Power of Sport Beyond the Court: How Basketball Shaped My Path

A COURT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW 

I grew up with a basketball court right outside my building in Baruch Houses on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. While that may sound like a luxury to some, it was a necessity for me. It was where I spent time with friends, worked on my game and learned lessons that would stay with me long after I left the neighborhood. It also gave my mom peace of mind. She could peek out the window and know exactly where I was.  

At the time, the court outside my window was simply a place to play basketball. I wasn't thinking about where it might take me or how much those experiences would shape my future. I just knew I loved the game. It wasn't until years later that I fully understood the role that sport had played in shaping my path. 

A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT 

Earlier this year, I returned to my alma mater, George Westinghouse High School, to serve as the keynote speaker for the graduating Class of 2026. Standing on that stage was a full-circle moment. Years earlier, I had walked those same halls as a student, balancing academics and basketball. As a first-generation college student, my journey to Boston College came with plenty of ups and downs, but sport consistently gave me a reason to believe in opportunities I couldn't yet see.  

As I prepared my remarks, I kept coming back to the lessons sport had taught me and the advice I wished someone had shared with me at that age. My message to the graduates was simple. 

• First, dream bigger than feels comfortable. Be a little delusional. Believe in possibilities that haven't revealed themselves yet. 
• Second, be patient. The life you want may take longer than you expect. Don't confuse slow progress with failure. Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. 
• Third, remember that who you become matters more than what you achieve. Your titles will change. Your jobs will change. Your goals will change. But your character follows you everywhere. 

Those lessons were shaped by sport, but they apply far beyond it. For students preparing to begin their next chapter, I hoped those lessons would stay with them long after graduation. 

Benjamin Lee takes the stage to deliver the keynote speech for the George Westinghouse High School 2026 graduation ceremony.

RETURNING HOME 

While I was back in New York, I stopped by my old neighborhood and started reflecting. While some things had changed, others remained the same. I saw the same hustle and grit of a community regarded as the largest housing project in Manhattan, with 17 buildings housing approximately 5,000 people. 

One change immediately caught my attention. The basketball court I grew up playing on had been moved, and the newer court was chained shut, with no rims on the hoops. Standing there, I couldn’t help but wonder what my path might have looked like under these circumstances. Would I have made different choices without easy access to sport? What can I do to help those coming after me? 

Those questions stayed with me. More importantly, they made me think about what responsibility I have today to help those coming after me. 

That court is where my journey began, and seeing it again reminded me of the power of sport. It renewed my commitment to support young people in communities like the one that shaped me. As I shared in my keynote, dreaming big takes patience and perseverance. But firsthand, I know what access to sport can create. 

SPORT BEYOND THE COURT 

When I spoke to the graduating class, I encouraged students to dream bigger than feels comfortable, stay patient with the process and focus on who they become along the way. As I reflect on my own journey, I realize those same lessons still apply today. While the game itself was important, the impact of sport extended far beyond the court. The lessons I learned through basketball helped shape not only who I became, but the leader I am today. 

To me, that's what makes sport so powerful. It creates opportunities to grow, to learn and to discover what you're capable of. Discipline when things got hard. Resilience when things didn’t go my way. Confidence to believe in myself, my teammates, and in the possibilities we couldn’t quite see yet. The lessons I gained through sport didn't stay on the court. They shaped the choices I made, the challenges I overcame and the person I would eventually become.

That's why bringing hoops back to Baruch Houses matters to me. Not because of basketball alone, but because I know firsthand what access can create. I've lived the impact of having a place to belong, a community to be part of and an opportunity to imagine something bigger than what was directly in front of me.

Leadership, to me, is both a privilege and a responsibility. It means helping to create those same opportunities for others that sport created for me. Whether that's through mentorship, investing in our communities or simply opening doors, we all have a role to play in helping the next generation realize their potential.

That's the power of sport beyond the court. It doesn't just shape athletes. It helps shape values, behaviors, communities and future leaders. And it's why I continue to believe so deeply in our purpose at adidas:

Through sport, we have the power to change lives.