Lawson Lovering talks through the full arc of his basketball journey, from growing up in Cheyenne to playing high-level AAU basketball, competing at CU and Utah, and making his NBA debut with Memphis.

In this episode:

Growing up in Cheyenne and starting basketball at age three

How football and soccer helped shape his basketball game

Getting discovered by the Utah Prospects

Playing against future pros in elite AAU tournaments

Cheyenne Central’s championship-level teams

Learning to handle double- and triple-teams

Committing to CU before becoming a top-100 prospect

Recovering from a torn MCL

Transferring from CU to Utah

Winning memorable rivalry games against BYU

Training in Arkansas after college

Earning a spot with Memphis through summer league

The 40-minute free-throw story with Ja Morant watching

Getting called up to the NBA on one hour’s notice

Guarding Nikola Jokić in his NBA debut

Scoring his first NBA points

What makes Jokić so difficult to defend

Recovering from a serious pit bull attack

How his role changed from high school to college to professional basketball

His goals for earning a two-way contract

Timestamps

00:00 - Opening the conversation

02:05 - Introducing Lawson and his Wyoming basketball background

04:11 - Growing up in Cheyenne

06:21 - Lawson’s first basketball memories at age three

07:53 - Playing football, soccer, and becoming more physical

10:36 - How the Utah Prospects found him

12:34 - Weekend travel and elite AAU competition

15:36 - Going from unranked to a top-100 prospect

18:00 - The underdog advantage of coming from Wyoming

19:19 - Cheyenne Central’s championship-level team

20:53 - The junior-year loss and COVID cancellation

23:30 - What it is like being a big man in Wyoming basketball

25:32 - Becoming a better passer against double-teams

26:44 - Why Lawson committed to CU early

28:20 - The torn MCL that ended his freshman season

29:46 - A close CU team and learning from the injury

30:46 - Lawson’s role during his sophomore season

32:32 - Entering the transfer portal

33:03 - Why Utah was the right fit

34:22 - The NIL money Lawson believes he missed out on

36:48 - His favorite memories from Utah

37:56 - When he started believing he could play rofessionally

38:26 - Training two or three times a day in Arkansas

40:37 - The unexpected Memphis pre-draft opportunity

41:52 - Earning a summer league roster spot

43:01 - The 40-minute free-throw session with Ja Morant

45:36 - Training camp, preseason, and joining the Memphis Hustle

47:06 - The stretch that led to his NBA call-up

48:07 - Getting one hour to pack for San Francisco

49:35 - Finding out he would play against Denver

50:02 - Lawson’s first minutes against Nikola Jokić

52:24 - Scoring his first NBA points

53:13 - What makes Jokić so difficult to guard

54:30 - His sister’s wedding after his NBA debut

55:31 - Recording a double-double against Utah

57:14 - Recovering from the pit bull attack

61:44 - How his game changed from high school to the pros

62:45 - Getting stronger, more athletic, and more flexible

67:15 - Why overseas basketball remains an option

68:52 - Lawson’s favorite pregame meal

69:31 - What he would do if he did not play basketball

69:58 - The hardest parts of being seven feet tall

70:27 - Snowstorms, road trips, and Wyoming basketball

71:32 - The best trash talker he has played with

72:04 - The story of his cat, Lucy

73:13 - His best and worst sports memories

74:30 - The mentors who shaped his career

75:10 - Whether he felt ready to play varsity basketball as a freshman

77:23 - Final reflections on his career so far

78:03 - Jokić’s postgame compliment

80:32 - The free-throw story Lawson will never forget

81:33 - Why Lawson believes he belongs in the NBA

This episode is a conversation about persistence, timing, and staying ready when an opportunity arrives unexpectedly.