Torey Albert, 30, born and raised in New Orleans, Uptown. New Orleans basketball legend. Former national top ranked high school player. Top ten player in the state four years, won district championships for Walter L. Cohen Sr. High School in ’94 & ’95. Went on to play for South Dakota State. 

Basketball is my first love, besides my daughter. I never been in trouble, never in jail, lost my dad in third grade and everyone thought would be a stepping stone to me doing something bad, but I stayed humble, was a good kid. Basketball saved me big time. Basketball stayed with me, I stayed with it.  I am the youngest out of five and I never had a curfew cause my mom always knew where I was, I was at the park till like 1am. I was always playing ball. 

I coach little kids, 10 and 11 years old. We went to national championship in Orlando last summer. I want for these kids to do what I did. I always thought playing would be the greatest feeling I would have in the game but passing the knowledge of the game that I learned on to the kids, it just feels so good. Everyday feels so good. 

I took all my players to the championship tournament in Orlando last year on my own dime. These kids have never been out of Louisiana, never been to the places I took them. It’s all about love. I did what I had to do to take care of these kids and make this happen for them. I flew them down and put them up in a hotel and taught them what the game can do for you. These kids show me love and respect just the same way I treat them. It was all love for me and this was the best thing I could have done for them. 

New Orleans basketball is all about love. We love playing basketball, we always playing. We play from the heart. We may not be some of the biggest or quickest players out there, but our hearts are big and that’s where we make up for size and speed.

Interview by Will Steacy

All photos courtesy of -Wyatt Gallery
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