Basketball seems to be a way of life for brothers K.J. and Dedric Lawson.
Their dad, Keelon, is the boys’ basketball coach at Hamilton High School in Memphis. Their mother, Dedra, is a former coach at LeMoyne Owen College, also in Memphis.
“We’ve always been engaged with basketball,” K.J. Lawson said. “Ever since we’ve been in strollers, basketball has been a part of our lives. We’ve grown up being around it.”
And the brothers seem to be naturals at the sport. Both are playing for Team Penny in this weekend’s Real Deal in the Rock basketball tournament being held at several sites in Little Rock and North Little Rock.
K.J. will be a senior this fall at Hamilton. Dedric will be a junior.
“It’s fun playing with my brother,” Dedric said. “I know what he likes to do. I know when to give him the ball and when not to give him the ball. I don’t want to put him in a bad situation. We have learned to play to each other’s strengths.”
K.J. Lawson is a 6-7 small forward. ESPN has him listed as the No. 2 player from Tennessee for the Class of 2015. He is committed to play at the University of Memphis and says he will sign with the Tigers this fall.
Dedric has an even better ranking than his older brother. The 6-8 power forward is rated as the No. 1 player from Tennessee for the Class of 2016 by ESPN.
What may be more impressive is that a younger Lawson - a seventh-grader named Chandler - is considered better than both of his older brothers.
“When I see those rankings, I realize it’s a compliment,” said K.J., who had 15points and nine rebounds in a Saturday morning game against the NYC Panthers.
“It’s a blessing to know that some people think so highly of us. But we know we have to keep working hard. We can’t become complacent with what we’re doing.”
There are disagreements, like there are between brothers. But Dedric said any arguments he and his brother have are short-lived.
“Sometimes we argue on the court, but it doesn’t mean anything,” said Dedric, who had 12 points in a 76-47 victory over the NYC Panthers. “We just keep playing. Eventually, everything works out between us.”
The Lawson brothers said they enjoy playing on the same team, but that combination may not last for more than the next season. K.J. said his commitment to Memphis is strong. Dedric said he’s keeping an open mind to all offers.
“I love my city of Memphis,” Dedric said. “Don’t get me wrong, but I’m still open. There’s no one [college] I’m looking at.”
College is drawing closer, but the brothers said they are hoping they can lead Team Penny to a lot of tournament championships this summer.
“As a team, we’re trying to bond,” K.J. said. “We’re a little rusty at this point and we’re still trying to got to know one another.”
Sports, Pages 23 on 04/20/2014