Dallas, TX, March 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As Dex G. and Kurt Lee watch Illinois and Ohio State battle it out on the basketball court, it’s clear they respect the players on both teams. “Those guys have worked hard to get to that level,” Dex says, shaking his head. “They know the meaning of commitment.” Kurt agrees and adds, “What’s so interesting, though, is that while they look perfect on the court, that doesn’t tell the whole story. There’s a whole backstory that you don’t see, one that’s about grinding, rising early every morning for practice, and sacrificing. That’s one of the realities we dive into with our podcast, “D&K in the lab.”
The podcast Dex and his friend Kurt Lee co-host is already getting attention for its frank discussions of what it takes to get to play for a college basketball team. “I think, really, that anyone will enjoy our discussions,” Dex says. “We do focus on basketball, but that message of perseverance and accomplishment will appeal to anyone no matter what their interests are.”
For Dex, learning to persevere started when he announced he would play basketball in high school. “I can’t say that I was met with support,” he says. “In fact, a lot of people tried to convince me I couldn’t do it. I had to be tenacious from the start and push through that negativity so I could go after what I wanted to do.”
After playing at Suffern High School in New York, Dex graduated from Marist College and went on to Montclair State, where he joined their basketball club. “Can you imagine how exciting it was to help them go 7-0? That was my first semester there, and all I could think was how fantastic it was to be playing at this level,” Dex remembers. “It gave me so much confidence that I kept playing even while I was taking classes at different schools to become a medical records professional.”Dex was thrilled when he was able to play for SUNY Ulster Community College’s division 2 NJCAA team. “I was on a real high when I played my first game. I’ll never forget being one of the four players who made it to the next level. I actually committed to playing at County College of Morris after Montclair, but after a month, I transferred to SUNY Ulster and walked on the team later on in the season. I also played semi-pro for the East Carolina Cardinals.”
Today, Dex is still trying to play at a high level, and he will be working out with the Ghanaian team, Braves of Customs. It is one of the top basketball clubs in Ghana that competes in FIBA competition, and they have competed in the NBA-BAL qualifiers. Dex has shown great enthusiasm for helping the team reach its ultimate goal: winning a FIBA qualifier once the pandemic slows down.
The quarantine took Dex and Kurt in a whole new direction with basketball. “The quarantine limited us in what we could do. We really missed playing, but then I came up with the idea of doing the podcast,” Kurt says. “I asked Dex what he thought about talking about his own basketball experiences and even interviewing some players to get some material, and he thought it would be a blast to do. It’s taken off from there.”
Dex interviewed Ahmad Clark, who plays for Albany University, and Chris Galbreath, who plays for Sam Houston State, for his podcast. “They get real about how hard you must work to make it to that level, how you have to eat, and how brutal the training really is.” That’s one of the messages Dex would like to get across to high school players: the importance of changing their mentalities so that they can play at the Division 1 level.
“Your mentality is crucial to what you can do in your life,” Dex says. “If you have the right mindset, you’ll keep going even when it gets tough. If you don’t, those challenges will stop you in your tracks. I’m glad Kurt and I are using our podcast to encourage people to keep going no matter what happens.”
Contact:
Dex Gyan
D&K in the Lab
getemdex213@aim.com
469-468-8828
