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Ricky Lopes
Hometown: New Haven, , Connecticut
College: Duquesne University Height:7' 0" |
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Ricky Lopes started playing basketball as a kid on the streets of New Haven, Connecticut. He played many sports as a youngster, but focused on basketball because he was growing at a rapid pace. In high school, Ricky struggled to get any playing time on the varsity team because he was playing behind two All-American high school players who were amazingly a little taller than Ricky. The only basketball experience Ricky was able to get was in practice and that was not very productive because the All-American players were a lot stronger and more experienced than him. Rather than give up, he continued to work hard. At the advice of a team friend, Attorney Edward Dolan, he attended the Five Star Basketball Camp.
At this camp Ricky gained confidence and realized he had a future in basketball. The best high school basketball players in the country attended the camp. Ricky did not dominate, but he received an award for Most Improved, which meant he was one of the hardest workers.
That was a lofty accomplishment for a kid who never had the opportunity to play varsity basketball. After returning home from Five Star Basketball Camp, Ricky received numerous basketball scholarship offers. His trusting friend, Attorney Edward Dolan, who is now a judge in New Haven, Connecticut, reminded him that the schools coveted him only because he was an athletic "7-Footer."
Ed advised Ricky to enter prep school in order to create good study habits and to work on his basketball skills. Ricky was skeptical about going to prep school because he had many big time Division One offers and had narrowed his choices to Xavier University and LSU. Ultimately, he took Ed's advice and went to prep school. There were many people who doubted Ricky's basketball abilities. He was out to prove them wrong. With the help of Judge Edward Dolan, Ricky chose Worcester Academy Prep School in Massachusetts. Through hard work and discipline, Ricky excelled in the classroom and on the basketball court. It was a learning experience for him. It was his first time away from home, and he was now attending school with kids from Japan, Europe and the suburbs of New England. This was okay with Ricky. He learned to fit in and developed many good friendships. He was even voted Most Unforgettable because of his easy going personality and obliviously because he was seven feet tall.
After graduating from prep school, Ricky chose to go to Champlain Junior College in Burlington, Vermont. At Champlain, Ricky experienced much success. His team went to the National Junior College Basketball Tournament for two consecutive years. Champlain Junior College reached the final four in one of those two years. Ricky credits his success on the court to legendary coach, Bob Tipson, who is currently coaching at Quinnipiac University. Ricky calls him the "best coach I have ever had."
After graduating from junior college, he had to make another tough decision. He was ranked one of the top five centers in junior college by the Sporting News. Many college coaches offered Ricky a basketball scholarship. His final choices were the University of Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Florida and Duquesne University. He chose Duquesne University because it is a great school for academics and for the opportunity to play basketball immediately. The transition from junior college was a tough one for Ricky because at Champlain he dominated on the basketball court. At Duquesne he struggled in every facet of the game. He realized the only way that he would see playing time was if he put in extra work on his own time. He practiced every day in the summer and spent countless hours working with Coach Al Seibert, who is currently coaching at the University of New Haven. The hard work showed serious results when his coach at Duquesne had no choice but to insert Ricky into the starting line up. He helped lead the team to NIT berth and they were one loss away from the NCAA basketball tournament in a tough Atlantic 10 Conference.
Ricky graduated from Duquesne University with a degree in Corporate Communications and was drafted by the USBL. He chose to play professional basketball overseas instead. He played in Portugal, Taiwan, and China. When Ricky returned to the USA, his agent asked him to audition for television commercials. Ricky had no acting experience, but was selected to appear in several national television commercials, which qualified him to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild. His most famous commercial was the one where he co-starred with Comedian Marlon Wayans in the 1-800-Call-ATT as Cousin Pee Wee. Ricky has made three appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He also made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Ricky was invited to tryout with the Boston Celtics and Sacramental Kings. Unfortunately, he did not make the teams, but that didn't stop him. He thought about returning overseas when he received a call from General George Mitchell, an owner of an entertainment basketball team. At first Ricky was hesitant about comedy basketball, but after playing in a couple of games he loved it. He realized that he had a gift to be a role model and teach kids. "Putting smiles on the kids' faces is the best job a man could have," says Ricky. He took a long journey to get where he is today, but all of his hard work and dedication has paid off. He is now the proud owner of the Harlem Superstars!
Lessons learned for kids and parents: Success does not happen overnight. The journey you may take to achieve your dreams may be a long, arduous one, but never give up and respect every one along the way!
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