LUTZ, Fla. — AAU basketball teams are always trying to get a competitive edge over their competition.
The Learning Academy of Basketball, or L.A.B., is a program that’s been around since 2015 and has found a way to get faster and stronger off the court.
“My main goal is to make the NBA,” Arthan Ramachandran, 13, said. “Be great.”
To be great, you need that extra push. And, sometimes, you need a state-of-the-art training facility.
“This is a rare opportunity to have all these things and have access to this training facility,” L.A.B. head coach Greg Griffith said. “(We have) access to Nelson and his knowledge.
New England Patriots wide receiver and Berkeley Prep alum Nelson Agholor has teamed with Griffth and the L.A.B.’s athletic trainer Frank Agholor, Nelson’s older brother, to take the program to the next level.
“This year, I wanted to be more involved with the team,” Nelson told ABC Action News sports anchor Kyle Burger. “I’ve had camps. This year I want to take a roundball team and give them an opportunity to compete. Coach Griff had a great opportunity for me with the guys he had.”
In addition to the players’ on-court training, Nelson hosts the teams for strength and conditioning at his house — which has 40 yards of field turf and a sandpit in the backyard.
“He knows a lot about basketball, mostly on the strength and agility side,” Kareem Joseph, 13, said. “He’s helped me get a lot faster, a lot stronger. This place is really beautiful.”
“It’s funny they talk to me about the NFL,” Nelson said. “But, I remind them this moment is about them and not about me.”
With ‘Coach Nelly’ on board, ‘Coach Griff’ could not be more excited.
“The sky is the limit now,” Griffith said. “I fear for the opponents, to be honest.”
The L.A.B. has a 13-and-under team and a 14-and-under team.
