Led the entire nation in scoring during the 1999-2000 season while at Fresno State playing for legendary college coach Jerry Tarkanian. The 13th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Was teammates with Michael Jordan while with the Washington Wizards. If you're a basketball player, that sounds like a dream career. Courtney Alexander, born in Bridgeport, experienced all of this before even reaching 25 years of age.

Alexander, though out of the NBA currently, still has connections to the game of basketball. He started Courtney Alexander Press and has worked with the youth to help develop them mentally and physically through the game of basketball. It has worked as the program has been very successful and has expanded. That sentence is an understatement. To learn more and the full value of the program, go to the site. It's very informative and shows how effective the organization is for helping to build up leaders in the community.

The program has been very beneficial to Alexander too. Not just with the knowledge that he is helping the kids but also for his own relationship with the game. He says that the basketball clinics he holds has reinvigorated his love for basketball. His NBA career was cut short because of injuries including one to his ACL. However, he says that he is in training to play professionally again. He has been playing every day and says that he is getting back to 100% both physically and mentally to play at such a high level.

There are a few characteristics that stand out when you talk to Alexander. You can tell he is very honest, thoughtful, and real when having a conversation with him. He referred to the mental aspect of basketball a few times throughout an approximately twenty minute conversation. This should help him a great deal when he returns to the professional game.

Alexander talks about his former coaches with great respect. Tarkanian was like a secondary father figure to him. Alexander greatly appreciated that Tarkanian "cared for him as a person, not just a basketball player." As Alexander points out, Tarkanian has reached his hand out to many players who needed a second chance. On top of that, Alexander praised the coach for challenging him "above and beyond."

A second coach that Alexander talks highly of is Doug Collins. He played for Collins while with the Wizards. Alexander, showing his introspectiveness, says that he did not get the full benefit of Collins while playing for him but looking back he realizes that Collins was a great coach. Admittedly, he says that he wasn't as mature then as he is now. At the time, he would have a big game and thought he did everything right. Still, Collins would want improvement and try to push him because he knew there was immense talent that Alexander had.

When it came to other players on the court, Alexander played with some of the greatest to play the game. He actually was teammates with arguably the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan. He called Jordan a mentor and a role model. While growing up, like many other kids, he watched Jordan and was in awe of him. Soon he was sharing not just the court with him but also the same jersey and same position. What was that like? He says that he was "blessed to play with him."

Today's biggest star in the NBA, who has won almost as many championships as Jordan, is Kobe Bryant. Alexander says that the thing that sets Bryant apart is that he is always extremely motivated. Alexander says that other than Jordan, Bryant is the hungriest player. He has a "never-say-die attitude" that has propelled him. Alexander says, "People mistake his demeanor as arrogance." As he points out, though, you "can't be arrogant if that hungry." When talking about this, Alexander points out that there are different ways to look at or measure someones character. As stated previously, Tarkanian is a great guy who has helped many. However, he has faced a lot of criticism for this.

Besides Bryant, Alexander has faced many other extremely talented athletes. He says that Paul Pierce was the toughest guy for him to guard because Pierce was unorthodox. He says that Greg Buckner and Ron Artest were the guys who guarded him the best. Buckner and Artest get described as "competitors consistenly." They were intense all the time-not just when Alexander had the ball. They had a lot of pride when playing defense. Artest, as he is well-known, is "hard-nosed." Still, Alexander says that there is an even larger foe when he is trying to score as he says, "I'm my biggest opponent." He says that he has an attitude that "no one can guard me one-on-one."

To prepare and get himself right for the competition night after night, Alexander had a huge workout routine. He says that he had to make sure that he was prepared both mentally and physically. He needed to make sure that his sleep and nutrition were right. He would run hills, do aquatic work, do yoga, and work out in the weight room. Following that, he would train by doing basketball activity. He says that it was important to do basketball-related work after the other exercises because it would be "more taxing and it is harder to play when not at full strength." As he says, anyone can play when they are fresh.

Hopefully, Alexander gets back to the NBA. With his extreme maturity and great physical gifts, he will be sure to make a mark in the league. Also, he will be a great influence on all his younger teammates. He was in their spot ten years ago.