Kevin McAdoo is a senior and a varsity basketball player at West Bloomfield High School. He was a leading player on the Laker’s road to Breslin Center for the MHSAA Semifinals against Clarkston High. Spectrum got a chance to sit down with Kevin to learn more about him, his achievements, and his future!

When do you play basketball/how often/where/what teams?

I play basketball every day. I have to play everyday to get better.  I practice two to three hours a day, just depending on what day it is, how I’m feeling, but I’m always getting my work in. I practice at a couple of gyms, my uncle has a gym and sometimes I put on music and play by myself. I also go to the public gym, probably a couple days out of the week, where I live at, and there are a lot of kids out there with good talent.

How long have you been playing basketball for?

I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, ever since I was two. My brother, my sister and my father all played on the college level so it has been a part of me since I was born.

How do you train?

I train hard probably three days out of the week, and the rest I’m just playing basketball, like pickup games. When I’m training, I’m conditioning and I’m working on certain things.

What is your first memory from basketball?

My first memory is probably from about sixth grade, when we beat a AAU (Amatuer Athletic Union) team called the Detroit Elite who hadn’t lost in years. We were the first team to finally beat them and it was a crazy game because they were just so cocky, you know, they never lost and we finally got to beat them. Everybody noticed and it was probably the best moment I had in basketball.

How did you start playing basketball?

I was never pressured into playing basketball, I’ve loved the sport since day one. I fell in love with basketball as soon as I picked one up.

What are some of your biggest achievements in basketball?    

Obviously this year, we had a great season for the high school team. Nobody really expected us to, they said that it was like a Cinderella story with us making it to the final four, which was a pretty big deal. With 180 plus teams in the state and to be the last four standing, it’s got to be the best achievement of my career so far.

Do you or your teammates have a pre-game routine?      

For me personally, I got to listen to my music. My music is what gets me going. My team mates like to fool around, get loose, and laugh. That’s how they settle in, calm their nerves, I do it too, to a degree. We all have our own ways and it works out in the end.

What has been your biggest struggle in basketball? What thing have you gotten past?

In all of my years, I’ve been hugely underrated. All through my freshman, sophomore, and junior years, I’ve been underlooked. But senior year, I blew up and a lot of people realized me. It was hard being under the radar and that was and still is a huge struggle.

What else do you like to do besides playing basketball?

I don’t have a lot of free time with my demanding schedule. But I like to be with my friends, just like any teenage boy, I play on my phone, probably play some video games. I usually just hang out with my friends, go to the movies, anything to keep myself entertained to blow off the stress and steam of everything else in my life going on.

 

What inspires you to play basketball?

My love for the game. I love to play the game. It’s the most fun thing in the world for me. When I get on the court, all of my problems just washes away when I’m doing my thing. I play for myself, I want to hopefully make money doing this one day, I enjoy it and that’s what fires me up each day.

How has the basketball program at the high school changed over the past four years?

I think that it did a full 180. The culture has completely changed. Especially this year, WB has never been this successful and the program was run very differently, more serious. Now we’re winning. I think that this is the beginning of it and it’s not going to change. We’ve got a lot of good players coming in next year and I think the whole process will be different. We didn’t have just one good team, I think that we will take those steps to become a winning program every year from now on and I’m pretty proud about that.

What are your future plans? Do you plan to play in college? What college are you currently planning to attend?

I have an offer from Buffalo, that’s a D1 in New York and I have an offer from Wayne State. But I’m going on visits every week to go and visit D1 colleges. I’m not rushing anything, I’m not gonna make a decision as soon as I get an offer. But if I find something that I like, then I will make my decision.

What advice could you give to someone trying to achieve their dreams?

You gotta put the work in. Nothing comes easy.

Where do you see yourself in 4 years in terms of basketball?

A lot of coaches tell me I have a chance to be special and play, they’ve told me that I can make a living playing basketball. So, I gotta put the work in it. Hopefully I can play overseas. That would be the dream.

Know of any other WBHS students worthy of a Spectrum Spotlight? Leave their name in a comment below!