About Our Founder

Born and raised in Flint, MI on April 4, 1981, Kendrick is the father of four children, Keionte' Dashaun Cornelius, Kaiyana Shavon Cornelius, Ken'Asia Evionne Cornelius, and Zion Thompson. Kendrick attended King Elementary School, Longfellow Middle School, and Northern High School where he graduated in 1999. The same year he enrolled in Grand Rapids Community College where he played two years of basketball and graduated with an Associates Degree in Arts. Kendrick also attended Indiana Tech where he played two years of basketball and studied Business Management. Since his college career (2005) he has played on many different professional teams all over the world.

Battle Creek Knights (USA-IBL), S.Oregon AS (USA-IBL), G.Rapids Flight (USA-IBL), Holland Blast (USA-IBL), Michigan Mayham (USA-CBA) Kendrick Cornelius Basketball Career Career: 2003-2004: Indiana Tech (NAIA2): 17.2ppg, 3rpg, 1.8spg2004-2005: Indiana Tech (NAIA2): 24ppg, 4rpg, 2.7apg, 3pts: 43%, FGP: 42.3%. 2005: August: (ABA) Summer League in Southern California (Inglewood Cobras)2005-2006: Michigan Mayhem (CBA), waived in Nov. 5, 2006. Seattle Supersonics (NBA) preseason workouts2006: Holland Blast (IBL): 6 games: 12ppg, in May moved to Grand Rapids Flight (IBL): 18ppg, 2spg. 2006 July (NBA) Summer Pro-Am League in Long Beach CA. (Hoopstars team)2006: Hoopstars (China) Tour: 10 games: 29.3ppg, 7apg, 4.2spg. 2006 Anaheim Arsenal (NBA D-League) training camp. 2007 Battle Creek Knights (IBL): 24ppg, left in May moved to Marysville Mentors (IBL): 14ppg, 3rpg, 4apg. 2007 July: (NBA) Summer Pro-Am League in Long Beach (Orange County Players). 2008: USA All-Stars (IBL), then moved to Battle Creek Knights (IBL): 39.4ppg, 14apg, 3spg. 2008 May: (USBA/IBL) exposure camp in Blue River, OR. 2009: (PBL) Michigan Myahem 20ppg,12apg,4spg 22. 2009 (Europe) Slovenia Sentjur 24ppg. 2010 USA allstars (IBL) 45ppg.

Kendrick has had many struggles throughout his journey to success but was willing to do whatever it took to follow his dreams. It all started his first year in college when he tore his ACL in his right knee. The same day he went in to have surgery his son was born. While trying to battle through recovery for six months and raise a child Kendrick still continued his collegiate career. He went on through his first year of college and prepared himself for the following season and just when he started to get in the groove of things his grandmother that he was very close to passed away. Going into his 3rd and 4th season he faced many challenges and was ready to give up on basketball several times but manage to make it through. Kendrick had the best record in Indiana Tech history and some of the best games in his college career. While trying to pursue his professional career things weren’t going so great, he had to leave his family back home and in 2005 he took a trip to Los Angeles, California and was determined to make a name for himself. During his stay in California he stayed with a friend and caught the bus from city to city playing in every summer league he could find. He later on met a few agents and had some offers but still wasn’t satisfied so he continued to work hard.

In the summer of 2006 he was invited back to L.A. to play in the NBA summer Pro am league to try it all over again. Things were looking a little better and he went on to play in a china tour for a few weeks. After returning back to L.A. from china he met and played against many professional basketball players in open runs at UCLA such as Paul Pierce, Gilbert Arenes, Trevor Areza, and many more. Kendrick shot his first movie ever and did a basketball scene in CSI-NY. After having a pretty good summer it was time to try out for different teams for the upcoming season. Kendrick had a few tryouts to attend in California but nowhere to stay and was short on cash but he didn’t let that stop him. He slept in a van over night to attend an open tryout camp of 300 guys, but they only needed 1 or 2 players out of the 300. After two days of hard work and showing his skills they selected him out of the 300 players. Things were starting to look better and he had a chance to go home to spend time with his family before getting ready for the upcoming season in the NBDL. Just one step away from his dream to the NBA he was released from the team in training camp. This was a tough time for him and he didn’t know where to go from there because there was no back up plan at that time, but he never gave up and continued to stay in L.A. He traveled to different cities in California until he found a job. While searching for jobs in California he was robbed for everything that he owned, his four bags of luggage was taking out of the friend’s house while he was at a game and the only thing he had left was the cloths on his back. He missed out on an opportunity to go over seas to play that year because his passport was in one of the bags they took. He never gave up and continued to stay a few more weeks but had no choice but to return back home to Flint, MI.

Kendrick went on to play in minor leagues close to home but now it was time for him to get back on track for over seas. He went to Houston, TX and impressed scouts and agents which led to his selection to play in Chile with the Houston Blaze. Just when things started to go good for him the day he arrived in Chile, he got the call that his mother passed the same day on mother’s day May 10, 2009. His mother was his biggest and number 1 fan; she supported him at most of all his games since he was a little boy. Losing his mother was the worst feeling ever for him and he broke down in the middle of the store and had to turn right around on a nine hour flight back to the United States. With all kinds of thoughts going through his mind he was for sure ready to give up and throw in the towel. A few months went by and he never gave up and continued to get in the gym and work hard because he knew that his mom wanted him to make it no matter what it took. Just a few months later he was robbed at gun point right across the street from his house where he grew up playing basketball his whole life at King Park. By the grace of God the two young mans gun was jammed and they couldn’t pull the trigger. That same year he flew over to Europe and became one of the best players in his league but was forced to leave due to financial problems. This was yet another minor set back for him but he never gave up he got ready to go back over seas but got another call and his dad had just passed away January 5, 2010. After loosing a grandmother, his mom and dad he didn’t know what to do but he never gave up. 

Kendrick got back in the gym that same year and on his mothers birthday April 2,2010 he played the best game of his life and went on to set record for most three points in a single game and most points in a IBL game. He scored 53pts (the age his mother was when she passed) in twenty five minutes of playing time and became the first ever IBL player of the week. Later on that summer he impressed a scout over in Italy and was preparing for his over seas exposure camp in Las Vegas where he was invited by Dan Gay head scout in Italy. Things were looking great for Kendrick and he was scheduled to leave July 8, 2010. On July 1, 2010, he was at a friend’s house with his 8 year old daughter and he was shot five times, once in the head, three times in the chest, and once in the arm. He never gave up and continued to text and email agents from the hospital bed letting them know that he will be okay in a few months. Kendrick lost vision in his left eye and could barely move or talk but was trying to figure out how he could get back in the gym. After spending only a week in the hospital he began to pray and make phone calls until he got another chance to step on the court. Less then three moths later he was back on the court and flew to Sacramento, Ca. where he tried out for another NBDL team. Despite the fact that he could only see out of one eye and bullet wounds just barely healed he was determined. Kendrick made a name for his self in camp and was invited back to their second tryout camp that year before the draft but he didn’t make the final cut. "We all have dreams big and small, along the way you may stumble and sometimes fall, but I BELIEVE that I can make it through it all". 

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS