He Was The Next Michael Jordan Until He Met Kobe Bryant

[@Maximillian200HP]

The NCAA screwed this guy, glad his family won their case.

[@phomjachana]

More reason for me to continue not watching ncaa sports…

[@jamesbrockingtonjr.6676]

Sounds like they did

[@anon2414]

He wasnt good enough.. Play overseas for one year show what you got and an NBA team will pick you up. Lamelo, brandon jennings, emmanual mudiay etc. it's a different time but there were still international players in the 90s

[@whiteflash1323]

@@anon2414 Yup. The NCAA didn't "screw this guy," he just couldn't play.

[@TheIcemanthomas]

@@whiteflash1323couldn’t play is a stretch

[@bdaman7702]

Damn i thought this was going to be one of them stories where his bad decisions held him back, dude tried to do everything right as far as his basketball career and everything went wrong. I truly feel like something wanted to protect him from the dark side of the entertainment industry. I feel this one was a blessing in disguise, I just hope he was able to find some other way in life to be successful and provide for his family

[@JBHarris21]

He must've scored high af on the SAT for the expectations of an athlete back then. Nothing about that situation makes since. How you lose in court and still do what you did to be in court anyway? Tf

[@yatusabe2537]

You are very wise...well over the target. GOD Bless you with the full armor 🙏🏼💪🏼

[@JaeZealous]

It's only been 4000 people in the nba it's rigged. You gotta know. It's all about who you know at that time. It was only ESPN it s easy to sabatash people career

[@haneecamper3100]

The ncaa is terrible man i remember hearing about this dude I'm 2 years older the ncaa screwed him big time but it came from long beach they we're mad he wanted to transfer because his brother left for the nba

[@jakedefenbaugh603]

No brother got hand over fist fucked

[@placeducinema]

Kobe had his own drive, he was awesome before joining the NBA (look for his Clippers workout tape, it's crazy). Worked and learned by himself, put in more time in the gym than anyone else, patterned his game after Jordan by watching tapes that everybody in the world could watch, too, only he studied every move and made those his own. Kobe was that smart and hard-working, looking to improve his game in every possible way. Even after his first season, he worked out at Lakers facilities or any facility he could find on his own and would shoot the ball for hours. Needed no coach, and no coach could follow his crazy personal schedule, anyway. The biggest lesson he learned from Shaq is that he needed to work out a lot more than the big fella to succeed. The NCAA can't ban you from working out on your own and getting better daily.

[@guslevy3506]

Shea Cotten was a legend in SoCal…as a Bruin we were all looking forward to him wearing the letters. The kid was screwed by the NCAA, and his string of bad luck that followed was unbelievable. His game was exactly what Anthony Edward’s is today…thick and athletic kid who had a below avg jump shot, but would excel in the NBA on his elite athleticism and strength…

[@Lexluthor415]

He was a grown man at 15. Incredibly dominant.

[@jonyb123a]

When I was in college, I read a book called Raw Recruits, where I was introduced to a fairly shady character in the SoCal scene named Pat Barrett. Years later, I learned he became a much bigger figure in Socal AAU. Some people apparently put the blame on him for some of Cotton's failures. Interesting story.

[@DeCurtaRican]

His lack of an outside shot at 6’5 was exactly why he would have flamed out.

[@Lexluthor415]

@@DeCurtaRican there were a lot of guys that figured it out with much less to work with.

[@dayra6425]

He was a legend all over.. I heard about him and I lived in New Mexico

[@futurehofer1564]

I used to watch Korzemba when I was kid crazy that he is still around

[@JamaalDaGreatest]

@@ordinary_deepfakebro what? I’ve been watching for 7 or 8 years. I was watching Mike when I was 16-17, I’m 24 about to turn 25 soon

[@ayabellabhojwani24]

Dell Harris was the coach that time - not Phil. He benched Kobe a lot. Kobe didn't have a great situation from the start. Phil came to the Lakers in the '99-'00 season.

[@bubble_frost]

Reguardless missed nba coaching, practices are completely different at that level, cotton was stuck essentially in his own gym at the time

[@barryallen1035]

Kobe should've started his Rookie season, though. He was better than everyone on that team but Shaq even as a Rookie. He would have easily averaged double figures in scoring. I like eddie Jones, but he wasn't better than Kobe even at 17 y/o.

[@primetimesports7901]

@@barryallen1035 Eddie Jones was better than Kobe at that time

[@barryallen1035]

@@primetimesports7901 No he wasn't. No one could guard Kobe by the time the Lakers got their hands on him, not even Eddie Jones. Kobe was killing Eddie Jones in Scrimmages. Only player that tested Kobe's defense on that Laker team was Nick Van Exel. Teams worked Kobe out pre-draft and it wasn't even fair to have players try to guard him. Anyone at those workouts will tell you, best workout they had ever seen. Kobe was killing everyone that attempted to guard him. He averaged 25ppg in the summer league at age 17 on top of that, which happens to be his career scoring average. Only issue Kobe had at 17 was his legs didn't have the endurance to be available in the 4th quarter when a gamewinning shot was needed. He didn't have the legs Jordan was gifted with, Jordan's DNA is just superior, Jordan's body was just stronger than Kobe's. Jordan was just as strong as LeBron. Especially, during that last 3-peat. Tha was Kobe's first impression of Jordan when matching up against him at 17 and 18, STRONG, real STRONG. Look for he interview.

[@primetimesports7901]

@@barryallen1035 Kobe didn’t have the legs period. He lacked the strength to finish at the rim at that age. He definitely wasn’t the defensive player he would become. And he was careless with the ball. If the Lakers were a team not competing for the playoffs, yes Kobe should start and work through his issues. But since they were a contending team Eddie Jones was the more solid player and defender and already comfortable in the Lakers system

[@Wholesome_Hoops]

Man this is absolutely heart breaking to hear! He needs merch! We need to support this guy for what was wrongfully taken from him.

[@dy120481]

Lololol. Nothing was "wrongfully taken from him". He just wasn't good enough.

[@8301TheJMan]

@@dy120481 He definitely was good enough!

[@TheEdub1]

I seen him in the Boston shootouts playing for team California. Dude had like 10 dunks the game I saw him. All those shootout years the best players I got to see was Shea Cotton, Stephon Marbury, and Randy Livingston (before the knee injury).

[@Coolrobb]

Must suck always having to watch and never having anyone watch you because you’re such a loser. Get a life.

[@vicshephard9231]

I'm glad im not the only one that remembers Livingston. That kid was something else.

[@TheEdub1]

@@vicshephard9231 He was a bad motherfucker before the Acl injuries!

[@clh2192]

Livingston was JKidd with ups and a jumpshot. Despite multiple knee injuries still made it to the league. Was that good.

[@24Gzz]

good too see you still going been here for years and the videos are still amazing.

[@MikeKorzemba]

Its been a long journey my man, Im only pushing up from here. Thank you for sticking around it's really appreciated 🙏

[@josemeza7002]

He was in our league in HS, he was every bit as dominant as he looked in these clips. Never saw any in HS take off from the free throw line until he did it to us.

[@LOUDMOUF-DallaFornia]

I graduated from high school in Southern Cali in 1998 and I think he graduated in either '96 or '97 but his name was big even back then!!! We just knew he was going to be what Kobe was. Smh, he got hated on by the NCAA for no reason!!!

[@whiteflash1323]

LOLOLOLOL

[@SalsaRimjob]

The worst strike of them all was the NCAA rejecting him. Completely uncalled for and avoidable. He would've had a decent chance to still make the NBA, but that alone made it nearly impossible.

[@trainerrob1622]

He still had a chance, my older brother also competed against him. He was a good player but you guys have to understand So. Cal basketball at that time, it was prospect after prospect and all of them were the next guy. Going from Stacey Augmon, Harold Miner, Paul Pierce, Jacques Vaughn, Ray Owes, Bryon Russell, Ed O'Bannon, Kenny Brunner, Baron Davis Corey Benjamin, Tyson Chandler, Lopez Twins, endless streams of of Murray's and Gervin's... Kenny Brunner was projected to be better then Allen Iverson... Every guy with decent film at that time was the guy.

[@joebauers3746]

Sounds like he couldn't even read, that is why the NCAA did what they did.

[@EricW-eu5xz]

@@trainerrob1622who are you bro? Last name? I played with most those guys u mentioned. I’m the one who told Shea about Slam n Jam at Victoria park in Carson.

[@ahmadx1998]

⁠@@joebauers3746He could read. It’s just reading comprehension. Everybody learns differently. NCAA should have gave the man a chance.

[@joebauers3746]

@@ahmadx1998 Yea, I know that is the "official" story, but we all know official stories are often not true. Either way, yea, he should of been allowed to go to school and play on some sort of special needs type program or something.

[@robertchurney4182]

I played ball at Mater Dei. I wasn't there when Shea was, I started four years later. But my sister was there and I watched many games. He was absolutely incredible. I always wondered what happened with him.

[@frankdelcastillo9432]

I think Cotton started at St. John Bosco then transferred.

[@snapperl]

We often forget how much sheer luck is required to get to the pros, no matter the skill, the drive, the genetics, you still gotta be lucky AF.

[@aaronstrickland3582]

EXXZACCLY!! its many storiez like hiz out there sumplace never told…..

[@FavreianVengeance]

Eh. Nah. Top ten players don't just not make the NBA like that. Something fishy was going on there.

[@snapperl]

@@FavreianVengeance Its EXTREMELY ez to take a misstep or 2 and not make the NBA. You can have all the talent in the world and never make it and the NBA with just move right along as if you never existed.

[@FavreianVengeance]

@@snapperl Barring injury, the elite of the elite make the NBA unless they take a lot for granted. Again, I doubt we're hearing the full story here. The NCAA went against their financial interest to snub this kid. The NBA went against their interests as well. The premise that this guy just wasn't getting as much training as Kobe is wishy washy. Clearly there's more to the story.

[@snapperl]

@@FavreianVengeance You have no evidence for that because you do not know WHO didn't make the NBA that could have. I would definitely wager there were some dudes that could have been all stars if not HoFers if they didnt get in trouble with the law or didnt beat up a girlfriend or didnt get a DUI or any of the other tons of shit that can happen to derail a career. I understand the concept of the cream always rises but I do not think its realistic.

[@CallmeA.1]

BRO GENUINLY WAS JUST UNLUCKY

[@Mercenary-1914]

He is the perfect example of telling kids to get an education and/or develop a trade. It makes sense that he does speaking engagements to teach the youth.

[@dy120481]

No, he just wasn't that good.

[@pauljansen1137]

Mike posting is a pleasure...each and every time!! Thanks my man!!

[@MikeKorzemba]

Thank you my man appreciate you 🙏

[@derreckpressley1165]

Good video, heart-breaking what happened to this kid. However, there is a factual error; Kobe didn't immediately start being coached by Phil Jackson when he came into the league. The lakers coach was Del Harris during Kobe's 1st two seasons; then he was coached by Kurt Rambis for a little while. He didn't team up with Phil until his 4th season.

[@Lokahi-fo-life]

I’m from so cal and he was the best HS I had ever seen. He did change HS a few times if I remember correctly. I think he went from St Bosco to MD and I swear he went back to St Bosco. I only saw Garrett play on ESPN in the McDonalds game and I thought he was better than Shea after I saw that game, but that was just one game. I remember in the state semis I believe he was a sophomore the other team was full court pressing and Shea was breaking the press on his own and throwing lob dunks to the senior on the team. I forget his name, but I know he played D1 somewhere. It’s sad these guys had circumstances that derailed their careers. When LeBron came along I switched to saying LeBron was the greatest HS player I ever saw. Shea’s brother James played for the Lakers for a minute too.

[@EricW-eu5xz]

James was with the Sonics for a year.

[@Baloothepibble]

Him and Felipe Lopez had ALL the hype.

[@Rakeemgrant]

Felipe was Nice. I played highschool 1994 to 1998 and yes they had the hype

[@Lokahi-fo-life]

Lopez at least had chance at college and the NBA. When I saw Lopez finally play I knew he wasn’t it, like people were saying.

[@whiteflash1323]

@@Lokahi-fo-life Some guys grow up in bigtime media markets and get unnecessary hype. Cotton peaked as a sophomore in HS but couldn't actually play, and Lopez was an entire demographics chosen one in the media capital of the world. Lopez could at contribute. Cotton was 2 years old for his class and just physically overpowered everyone when they were younger. As soon as they caught up physically, he faded away. There's literally nothing else to say.

[@dougdemaio]

There was another player in these days growing up that played for Crenshaw that was also probably destined for the NBA, but an unfortunate accident changed those plans. I remember being at the game when Leon Watson's backboard shattering dunk left a severe cut on his right shoulder. I bumped into one of his teammates Tremaine Fowlkes more than a decade later and asked him about Watson. Fowlkes gave a lot of praise to Watson, but said that injury really was a life-turning moment for him. I remember Shea Cotton as an up-and-coming star. Good to see he is using his experience to help educate others about the challenges in life. #Respect

[@estlhm805]

Some decisions destroy a possible future. NCAA wasn't willing to admit their mistake. Glad his family won their case, but it didn't help him when he was at the top of his game! Now we can only imagine what could have been if he would have made the NBA.🤔🤔

[@JBHarris21]

They really didn't win it... he was a 22 yr old freshman. The ncaa should be sued again for potential lost wages or something cause got damn c'mon 😅

[@SurgeryBeatz]

Man look. I feel so much empathy for his situation. Nothing you do works. Like life itself is all the way against you. 🤦🏾‍♂️😢

[@enriqueriveral4098]

bro is that one uncle in parties who can legitly say I would have made to the NBA if it wasn't for___________ #respect

[@Luka21010]

If I was him I'd drink

[@dy120481]

He had several tryouts, but couldn't play and got cut.

[@ThatGuyGloomy]

Another korzemba classic. Great vid mike

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Yeah I grew up going to Anaheim Ducks Arena to watch Mader Dei and Cotton. We saw The Dominguez Dons, with Tyson Chandler, Inglewood and Paul Pierce. I went to HB high with Tony Gonzalez, TE of Atlanta. Cotton was top 10 I ever saw.

[@EricW-eu5xz]

Did u know Gil Gonzales?

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

@@EricW-eu5xzTony s brother?

[@jamieprocino8462]

There was some mysterious omissions here - the changing high schools was a thing - pretty sure the shoulder injury wasn’t the only reason he missed the season. As I recall he was being investigated for extra benefits bc of the Nike thing - also, tweener. The one jumper we saw was literally from a game in his 8th grade or freshman year

[@BingoNamo-gb8pz]

Yea, gotta do more than just enter a dunk contest every February. Very few dunk/drive only careers pan out. They’ll give you 2 or 3 years to develop into something more but you’ll get forgotten real quick if you don’t.

[@davidgreen330]

In the same vein we can't forget Connie Hawkins

[@mikeenriquez7859]

I remember watching Shea play in a slam n jam tournament in long beach ca along with Cory Benjamin. At first i was like he's alright, he was playing somewhat soft and it seemed to me he wasn't into that game that day. But then all of a sudden he turned on a switch and started to ball up and i was really amazed at how good this guy really was. This guy could ball up like no other.

[@buckhardwood4684]

Awesome video, only issue I have with it is the title. Why does it imply that he was on his way to greatness until he played against Bryant. Seems to me that it only would have given him more respect.

[@FatFingers1]

I had the privilege to watch Schea Cotton a few times when he was at Mater Dei. The dude was LEGIT. That 45” vertical wasn’t a typo.

[@wackyd]

I think I still have his state championship game from his sophomore year on VHS somewhere (great game by the way). Dude is still the best sophomore I've ever seen.

[@aaronramirez227]

First time I heard of him was in the book Played their hearts out. Great book and tragic stories Mr Cotton and Demetrius Walker. Must read if any kind of basketball fan

[@3louminati]

I am in some of these clips and I can confirm Schea was everything people say he was. Cover of Sports Illustrated entering high school. Man Child!!!

[@whiteflash1323]

Lol. He wasn't on the cover, and it was going into his junior year.

[@3louminati]

@@whiteflash1323 you are correct, I think I am thinking of his Slam cover. When you knock your noggin on the hardwood a few times over the years your memory gets like Biden’s. 😜

[@dy120481]

​@@3louminatiYou must've hit it pretty hard, 'cause he didn't have a SLAM cover, either😜

[@jamescollier7360]

@@dy120481😂😂😂😂

[@EricW-eu5xz]

Who are u bro? I was playing against these teams at this time.

[@Trollyaccount]

Schea Cotton was a beast use to see him play at Venice beach omg bro was incredible

[@gpc831]

Damn reminded me of the good ol days when Mfkers actually played outdoors! Smh. But was he as good as Sydney Dean on those same courts? 😂🤣 I joke I saw Schea the 1 man soph manchild wrecking ball just relentlessly time after time lead his MD in OT past Fremont of Oakland. Went to about 25 CA state championship games 8-10yrs (25 id est cuz different divisions) schea winning his soph yr @ MD would be my 1st. I left that game a 4th grader self reflecting making the decision that I was going to take the game serious and not just play off early height & talent but really apply myself to be the best I could be cuz of how impressed I was by this Soph. Other than Schea (it’s a hard 1) but Deshawn Stevenson is a close 1b for his performance in 2000 vs El Cerrito who had long time nba guy in Drew Gooden! Long story short Kansas coach Roy Williams was right behind us at Arco in the sky booth just gawking over this kid & for good reason. On wiki he called DS “the most talented recruit he’s ever recruited”. That is very high praise from a cbb HOF coach who’s recruited some of the best CBB in the last 3-4 decades. Turns out of course after DS went hs to pro’s that Roy would recruit Drew Gooden

[@CardioRoyalty]

There are a lot of stories like this out here....there are a lot of talented guys that for whatever reason (sometimes self inflicted) it just doesnt happen for them.

[@westcoastkidd17]

He's a victim of being a precocious talent and media hype. As a 6'6 210lb sophomore, he was so physically mature and people mistakenly assumed he'd continue growing, but it didn't happen. He was impressive as a high schooler, but his skillset was average and didn't improve much and his athleticism as an adult was just average or slightly above average for an NBA player. Basically, he peaked in high school and he was a nice media storyline for that time.

[@dy120481]

Holy shit, someone with common sense🤯 He was also two years old for his grade. He peaked as a sophomore in high school. I actually kind of feel bad for him 'cause you can tell he can't accept it and move on.

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

wrong

[@dy120481]

@@BasicBeachCommunity1 Cool story.

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Lolz

[@StevenEvens7125]

Shae Cotton & Lenny Cooke smh. The Basketball Gods are real

[@gsp3428]

Its weird how these guys like him and Lenny Cooke never even made it to the NBA. Shows you how important making good decisions is.

[@artkneeko]

Well lenny cooke made bad decisions, this kid got screwed

[@TonyStewart-vk3qp]

His situation was totally different from Cooke's!!!!!!!!!! Cooke pissed his dream away with no work ethic while Cotton was robbed of his , by the NCAA

[@gsp3428]

@@TonyStewart-vk3qp Ya but it seems if he was that talented, he would have found his way to the NBA somehow. Go play overseas, then get some tryouts in the NBA, if you are one of the great talents in the world, teams are gonna want that on their team.

[@tonystevens4883]

It was a different system back then, and easy to say in hindsight unfortunately. Poor bloke.

[@gpc831]

@@gsp3428 It was a completely different time back then bro! Lmao!! No one really went overseas & overseas wasn’t really playing in the nba like today. No ignite no g league. Like the video says you went to college then the nba. That was the only option back then. We’re talking 30yrs ago! & a lot changed from Schea to Lenny’s era my goodness!! I know cuz my only sibling was class of 96 (Schea was 95 or 96.) & lenny was in my class or 01. More opportunities presented itself in the early 00’s. Your talking 6+ yrs a lot changed more opportunities started presenting itself but during 94 when Schea really was at his peak winning a ca state ship & dropping 39pts & like 6-7 dunks & wiling his team (man amongst boys thus the Knick name manchild) as a soph vs cats 2-3 yrs Oder that he was physically bigger & just way more skilled raw & better than. He was ready for the nba then honestly. It’s too bad you had to continue it 3-4 more years cuz Schea could & was hanging w nba all stars as everyone was saying during these ucla open runs. He sparked baron davis & even tho Paul pierce was 2yrs older I’m sure they played & PP will tell u & has as has Ron artist kg Elton brand & that nyc aau squad that this dude was a problem! Yeah he had an underwhelming 1-2yr stint at Alabama but after 4yrs not playing & honestly Schea wasn’t the same player (alot of injuries & bad luck) his jr & sr yrs at St. John Bosco hs. He wasn’t the same due to missing a ton of time due to injury as he was as a soph at MD when he may have put on the greatest show & absolutely willed his team to a state ship @ ca’s best & highest level then D1. Really feel for Schea. Great person giving back now but the ncaa really f’d him as did his decision to leave mater dei? Unsure what went behind leaving for Bosco I think the doc said something about being closer to his family but.. yeah Schea sparked a lot of future nba guys to come. & they all aren’t using hyperbole when their all saying in these interviews & docs that he was the best! I’ve watched ca hs hoops for 30yrs & he’s still the best hs bball player & performance I’ve ever seen hands down. Deshawn Stevenson was probably a close 2nd. Tyson chandler was also a nice big. Kenny brunner aka & 1’s “bad Santa” was nice like ppl say as well.

[@mikeythompson7777]

Heartbreaking, and maddening. The spectacular athleticism and talent shines through even those faded decades-old video clips...no question he would have been one of the best to ever do it. The NCAA robbed him, us fans, and the game itself, of an opportunity to see him attain his full potential, and for what? Some wrongful rule interpretation they probably couldn't even explain now. He should get a lawyer and sue them for a billion dollars, lost revenue plus punitive damages plus interest..

[@tron_nemesis2789]

"Cotton is high" 💀💀

[@LostAirJordans]

invest while you can 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@Biffwellington4518]

You rock Briggs! Say hi to Stratton for me.

[@marlonbrown5898]

The NBA aswell as other professional sports is like a moving train. Youve got super talent and potential superstars coming in every single year. If you miss your stop you might not get back on track on where you need to be at or where you need to go. I think of Shea Cotton in this situation.

[@elim5353]

Sometimes guy are well about there time but doesn't turn in to more. Alot of talent

[@davelong4131]

All these videos show off that he can dunk, do layups, and can block. There was a footage of him drilling a single 3. With that said, it does suck that he didn’t get the opportunity to prove himself.

[@korethoe262]

In the 60's Billy Van Zilanderlah put up 100 on all the greats, but was shot. Thousands of these kinds of stories.

[@BingoNamo-gb8pz]

When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was Rashad McCants.

[@lacya.716]

Seems like he should've stayed at Long Beach State. There were no disputes regarding his SAT scores until he left for UCLA. And that's when ALL the drama started

[@Ron_B.]

My goodness, this is my first time hearing of this guy. His game looks crazy nice! Man, we NBA fans were robbed. Just imagine how exciting the NBA would have been with Schea Cotton, Terry Furlow (RIP, Atlanta Hawks), Hank Gathers (RIP, Loyola Marymount), and Len Bias (RIP, Boston Celtics).

[@MADNEWYORKER914]

I remember when Conrad McCrae passed, he was a beast. It was said that he bust Shaq's @$$ in a summer league game at the RUCKERS.

[@wackyd]

I remember one of the networks teelvised a game from the Rucker back in like '93 or '94 and Conrad McCrae went off. Dude dunked everything.

[@RTPFTW7]

Saw him win state in ‘95 at Mater Dei(‘95) against Fremont(Oakland)

[@a1basketballofficials]

great video thank you

[@Duneek]

I didn't know that stuff about the NCAA banning him for years. That right there is the main reason things didn't work out for him I would think. I hope his family got paid millions because that definitely cost them as much. I'm just glad I got to see him play in AAU. His team scouted mine once and then we scouted theirs because we thought we would play each other, but we lost before we could. We had Jason Terry so it would have been a fun battle.

[@jumaanerobinsonsr5736]

I never heard him say that till now about Kobe

[@vitaminmayhem]

Harold Miner...baby Jordan 😥

[@Bokingperformancefitness]

I remember it like it was yesterday I played with Boo Williams National AAU and we played California AAU team at Kecougtan High School in Hampton Va, The Guy was amazing, after the game I remember going back to my neighborhood telling my friends I just saw the best High school player I ever scene. He played on a stacked team (the Collins Twins, amongst other players), and he scored 48pts, and nobody noticed anyone else on the court. All Facts

[@gpc831]

Best hs bball player I’ve seen in going to arco Sacramento (kings old gym) 8-10yrs & another 10-12 on tv 30-40 games (when u account different div) dude was the best I ever saw too & he was only a sophomore!! He was redic. 1B to him may be LBJ pro troll & nba DPOY & LBJ stopper Deswan Stevenson. Roy Williams was @ game & on wiki called him “the most talented player he’s ever recruited”! 2 best I saw. Tyson chandler prob best big.

[@gpc831]

Did you see Ronald curry tho from Hampton in HS? Boo Williams is that are or Rhode island? I recall seeing them when my team made it to aau natl 1 year in Orlando. Anyways curry was Natl HS poy in both bball & football. That’s a redic feat tho!

[@CharesWhite]

Yea I Remeber playing W Cotton and Felipe and Rock at Gauchos...Cotton was a beast!

[@EricW-eu5xz]

Felipe Lopez was the man 93. U talkin bout my guy Ramel Lloyd??

[@CharesWhite]

@@EricW-eu5xz indeed! I was a young cat and we thought Ramel was Charles Barkley...destroyed us on the daily! Beast of a ball player similar to Cotton.

[@EricW-eu5xz]

@@CharesWhite I’m from Long Beach. I met Roc when he got to LB State with coach Clyde Vaughn.

[@laysonbrooks7658]

So the guy behind him looking up at Shea is actually a childhood friend Brian Douglas. We gave him the business after that photo came out.

[@JoseGarcia-oo4mc]

Excellent video

[@Sincere529]

I remember Shea being from southern Cali. Dude had mythical hype.

[@durielcoleman9104]

I played in the BCI tourney at Arizona State and he was on a team with Jelani McCoy & a pg by the name of Olajumi Mann(excuse the spelling). Dude was Bron before Bron at that time. Explosive with a solid jumper.

[@17thN.O]

Me and Cotton are the same age and I remember his name.

[@lukesmith9692]

Cotton and I*

[@Mike-k7v]

2024 every nba player was killer in highschool Ok everyone look good but that next level it hit different…..

[@mt1paqman]

Thank you for doing right by him.

[@briang8002]

I wonder why Shea didn't try overseas, especially after the 2nd ban of ineligible from playing ncaa basketball. This is a great example of why the competition you play against is so important, especially at the age of 17 to 22. Competition brings out the best in you. To maximize your potential, you need to play versus the best competition available.

[@bowskee]

Damn you still upload i thought u stop

[@davidchandler6885]

players develop with age, lots of nbaers didnt fully develop till almost out of high school

[@Anythingshort16]

this guy should be one of the greatest

[@boomfaoce]

He looked very raw in these clips so I doubt going from high school straight to the NBA was ever an option for him

[@CashColorCannabis]

Saw Shea Cotton play at the Boston Shoot Out. He was good. I feel like the older he got, most of the hype wore off

[@diegochavez6203]

All I saw was a bunch of athletic plays. No high q passy no pull-up jump shot. No three-point shot y'all be reaching

[@metsrus]

same things the scouts said about him. He had size and athleticism advantage and didn't really develop his skills as opposed to Kobe who refined his skills working endlessly in the gym

[@barryallen1035]

He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a Freshmen in High School. Kobe, LeBron, and Jordan never did that. He was on the national stage at 12 years old before that. This was pre-social media, before the internet blew up, too.

[@dy120481]

Dude, you gotta stop. He wasn't on the cover, and it was the summer going into his junior year🤦🏼

[@westcoastkidd17]

Yeah, he was a precocious talent. He physically matured as a freshman and didn't really improve beyond his freshman year. Once Lebron, Kobe, Jordan grew into their bodies their game and skillset also improved and Schea's game remained stagnant. Schea was just dunking on high schoolers when the other legends dunked on grown NBA players lol

[@dy120481]

@@westcoastkidd17 He was also held back twice. He was 14 (FOURTEEN!!!) in the 7th grade. He was a 22 year old sophomore in college.... This shouldn't be this difficult for people to understand, but here we are🤷🏼‍♂️

[@jamisont1]

@@dy120481 just like ed obannon.. he was like 23 yr old when UCLA won the title.

[@teaaet1]

Bad luck on top of bad luck. I feel sorry for this young man.

[@TheWriter337]

Kobe had nothing to with Shea not making it...STOP THE CAP!

[@thepugking319]

Bias cotten, and manigualt are the biggest what ifs in nba history

[@BingoNamo-gb8pz]

The guy picked before Jordan & Hakeem.

[@elceezDoscinco]

I’m from that era lived in OC so I seen him play a lot! I think what happened was he was training like a pro at a young age along with his size and athleticism he was toying with the competition but once everyone grew and caught up to him it was a rap. Add his injury didn’t really develop a shot and people in his year he was destined to fail!

[@MikeHunt-fo3ow]

who do you think could make the most 3s with a 16 lb bowling ball

[@dogfacedsoldier327]

I remember seeing him on a Sports Illustrated cover.

[@Skub126]

I played for El Camino 98-99 I played against shea he played for Long Beach City jr college

[@steveniemyer9288]

You left out tons of this guys playing history. He played pro ball stateside and overseas for 10 years from 2001-2010. He got a chance with the CBA but was cut because he couldn’t shoot. Cotton played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the Summer Pro League in 2003. In November 2007, he was selected by the Tulsa 66ers in the ninth round of the 2007 NBA Development League Draft, but he was waived a couple of weeks later-he couldn’t shoot. If you want to say his lack of shooting ability is because he lacked the coaching, perhaps that is true but you can’t say he wasn’t given a chance-he got several chances to make the NBA.

[@jeromecrockett2311]

But kobe and kg was in the nba in the 90s so you talking about 2001 .. that shit was late as hell,, he was already not in peak performance

[@keepemcumming4417]

Yeah but he was two years younger than Kobe, and was going the college route, and if he was a good as they say it wouldn't have mattered if he sat out senior year because of a shoulder injury,if the NBA thought he was that good they would have been looking, sounds like another Seventh Woods a guy who peeked early and then everybody caught up

[@keystone6561]

@@jeromecrockett2311if you fell off in 3 years you never had the work ethic anyways. bro was just hyper athletic and competitive

[@jeromecrockett2311]

@keystone6561 bro had the work ethic but if they deny, you can lose your game 3 years is a long time, to gain depression, lose steps.. they stopped bro momentum

[@dy120481]

@@jeromecrockett2311 You have no idea of what you're talking about.

[@truckerfitness8221]

I went to Cerritos Community college I remember when my friends on the team beat his Long Beach city college team. 98-99 Cerritos won state that year beat Jamal Tinsley team who ended up playing for the Indiana Pacers.

[@Muskogee]

The NBA is about who you know and who they like. A lot of people don't know, Kobe's dad played with the 76ers. Bean Bryant knows or did know people around the league back then.

[@AD-qq2zx]

Lots of things have to go right to make it. One or two things can easily through that off.

[@ponypower8]

At 15??!!! Incredible!

[@Artisofficial07]

Saw him play vs Crenshaw when he was 16 Crenshaw had 3 or 4 D1 players Schea was the best player on the court.

[@willb1131]

That's sad. I would have loved to see him play

[@lbushquizeanic1]

I hate to see legends like this come close to the NBA but don't make it.

[@tootyoung8457]

Yes he was tough played with him at Nike all-american camp

[@alfredmayes5005]

The NCAA knew what they were doing…shame on them for not allowing that kid to play college ball.

[@chriswahl4139]

In the same draft with Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal, Taj McDavid entered the draft and went undrafted

[@Charnelle3]

NCAA being ableist!

[@mrcrookshank4820]

I REMEMBER SHEA COTTON HIS OLDER BROTHER JAMES COTTON PLAYED A FEW YEARS IN THE NBA, I THINK JAMES WENT TO LONG BEACH STATE, AND SHEA COTTON DID PLAY AT ALABAMA AND WAS A DECENT PLAYER THERE

[@jerrysoulouque3785]

Legend

[@wedabestradi096]

I heard the name but never the story bro is a dawg

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Oh yeah you reminded me Baron Davis of crossroads played against my high school church Calvary chapel they also had a really good team in the California section playoffs.

[@freddielee5340]

I saw him play one time n los angeles... he had 21@ the half.....his calves looked like (BRICKS)...WENT TO THE HOLE @ WILL....ERNEST KILLUM N SHAY COTTON WAS THE BEST IVE EVER SCENE LIVE...

[@EricW-eu5xz]

Rip to the great Earnest Killum Lynwood High. Dunked on Willie Mcginest at Long Beach city college. Knee to the chest and one from the dotted.

[@donovanjohnson756]

I knew his cousin Reggie, dear God he was so good in basketball from Pasadena

[@michaelfrazier606]

People basketball is a team sport. This the main reason players fail, is because media treats team sports like individual sports….

[@semicharmedlife311]

2:50 Of course he did, according to himself. 🤣

[@M0v3rsandSh00t3rs]

I remember hearing about him years ago but never got his full story. He had the worst luck possible surrounding him smh

[@gorillainthemix]

I played college ball in Cali in those days. The stories about Shea Cotton and Ronnie Fields were all over the place. Kobe came later and kinda out of the blue. But maybe the script was already written, we just didn't know yet.

[@rcwell]

Well Ronnie was always on Sportcenter so he was hard to miss. I’m from Cali so I remember hearing about Shea.