an hour after Air West ended to share his life experiences with these two youngsters.

All I can say is seeing that transfer of advanced mentality about the game within the game of basketball passed on to George and Brandon was like the Visa commercial that says: Priceless!