NBA’s John Lucas III: Living "The Marathon" Philosophy

John Lucas III played tennis till his arms fell off when he was young, and then he’d run hoops to the point where his legs were noodles.

The word “WORK” might overwhelm others but John manhandled that four letter word to death like an upper case rag doll. His relentless pursuit of his dreams would not be stopped.

When he was young John III’s next door neighbor was Kobe Bryant. Kob inspired him with his conversations about training harder and smarter. It gave him so much confidence.

Kobe must’ve given John III those same wise words that he gave Kanye West, strive to be “a different animal and the same beast.” John III and his family would go to support Kobe’s games at Lower Merion High all the time.

John III had this epic work ethic even in his youth. He must’ve learned how to split the atom in 2 to create enough nuclear fission energy to power his training regiment. He didn’t have time for regular kid activities because he was always in the gym.

He owned every video game system as a kid but didn’t let himself play them hardly a bit. What did all this sacrifice earn John III? He became that cold piece of work that gave him the ability to hit that last-second jumper to help put his Oklahoma State team into the NCAA final 4.

What kind of man was John III when he was growing up? By all accounts and by his own admission he was a God-fearing youngster who gave (and still gives) all the glory to God. He exuded undeniable swag and confidence at Bellaire High in Houston.

John says of his prep years in hoop, “I was not a highly ranked guard by the recruitment services but I was giving the 45 ball to guys that sat on top of the rankings lists and got all the hype."

Being disrespected by recruitment analysts lit a humble fire in his belly and powered this Mt. Everest size chip on his 5-11 shoulders. John III has always been an inspired fan of rapper Tupac all his life and this quote from Tupac shows John’s determined attitude to reject the false narrative that naysayers tried to put on him, “Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real."

How much frustration do you think John III had when he didn’t make the NBA after his sensational college career, one that witnessed him be an All American? Nothing was given to him, he had to grind in the G-League after college to make his dreams come true and achieve that solid NBA career.

John III will tell you himself, “I had to keep believing in myself and pay my dues to get into the NBA.” He loved learning something about each NBA team he made. Then frustration would set in after getting cut by one team and then going to play overseas to land another contract.

John went through this frequently, going to an NBA team, then alternating to a contract overseas somewhere or in China. This happened more than a few times in his professional career. His tenacity to keep striving to play in the NBA showed his resiliency and heart for the game.

John III was so driven to endure that merry-go-round of sacrifice of playing one place to another where he would be appreciated. He always told himself to “stay a part of the show by showing the world I could land my feet to be back on the most elite stage of the NBA.

This constant moving lasted from years 2005 to 2017, his entire playing career. But John III stayed positive. Ask him how he felt at the time and he’ll tell you, “I was providing for my family, living my dream of playing in the NBA as long as possible.

“I was proud of each team I played for, especially my stint for the Chicago Bulls where I combined to be part of the ‘bench mob’. Everywhere I played I just felt blessed to show people I could play the game the right way.”

Have you ever wondered how your favorite NBA player would play if he was 5-11? How many would stick with their dreams of making the L in the face of such daunting odds?

That makes John inspirational, he speaks on it, “I get DM’s from people and they tell me I give them hope that they can play in the NBA. I just tell people it takes a lot of belief, incredibly hard work, and embracing God’s plan for you, which He has for everyone.”

John’s father passed down this incredible attitude and work ethic to him. As a 6-3 guard, John Lucas II had a phenomenal career at Maryland in the mid 70s and was the 1st pick in the 1976 NBA draft. John II had a long NBA playing career and went on to being a very successful NBA head coach and assistant coach for nearly 45 years!

John II is not just highly respected for his playing and coaching career. He built a world class reputation for starting his world renown alcohol and drug rehab program which he started in 1986.

John II advised his son to pick tennis as the easiest path to be the most successful player in a given sport. He thought honestly that basketball would be more challenging because his son was “undersized in that sport”. The NBA places a huge value and emphasis on height.

John II gave his son expert instruction in both tennis and basketball and John III was ranked top 50 nationally in tennis.

In his senior year of high school at a tennis tournament in Kalamazoo, young John came away thinking after a hard fought match, “I’m going to choose basketball to pursue as my chosen sport for my adult career. I just loved basketball a little more than tennis.”

After choosing basketball over tennis, John III’s dad said, “Let’s get you going on your dream son, I know you can do it.” John III will tell you he loves playing tennis, plays it himself to this day, and recommends others to play the game because it is a good cross training sport to basketball.

John III talks with so much passion about passing the ball to his to teammates for an assist, dribbling through traffic to make powerful plays to the rim. It’s what he enjoys in hoops. When he talks about his favorite aspect of the game you see John’s eyes light up.

John shares a phrase they use in the South that is called “making that dog sneeze.” That sound is what happens when the basketball goes through the net to make the sound others call a swish. He takes so much pleasure and satisfaction in making shot after shot in games and getting into his zone.

He’s addicted and motivated to hearing that “dog sneeze” to perfection. It’s a sight to behold seeing someone describe why they truly love the game.

When talking to John face to face he has this off the charts charisma. He speaks so animated with subtly animated gestures that you can actually feel what he is saying. Hearing him talk about his goals on life, his family, friends, and hoops is like a volcanic eruption of rhythmic sounds beating out of his mouth.

The best that any other person I’ve heard speak with this level of conviction and heart to the point it hurts about their goals is Kevin Garnett. Check out this mesmerizing video where KG talks of winning with coach John Thompson. You’ll get a vibe how John III has that same elite level of passion for his life goals to achieve.

John III grew up in Philadelphia for most of his youth until about junior high, then he moved to Houston. He loves his H-Town people, they are him and he is them he proudly explains. John loved playing all over the Houston area to improve his game. He still will go joyfully find open run games nowadays as he says, “I still love playing pick to this day.”

His younger brother Jai is 6 years younger than John III, they both strive to leave their mark on the game. Both brothers told me how they loved constantly training with each other as kids. Jai was also a dope basketball player growing up and was selected a McDonald’s All-American. He went to be a sharp college player at Texas and he even played in the G-League for a year.

Now Jai has this stellar college coaching career going on. He was a coach at long time powerhouse Kentucky for awhile. He’s considered to be one of the best recruiters in all of college basketball for Duke, and really, how many kids don’t want to play for that blue blood?

I asked John III about his younger brother and he told me “Jai is so inspirational to me because of how he handles himself.” The brothers have an older sister Tarvia that they love dearly. She was a good baller in high school and now helps run her dad’s JL Enterprises along with her mom Debbie.

The whole family is committed to being a part of the vast umbrella of JL Enterprises which helps athletes in rehab programs, NBA draft camps, youth basketball clinics, tournaments, and a lot more.

To really know John III you need to realize he thrives in challenging situations. That’s how he gets the people he trains so well prepared. He puts them in harsh conditions, allows them to grow out of them to improve their mental aspect, skills, and approach to the game.

Just read his twitter proclamation to understand how John III views life, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

John III and his siblings couldn’t help but be successful because their parents were so loving and supportive in their childhood. John III’s dad had these fantastic wise sayings and I know great LA trainers that tweet his sayings on their Twitter pages like “Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their inner demons.”

John II gets much respect from the sports world. He was friends with tennis great Arthur Ashe and is friends with Micheal Jordan who he introduced Kobe Bryant to know for the 1st time, and the great Muhammad Ali. So many people are drawn to the authentic nature of John II and he has passed that down to his kids.

John II told me he respected his son’s choice and loves that his kid was strong minded when John III told him, “I choose basketball. That’s my plan A. Forget plan B, and C. I can’t let them exist because I can’t let myself not get to the NBA.”

That intense mentality that John III exhibits reminds me of the title song of one his favorite rappers, Lil Durk. John has to be the manifestation of the song, Burglars & Murderers. John III adopted the intensity of some of the lyrics like “steal and kill any doubt that his dreams would not be realized.”

Feel more lyrics of the song that describe John III, “Been a boss, but suit up like I'm workin.”

John III told me that he can get along in any setting he’s in. He could be dropped in Compton and feel just as comfortable as in Beverly Hills. If you get to know John III, you’ll discover that he is the ultimate people person who grinds like few ever have. Anyone from any background can respect that.

John III is that dude who keeps up with lifelong friends. He’d do anything for them, and those friends in turn would take a bullet for him.

He is all about being that ultra caring dad to his 5 year old daughter Luxe, him saying “I’m going to help our daughter have confidence and a work ethic to be successful. I tell her that she can be whatever she wants to be in this world when she grows up.”

John’s life is also a love story of his dreams all coming true with his cherished wife Kendall. He wants to provide for her, find a way to buy a bigger house for his family and grow old with her. He wants to apply himself to create generational wealth for those kin that come after him.

John III is highly influenced by the philosophies of late rapper Nipsy Hussle, RIP. Nipsy promoted and has transformative lyrics in his albums called The Victory Lap and The Marathon. John can go on forever quoting lyrics that inspire him that help him actualize his full potential.

What does that mean to John III you ask? Subscribing to this mentality has helped him develop into a can do person. John III believes that the game of basketball is 80% mental and 20% physical. He says that he wakes each day at 6:45 am and locks into his daily goals. He’s consumed to turning his wishes into reality by speaking his goals in life into existence.

If we could ask Nipsy Hussle to speak on John’s life what might he say? I’d bet my best kicks from my sneakerhead collection, my game worn Ray Allen Jordan 14’s, that Nipsy would say something dope about how John is pursuing the Marathon philosophy, “John is a real one about this life, his train can’t be stopped.”

JL3 can’t stop, won’t stop. Nipsy I bet would whoop out and speak deep knowledge to the people. He’d spit lyrics to describe John, “They say some fools can and some fools can't, So you wish you nigg<s can take this to the bank.”

#John is money from anywhere

John Lucas III speaks the same language as Nipsy. Just look at him getting some of his dreams realized like the past couple of years becoming a successful coach for the NBA assistant T-Wolves and the Lakers.

How hard did John III have to work to carve out a nearly 10 year career in the L? You think John was fazed when in his youth kids his age world try to tease him about his dad using cocaine, being an addict?

Hah, no way. John III became tough like a Teflon- Don. He went John Gotti and let stupid comments bounce off him. John is fond of saying, “Who cares what haters think?” John is so mentally strong because he’s ingested the life philosophies of great world influencers like Jackie Robinson and Barack Obama, and the social action of Steph Jackson.

Those names I just mentioned had to live and overcome hard places in life. John picks his inspirational people very carefully and they often are a manifestation of overcoming difficult situations like he has in life.

What you really have to know about John III is that he puts these crazy powerful blinders on to get goal orientated. You actually see him put his hands straight out of his face parallel from his temple level pushing his hands forward demonstrating that he has to accomplish his goals in life.

John has so many goals written out to accomplish; some of those include getting to be a head NBA coach, buying 4-5 houses for his daughter Luxe and putting them in her name by the time she’s 18.

He’s also driven to help train more kids in the future. I’ve personally known some great kids that John III has trained like Houston’s Josh Christopher, Cassius Stanley, Jason Hart II, and 4-star Aaron Powell.

I did full features on Hart (click to read article) and Powell (click) who sing John III’s praises immensely. So many people benefit and have great things to say about how John III pushes them in sessions. Right now John has a long list of elite prep players in LA that he works with 3 days a week.

Kids seek him out to help them achieve their dreams. If the kid’s family doesn’t have the money to pay his fees? He still finds a way to be a part of their journey whether they can pay or not. It was Arthur Ashe that John III admired so much who once said, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

That’s John, 100.

John III was smart to seek out wise advice from Kobe when he lived 4 houses down in Philadelphia. John asked Kobe, “How do I get better?” Kobe advised him, “Learn to love the game enough to prepare to play it at any time. Keep a bag of clothes in your car at all times like I do. You’ll be prepared for the unexpected, John.”

John III’s older sister Tarvia told me that John saw Kobe around town one day and told him, “Kobe, me and my bother are working 8-10 hours a day on our game, putting up 500 shots a day.” Kobe responded, “I’m working 12 hours a day. I’ll do whatever it takes to make my NBA dream come true bro.”

John is that ultimate person you can lean on. It comes out when talking to his childhood friend Joe Palmore, who had this to say about him, “Ever since we met in elementary school, I watched John be that 2nd grader that had no fear and was way ahead of his years.

“5th graders would say, ‘You come over here and play us because you are that tough and good.’ He always took on older players and held his own. We are godfathers to each other’s children. I am a godfather to Luxe, and John is godfather to my son Lincoln.

“We’ve always had each other’s backs. He invested in my acting career whether that be financially, being there in person to support me, or via social network promotions. John has been there for me and gone all out to support me every which way a friend can. You can’t ask for a better guy to stay being friends with.”

A huge mantra that is taught in the Lucas family is the creed, “Help others often and help them deeply.” That’s the kind of person that John is. He will literally take the shirt off his back for another another person in need.

John III has had crazy love for basketball from an early age, let’s hear from his loving mother Debbie who has this sweet and immense wisdom she conveys through her guiding voice.

She reminds one of the American poet Maya Angelou as she says on his childhood, “John had a strong will even as a child. He’d fight me as he lay in my lap, his hands open, rocking back and forth against me. He was such a confident baby and a child. We as a family were so proud that he constantly spent time with his younger brother Jai.

“Oh how John was so in love with basketball. He’d sleep with the basketball in his bed next to him ever since he was 18 months old. John would entertain us as a kid in the family room. He’d turn the whole place into a make believe gym. He put on a whole basketball show all by himself in there.

“One moment he was the crowd cheering, the next moment he was the ref whistling, or he’d be pretending to be that player going to the hoop injured. We told him you can’t pretend to be injured baby, or you won’t be allowed to play. He was very convincing that he couldn’t move his arm, or dragged his leg to show it broke saying, ‘My knee, my knee.’

“He could be dramatic, he could be funny. John is such a generous person. Whenever he’d get a new stereo when he was a kid, he would give his old one to a friend. One time I was laughing a little bit as I saw him taking boxes of stuff from his room out the door.

“I asked him,’Who are all those boxes for baby?’ He said ‘I’ve got this stuff going to my friends mamma, my friends are so good I just want to give, give, and give them things all the time.’ It’s so easy to be proud of John, the way he treats his wife and daughter is so caring. The best thing I could say about John is that his heart is so big.

“He’s the kind of person that if he were in a class and there was a kid that didn’t have anyone to play with or have any friends, John would go up to them and brighten their day by not letting them not be lonely or sad. He’d just play with them to get a smile on their face.”

Wow! A guy with a warm and golden heart. The world needs more people like that in this cold world.

The love of basketball has spawned so much success amongst the Lucas children. Jai had this to say about his big bro, “I’m lucky I had John to be there for me. He helped me be the man I am today because he spent tons of time with me. Other brothers that are 6 years older don’t always get to hang a lot with their big bros who are constantly putting things into them.”

It only takes a few minutes talking to Jai for it to be clear that this younger brother is a super cool and good guy. He reminds me of my own little brother Keith that was 8 years younger than me so I know exactly how John feels about having a little bro to help mold.

Feel more of Jai’s words on his big brother that speak about his mentality and nature, “John would be putting lots of time in the gym, 8-10 hours a day and we would both be together during that time. My big brother put tremendous time into his shooting and handle, to the point he was so much about mastering his skills.

“That translated into nobody being able to take away his confidence. Even if he was the smallest player in the gym, he made it known by his actions that he was the toughest guy there. That was him carving out his niche.

“Our dad has a saying, ‘No shortcuts.’ John took it to heart and it created this obsessive work ethic, 500 jumpers each morning without fail. I look up to John for the way he carries himself and how he treats people right.

“It wasn’t always easy for John, he had to fight for his NBA career by playing in the G league after college. He had to prove himself but he never gave up. My big brother is special for many reasons, his generosity toward people is incredible, he has an unbelievable work ethic, so many things inspire me so much about him.

“What allows him to give back to people is he’s so full of emotion, just that full throttle person. He lives to help others while making his own dreams come true. People say that kids of famous people have an easy road but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

“John has had to work twice as hard from having his famous dad, and that no short-cut mentality will power him to be a head coach in the NBA someday. I remember us all gathered around watching John’s 1st NBA game where he was playing for the Rockets vs. Charlotte.

“We were all saying that this was where John was supposed to be because of how his mindset was. Once John puts on his blinders on and locks onto a goal it’s just a matter of time before he accomplishes it.”

Talking to John III this recent June at Joey’s Restaurant in LA, it seemed we talked for hours in our interview. John III spoke of loving his last year with the Lakers as an assistant coach. He understands how new coach Darvin Ham is bringing in his own set of assistants so he was let go from the team.

John III says, “It’s all part of what I signed up for in this business.” John sees the opportunity to be an assistant coach on a different NBA team right around the corner. He explains how he will prepare to land his new job, “I’m doing build ups and data profiles on how each team in the league is, getting myself up on how they do things. I’m figuring them all out and taking deep notes on each team so I will be ready to show how I can help when the time comes.

“I learned so much from all the Laker coaches this past year. Coach Vogel taught me so many lessons, he got me loving to coach even more. Coach Fizz was amazing and Phil Handy helped open me up to new ways of doing things.”

Confidence oozes out of John’s mouth as he shares his life philosophy in finding success at his own pace. “Life is like a hot air balloon, I’m going at my own speed up in the air and will get there when I’m supposed to. I am so happy being me, I don’t want to be anyone else.

“I’m always in competition only with myself in this journey of mine that isn’t like anyone else’s. Life is about hard work, taking no shortcuts, giving the glory to God that he deserves. The Lord will land me to right where I’m supposed to be in my future.”

So many from the NBA have expressed extreme confidence in John’s ability, personality, skills. and all the intangibles that he has to offer being an effective coach in L. Look no further than longtime successful NBA coach Frank Vogel who hired John to be a part of his staff.

Frank has these glowing words about him, “John is one of the brightest coaches in the NBA. How can you not love his work ethic that he had as a player? He would workout 3 and 4 times a day to power himself in the NBA as an undrafted player.

“He took that mindset and translated his great attitude to get results in his coaching duties for us this year. He did a really good job for the team here. John shows initiative and passes that down to what has been put into him. I found out what an incredible job he was doing for Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota and I knew he would make the difference here. That’s why we brought him in.

“On a personal level, John and his family are one of my favorite families that I know. They all mean that much to me really. His wife Kendall is such an uplifting person. I’ve always had tremendous respect for his dad’s coaching over the years. I see John’s coaching goals coming true. I’m sure another NBA team will be picking him up soon for what he can bring to them.”

#big words indeed

Helping others is a hallmark of the Lucas family. An example of John III’s ability to help others comes in how he handled his own high school recruitment. I’ll let him explain, “I can remember the first letter I got from Duke as a player when I was at Bellaire High in Houston.

“It felt good, and I loved my teammates, especially Emeka Okafor who was the #1 player in his class. We both eventually played in the NBA together. We were excited to sign to commit to colleges early in our prep careers.

“But then my dad had a meaningful conversation that let us see how we could help our whole squad in their recruitment. My dad said, ‘You two could punch your ticket now and sign with a college early like you both are talking about. You both should consider how much better it could be if you both hold off on saying where you’re going to play in college.

“That means a lot more colleges will stay interested and keep watching you and your teammates till your senior year. Your teammates could use and appreciate those looks and you both could make the difference for them getting signed by just delaying your decision.’

“We both did hold off and our entire team got signed to play college basketball when it was all said and done. That showed me I could help my teammates by the decisions I made in life, it felt great!”

The Lucas family has a long tradition of giving and helping others. Hear John’s heartwarming story of his grandfather, John I, a still vibrant and prominent man in North Carolina. John I is an academically minded person that loves seeing others get educated.

Grandson John III beamed with pride when telling the story of his grandfather’s willingness to sacrifice it all to help others in North Carolina. I’ll let him explain, “My grandfather is still alive and well at 101, he’s as sharp as he ever was.

“We all treasure that he was the president of the HBCU Shaw University. The college was at risk of closing because of financial trouble but my grandfather put 2 mortgages on his house to keep it all going. He had that much conviction to see that the University not close.

“It worked itself out after all his help. That’s why I have that much pride in being a big giver. My grandmother Blondola was an English teacher and seeing her give and give reminds me to appreciate all that came before me.

“ ‘Protect your name’ is a big saying in our family and I’ll always keep our Lucas name loaded with respect. I see my daughter Luxe, we play tennis together as we bond. I spoil her with the same love that I was given. I’m blessed to have such a wonderful family.

“I’m making steps toward finding balance in having more personal family time with them nowadays compared to less time with them in the past when my career was so time-consuming.

"I want to give my wife and daughter more time since I was gone for so many years playing basketball. I wasn’t able to give them as much time as I wanted to because I was providing for our future while on the road.”

A huge example of overcoming strife comes in John’s Baylor basketball ordeal. From what I’ve heard it was the worst time in his life because he wanted to believe in his team and get treated with respect. But unfortunately the team was rife with corruption.

The head coach Dave Bliss resigned amid allegations he was illegally paying tuition for players without scholarships, coercion and a lot of bad stuff. One teammate even murdered another teammate, a tragedy that affected John and many people who had to live through it.

John says, “The whole scene was abysmal.” All these factors greatly frustrated John. The coach was constantly treating him worse than everyone else, just picking on him terribly. I’ll let him explain, “Baylor was an experience that taught me to be tough.

“I had a coach that didn’t know how to handle a black player from a wealthy background. He was always talking crazy to me, getting in my face in a disrespectful way. I did my job as a player and got production for the team.

“It was just personal with the coach, he wanted to break my spirit to show the team he was able to exert his mean spirit on me. He kept saying, ‘You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth’ and just repeating that over and over to me in a bullying type of way.

“I said something back to him because I always stick up for myself as a man. I already knew it was so bad that I was going to transfer out of Baylor when I shouted, ‘Get it straight coach, I was born with a platinum spoon in my mouth and I know my value in this world.’

“He kicked me out of practice and then he even ran after me as I left the gym and grabbed me hard by my shirt trying to force me to look at him. I said, ‘Get your hands off me. You can raise your voice at me but don’t you ever try to put your hands on me.’

“Every chance he got to mess with me, he did. Even the time when mine and all my teammates’ cars were vandalized and robbed, he made sure my car was the only one not taken care of by the university insurance.

“I grew up realizing I could solve my own problems so I didn’t tell my parents much about what I was going through. I just decided to transfer to Oklahoma State where I can’t thank Eddie Sutton and his staff enough. They all deserve my utmost thanks for how they got the best out of me, they are superior people.”

Baylor would eventually fire its coach and the university suffered incredible NCAA and self-imposed penalties for all the wrongdoing that occurred because of the scandal.

After transferring to Oklahoma State, Lucas would end up being an All-American and was named to many player of the year awards because of his talent, leadership and savvy performances. But the transition from such a hellish experience at Baylor left him feeling isolated, not trusting anyone.

He said he felt like an island until the undying friendship of his teammate Tony Allen helped save him so he could open up to people again. Allen later proved himself as a legendary defensive player for years in the NBA.

So how much heart, grit, and effort do you think Tony showed to the shaken up John? Immense. It took someone special with a persistent heart to get John to trust his new teammates. Let’s put it in perspective of how much Tony can stick to a person when he wants to.

Tony is the only player that Kobe Bryant ever gave a pair of his own shoes to, telling him, “These are for you Tony. I’m giving them to you because you are by far the best defender that has ever guarded me bro.”

So when John says his friend was there to get him back into trusting people again, know that it was a big deal in his life, he appreciates T-Allen. John III felt so lonely and frustrated after the Baylor experience and he just developed this strong distrust of people.

John III says, “Just a few months before transferring from Baylor we were putting our hands together saying ‘Team on 3’ but I felt guys were being screwed over. The pain after our teammate lost his life was terrible.

“All the people in charge that were supposed to care about us didn’t give a dang. How could I learn to trust and love teammates again right after that?” John loves rapper G Herbo and these words from his song PTSD speak on the tough times John had to overcome at Baylor:

I prove you wrong, I made it out of here I don't belong, I see my past everywhere Don't stand too close to me, eternal PTSD I got a war zone inside of my head

Tony Allen has so much love for his brother John, back all the way from when they first met to this very day he loves him like a real brother. He was even part of John’s wedding.

Tony had this to say about John, “I put my arms around John when he got on campus. I saw incredible things in him, that he had this fantastic will to win. We both trained like a pro would train because we wanted to make it to the NBA so bad.

“We were constantly pushing each other to improve. He had this confidence to help me and told me, ‘I am going to help you get to the NBA’ and I told him I was already on my way but that together we were stronger.

“I’m proud I could help him get over this PTSD and the total mistrust of others that he had after transferring. John was the only guy on the team that had his own apartment to himself and that also made him secluded him from the team a bit.

“I took him out to a lot of frat parties, he’d kick it with me constantly. That helped me get his arms wide open to everyone else. Everyone on campus eventually loved him and he was incredibly popular. John is the kind of guy that would do anything for people.

“His energy to pump up other people is special. When he sees others perk up, that gets him pumped up by making other peoples’ day. I knew from the get-go that John was extremely talented in college basketball. He averaged 30 points per game as a freshman at Baylor.

“He had these fearless drives to the rim, his great shooting amazed everyone. I knew he could meld his energies into our team and help make us pretty dang good. We trained non stop together because John’s energy is contagious.

“Everyone around has huge respect for his grind, skills, and humility. His way of doing things was legendary in college. His habits and outlook have everyone realizing John can do anything he puts his mind to.”

I ask Tony if he thinks John has what it takes to be an NBA head coach and Tony said emphatically, “Absolutely, oh yeah he’s got it like that in his future for sure.”

Which other super accomplished NBA figure also thinks John has it to be a head coach in the L? None other than his fellow Lakers coach last year David Fizdale. “Fizz” as he’s known by friends has won chips as a coach with Miami and has been a head coach a couple times himself. He is considered by so many in the NBA to have a super respected basketball mind these last 20 years.

Fizz says he was proud to coach alongside John last year for the Lakers and offers these fire words, “John is the kind of person who inspires me in a big way and for a few reasons. First, I got to know him when he was trying out for Miami and all us coaches loved him for how much energy and determined play he brought to the try outs.

“It was extremely hard for us to see him be the last guy cut on the team, because his work ethic and the way he did things impressed us so much. He’s the kind of guy you love because he never takes anything for granted.

“You can tell his dad has taught him to play and approach the game the right way. In this league you can’t cheat the game and keep everyone’s respect. I had the pleasure to work alongside him as a Lakers assistant coach.

“John is this marvelously self aware kind of guy. I see the connection he gets with players. He’s so completely locked in as a coach, just like he was as a player. This has translated as him transitioning into a coach that get results. I see his future is very bright and I’m excited for him.”

What is also great to know about John III is that he is the kind of person that treats everyone he works with with equal passion. For example, John has his own successful JL3 AAU Nike EYBL team in Texas. You can tell all his players and parents love him.

It doesn’t matter if John is working with a pro guy or some of the elite NBPA Top 100 prep age at the camp he helps run. He treats everyone with the same respect and attention to detail.

As I was in the middle of writing this story my IG alerted me that John was going live on IG right now. I joined to see him answering any and all questions that people had for him, about how his life was going, and tips on how to play the game.

He could’ve answered any of the people’s questions but he chose this middle school Indian young kid that wanted to know about pick and rolls and floaters. John was as personable as it gets and patiently instructed him over and over how to succeed. He just can’t get enough of sharing basketball with everyone.

Me, I loved watching John’s father, J-Lucas II play in the NBA during the 80’s. Even my Californiapreps editor Dave Keefer said “Lucas was great to watch in college and he was instrumental in putting Maryland University on the map.”

Dave should know because he grew up in Maryland and has keen experienced opinions on players from that era and area. I always loved how John II played the game as hard as anyone when he ran his team. He left it all on the floor like Magic Johnson did.

But John II got addicted to drugs and it sidetracked his playing career in the NBA. He made no excuses and successfully underwent drug rehabilitation and eventually started programs of his own to help other athletes rehabilitate. Lucas returned to the NBA as a coach and eventually became a head coach.

I wondered how someone could be so honest with the world on how drugs ravaged his life. That altruistic honesty inspired me as a teenager. I even wished at one point to start my own rehab program because my entire family (besides myself, thankfully) had problems with drugs ruining their lives.

I decided to be a teacher but am still inspired by those that can help turn around people with difficult situations. I find it fitting that the whole Lucas family appreciates teachers, and they act as teachers to help people whenever they can.

When a person gets to John II’s level of honesty, you can only be greatly inspired by how he dedicated his life to helping others. He runs NBA pre draft camps, and so many great future NBA talents come to train with him.

I appreciated these wise words that John III once told me about drug rehab for people that he learned from his dad, “You can’t save everybody, people have to want to save themselves.”

Dude just has wise things to share.

In all my 24 years of teaching besides being a writer, I could’ve used a John Lucas III to be in one of my elementary school classes. I can only dream to have someone like him to teach and learn from as a student. I’ve taught and seen it all from levels Pre K to 6th.

John would not only have gotten everybody’s jump shot straight, but likely inspired everyone to double their test scores. Why? He’s the epitome of helping himself and others navigate in life through hard work. He’s always consumed with getting himself and everyone else around him to bravely be their best version of themselves.

It’s easy from talking to John II to know he has this pure intense love, pride, and caring for his family. He gushes with pride, “I feel blessed to have 3 kids [John, Jai, Tarvia] that are successful in this world, a wife to love me and stand by my side all these years.”

Let’s hear his thoughts about his son John III, “I raised my kids to have humility, be trustworthy, and show honesty. My son John has all those positive traits in his life. J lives his life with the mantra to do things at a high level and remember to do things for others.

“I told John his whole life, ‘never be ashamed of your name son, protect your name with all you have.’ I’m so proud the way he treats his wife Kendall, the way he shows so much love to their daughter Luxe. It’s important to shower your kid with love and affection. He will teach her to embrace the challenges that life holds and I know he will pass down to her lessons he’s learned.

“As for John’s basketball life, I made sure to introduce him to Dr. J, Larry Bird, Manute Bol, and other players I wanted him to see play the game well. He loved being a ball boy for our NBA team growing up. He was involved in the game at an early age.

“I had John train with George ‘Iceman’ Gervin and Tom Thibodeau. We all worked together to get his skills up to be a capable and hard nosed guard. John became a very good shooter and played with a lot of confidence.

“After J made the decision to be all in for basketball as his plan A, he got himself up at 6 am each day to get his 500 shots up. He put in all this great amount of work to get himself where he wanted. John is a lot like me, he’s loud and aggressive to power himself up in a good manner.

“Jai doesn’t come across like John and I do, he’s more mellow with how he acts. Nonetheless, Jai is very successful in life with how he does things. I’m proud of the way both my sons coach, they give the game what it deserves.

“I always knew John would overcome whatever hurdles stood in his path. Kids used to tease him because of things they heard about how I was involved with drugs but he never let it get to him. He has too much focus to let things like that distract or dissuade him in life.

“I told him once, ‘The game might not always love you the way you want it to but you have you love it enough to make it work for you son.’ He listened and look what he’s done in life.”

Yes, John III is that guy. You can tell from talking to those all around him that he is cherished and loved so incredibly much. His friends keep repeating to me that they will do anything they can for him and he is always there for whatever they need.

That’s exactly what his childhood friend Josh Jones said of his loyalty for his friend John, “I’d take a bullet for him.” They both met playing basketball at the YMCA at age 8. I’ll let Josh explain how great and generous a friend John is, “When I met John he was just giving the business to these 11 year olds in our league and we were both at age 8.

“John’s whole life has been about putting in the work, his ethic was unmatched. He just is the most fun and giving person. John had access to these impossible to buy NBA socks that only guys connected to the NBA had access to. He would get 2 pairs for me as he got socks for himself, because he knew it would put the biggest smile on my face.

“He’d say, ‘Look good while you’re out there killin bro.’ If John was getting a new gold chain, the first thing he would say is, ‘You’re my brother Josh, please take my And 1 gold chain. I just want to brighten your day.’

“He just did stuff like that all the time. It was John’s friendship and the way he carried himself that means more than any material things he ever could ever give me. I love him because he knows how to get you in a good mood and all hyped up like no one else can.

“Whenever we played against each other in high school for the Houston city championship, it was battle time because John was the ultimate competitor. We both were averaging like 30 going into that game. There was nobody I would get up more to battle against than John. And us training and playing vs. each other was the time of my life.

“He was such a great player but his magic was making everyone around him feel like they were equal to him a person from how he treated you so good. John’s impeccable character and humility made everyone around him feel special. When I went on to play pro baseball after high school, we never let time slip away our friendship with each other.

“We stayed in touch a lot. We even played vs. each other overseas and it was go at it time again because John brings out the best in you. You have to dig so deep just to compete with him. I’d do anything for him, I’d even take a bullet for that guy I love him so much.”

#John’s soul burns bright

I’ve gotten to know so many people that love John, so many would do anything for him. I think it is just that they want to repay the love and care he shows to them.

Me, I once gave John III some of my daughter’s art. I told him Giselle is in college studying art. She told me that she wanted to give some artwork to you since, “Anyone that giving deserves to have something special made for them.”

She rendered a drawing of these wild-looking Kobe shoes to show love to John. That’s the Woods’s way as it is the Lucas way. I found out later a couple months ago from a family member of John’s that he put her drawing on his family’s refrigerator.

Yes, this JL3 guy is as dope as it comes.

All of John III’s family have this sweet as sugary love for him. Tarvia is his adoring older sister that told me their family is filled with joy for each other. She so eloquently told me that the deep eternal love their parents have for each other has rubbed off on them.

She reminded me how madly in love her dad John II was for her mom even at the early age of eight. He made a proclamation that he would marry their mom Debbie when they got older. He was just in the 3rd grade when he told everyone.

Both of her parents only lived a few blocks from each other growing up. That’s what is different and amazing about John Lucas II, that he and his wife Debbie have had that deep connection for the last 54 years and going strong!

John III shows that same amazing level of commitment to treasuring his wife Kendall Gardner Lucas. He proudly told me “We’ve been childhood sweethearts since high school.”

Feel Kendall’s immense joy and dedication to her husband in these words about him, “John means the world to me and is the most sincere kind of person you can meet. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He will literally take the shoes off his feet and give them to someone who needs them.

“He is also this incredibly friendly person that makes connections with people so easily. For example, we were on vacation in Cabo San Lucas last year and he would make these great friends wherever we would go. Whether it was him complimenting someone’s shirt, he just wins people over by being himself.

“We left Cabo with 4 new friends that lived all over world that we could call our new friends and stay in touch with. We now have people to visit in New York and everywhere. That’s just John connecting with people so easily and deeply.

"It brings me great joy to see John put so much into our daughter Luxe. His favorite word with her is ‘yes.’ All the lessons he learned from his folks about giving and being there for people are put into her. He goes above and beyond to show her how to be a generous person.

“We have a box at the end of the hallway that we fill with shoes that we might have worn a bit, or we bought for the express purpose to give to needy people. Learning to help others in many ways is something that both John and my parents taught us.

“As I was growing up my father was a dental surgeon and made sure we all were taken care of. And now I’m proud to care of both my parents that need me. John is really loving to be by my side helping my parents for whatever they need.

“I appreciate that John knows the X’s and O’s of coaching. I need to point out that a great strength of his coaching is that he disconnects from his ego. He’s all about the work of getting others going. What else people need to know about him is that he is the ultimate gentleman. He even still opens the door for me each and every time we get in the car and enter a building together after all these years.

“I know what I signed up for when marrying John, with the long hours and travel he put into his career while playing. When we got married, he was playing for one team and was literally traded to another NBA team while were in the passport line on our honeymoon.

“One minute he was in Utah, then traded to Cleveland, and then all of the sudden released to Boston. Bam! Before you know it he is in China. He’d come back to a 10-day contract with one team, then be gone to another different team for another 10-day contract.

“I told him you might be frustrated about all the moving from one team to another but God has a plan for us all. We all have to be flexible to be that piece in our own puzzle. I told him that you’re a puzzle piece for each team you play for. Each team is looking for just the right puzzle piece.

“Don’t take it personal about the moving, as you will be the right piece to fill out one team’s picture that needs you but might not be the right puzzle piece that fits another team. We’ve had lasting power in our relationship because we believe in each other so much. We just need to be thankful for the joyful ride we’ve had thus far and the rest to come.”

John is a funny guy, he likes to say behind each spoiled daughter is a bald headed dad. He takes pride in his sense of humor. Others are often bringing up the time he got dunked on by LeBron in a game that went viral.

But John takes supreme pride that he came back 2 weeks later to have a killer rematch performance vs. James as a Chicago Bull. He circled that rematch game and made it his mission to show and prove that game. John asked his friend Derrick Rose to stay out of the game when they were in warm ups.

Rose was just coming off an injury. Derrick said, “I’ll lay back and tell them I’m still a little too injured to play today because I know this is a big deal for you to get the time and feature you need in this rematch. But if I do this staying out, you better kill today bro!”

John did just that. He did go up and around LeBron to shoot it on him, contorting it to an outstretched James who tried to block his shot and slow down the scorching hot start to the game that inspired his teammates.

That was John’s signature game as he showed out big time and went off vs Miami for 24. He just couldn’t miss that day. That wasn’t just a “W”, but another testament to how much John’s friends believe in him, will do anything for him because they love him.

John put his crossed fingers up in the air closely together to show how tight he and D-Rose are in life when he repeated the story to me.

To see the full details of this story and how dope John displays his vibrant personality, check him out on my guy Gilbert Arenas’ interview of John here:

When John became a coach for the Lakers, he showed more of his sense of humor by saying, “I’m going to have to make LeBron run laps” when people reminded him of the getting dunked on incident.John is a fashionable guy, often wearing throw back jerseys in his youth. At our lunch interview he wore some crazy cool off white Nike sneakers and this dope Olympian John Carlos shirt that showed the famous fist up to support justice at the 68’ Olympics.

John is most definitely a self described sneakerhead. I took a survey at the place I play pick up basketball at LA Fitness on how much recreation ballers appreciate John. My guys I play with under 6 feet tall seemed to resonate with him most.

My friend Allen who I play with a lot is a sharp shooter in his late 20’s. He had this to say about his envy for Lucas III, “Man that John inspired me the way he played all out, taking it right to all the giants in the NBA with his no back down mentality. I’d give my best Jordans to be able to play like him for just one day!”

A person who gives keen insight on John is his older sister Tarvia. She, like the rest of the family, is beside herself in the tremendous respect she has for her little brother. I’ll let her share, “John loves to check on people he loves a lot and he’ll always be there for you when you need him. There are no shortcuts with him, he gets after whatever his passion is.

“He put so much time into the NBPA Coaches Association, being the head of it for years. That helped him learn the craft of coaching with them. I always knew his dreams would unfold. He sets a goal and always achieves it.

“He knows how to listen to good advice, like when Kobe was our next door neighbor growing up. John took all his advice to heart and started to do even more training after hearing those words. We all look after each other and my little brother John is that reliable and trustworthy person you don’t often find anymore in this world.”

What is this story really? Reading the details of John III’s life and one level of it. If you want to be inspired, then maybe the reader could realize its a call to action that you need to have fanatical obsession. Consider putting in the energy like John III has for it to be your blueprint for success in your goals.

I came away convinced to be more honest after seeing John III talk about his challenges at Baylor. He inspired me to think I could open up about my own worst nightmares. Also, seeing John II describe his battle with drugs, wanting others not to repeat a mistake by sharing the excruciating details of his drug addiction inspired me also.

Here is a transformative story on John II’s John Lucas Enterprises website that helped me have the courage to share my brother’s story.

Click here

I’ve never shared this in public about my little brother Keith, 8 years younger than me, and how and what happened to him. We constantly played basketball in our youth. He was a great little brother to me, like Jai was to John III.

Keith had big dreams to strike it rich in the sleep study business. Unfortunately, he took mountains of Adderall. That drug is prescribed to help those with ADHD, but many take it to keep working like crazy. The more you take it to help keep you going, the bigger amount you have to use to keep up the boost.

Adderall is like the ingredient in “Speed.” Keith worked 80-hour weeks for 15 years straight. Then one day when he was 42 years old, his heart exploded from the abuse and overworking the Adderall had put on his system.

Keith took that shortcut that John II warned against, and it cost him his life. Honesty and openness is what I learned from the Lucas family. I don’t think I would have shared my story of my lil brother Keith had I not met the Lucas family to inspire me to offer the cautionary tale to others.

If we as a world honestly share our tragedies, maybe we can prevent more sadness in the world. I’d like to think maybe my sharing may give you the strength to offer your wisdom to others.

Keith had a basketball card collection and he once told me to give the cards to the best people I could find, that person who is a good brother to the world.

Thus, I gave John III my little bro’s Charles Barkley card. Both might’ve been undersized for their respective positions but John III had made the world realize it’s not the size of the dog but the fight in the dog that matters most.

I asked nearly everyone I interviewed in this story how would John III have played and what kind of career would he have had if he were my height, 6 long inches taller?

The former NBA head coaches I asked said he would’ve been like a poor man’s Steph Curry, he could be playing right now as a 39 year old. Those familiar with the NBA offered compliments to his ability, telling me just a few more inches in the NBA make a lot of difference, that what John III did was off the charts for his size.

Some of John’s friends and family said that it was because he of his lack of tall height compared to other players that gave him motivation and the chip to achieve what he did.

I’ve been blessed to do stories on so many NBA pros I respect like Paul Pierce, Baron Davis, and other all star players that have given so much to the NBA. In my past 20 years as a writer, I’ve done 600 features and never met a person that is the “Truth” as related to all he’s been taught and aspired to like John III.

Most of my stories take like 20-40 hours of interviews and writing 1-2 drafts to get a good story. I told myself this guy John III has limitless motivation to pursue his passion. I committed myself to being just as obsessive to do justice to him.

John III loves the game in such a rare way that I told myself I’d spend a month and a half to be locked with a single track mind to write his feature. I just never let my mind off his story once, just like he locks in.

If I’m on vacation in Hawaii, then John III is figuratively next to me boogey boarding as I think how am I going to do great at his story. I fall asleep, then wake thinking how am I going to rise to get this done to do justice to his journey.

I must’ve put 105 hours that were a labor of love into this story between doing the interviews, writing it, rewriting it. Waking up at 10 am, stopping at 5 pm each day of the week, for weeks at a time.

I wrote 3 stories that were as long as what you’re reading right now, but all completely different drafts. I focus-tested them among people to see which one was the best before I showed it to John III.

Why? Some people might say that’s insane. No, I just wanted to see how it was like to be John III as best I could, how it was like to have no off button. He loves basketball so much and is bent on achieving all his goals.

Nothing less, nothing more, than complete put your hands up to show your blinders are on. That’s how I told myself I had to get it done right, giving 10 times more energy into his story than any feature I’ve ever written in the past.

How did I feel at the end? Beyond exhausted is how I felt, but also proud beyond belief because for once I had gone farther inside myself to muster the mojo that John Lucas III uses!

This guy protects his name, he takes no short cuts, and goes down his list to accomplish his destiny like very few ever have.