Teer Butler gave her son, Courtney Lee, many things, but a basketball and a Bible are the two items that changed his life.
Lee — a guard/forward for the Houston Rockets — doesn’t shy away from his Christian roots. He’s quick to acknowledge his mother and grandmother, Laverne Johnson, in his spiritual upbringing.
“My faith has always been strong ever since I was a child. That is one thing my mother and grandmother instilled in me,” Lee said.
“I’ve been going to church with my family, following the Word and worshipping my whole life.”
Growing up in Indianapolis, Lee was baptized when he was 6. Living in Orlando during the off-season, Lee said he attends First Baptist Church, Orlando.
This past February Lee had an answered prayer. He was in a motor vehicle accident when a driver ran a red light. While it totaled his Cadillac Escalade, he walked away with no major injuries.
At first Lee’s prayers centered around games and asking God for blessings. Now he tells God “He is an awesome God.”
One of the most difficult times came at Western Kentucky University. While he was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, tied the school’s all-time scoring lead with 2,238 points and made a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008, he suffered the greatest loss of his life.
His roommate, teammate and mentor Danny Rumph died in May 2005 from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an abnormal growth of muscle fibers in the heart. Rumph, who was 21, died during a pickup basketball game in Philadelphia, his hometown.
Lee works with the Daniel E. Rumph 11 Foundation that Rumph’s family started to bring awareness to cardiac disease. Lee also is involved with the HEARTS program at a Houston hospital. It screens young athletes for the condition that Rumph had.
When Lee was ready to throw in the towel at Western as a freshman, Rumph encouraged him to stay.
“There were a lot of points in my life where I might have been struggling. I may have a tough time and turn to Christ. You realize that He is always there.”
Philippians 4:13 is Lee’s favorite Bible verse and has helped him meet challenges.
“It (faith) is challenged once you step out of your house every day.”
Lee is a mentor to Rockets rookie forward Chandler Parsons. Their friendship began when they played on a pro-am team in Orlando.
“He has been real helpful to me, especially off the court. … I’m glad he is on my team. He is a really good person, a really good player,” Parsons said.
Houston is the third team that Lee (6’5” and 200 pounds) has been on since being drafted 22nd overall by the Magic in 2008. It was in Orlando that he experienced his greatest thrill in basketball, playing in the 2009 NBA finals.
“Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year was a good experience but going to the next level and going to the finals, nothing can compare,” said Lee, who was first team All-Sun Belt Conference three straight seasons and was ranked 28th nationally in scoring with 20.4 points per game.
Lee refused to mope about playing on three different teams in three seasons. He embraced the opportunity to meet different people, build relationships and discover God’s purpose.
“God has blessed me with a lot of things. Being in the NBA is a blessing, being healthy, being able to do the things I do, helping people, helping my family,” Lee said.
Former teammate Shane Battier, now with the Miami Heat, called Lee an “outstanding guy” who works hard and is someone wanting to do the right thing.
Lee understands that NBA players are role models. He wants fans to see him “doing the right thing” and that includes “going to church.” He takes church with him on road trips, watching worship services on his laptop.
“(Christ) went through a lot worse. He died for us. You think about that and you want to keep going.”
Lee plays with mental focus and energy and uses his versatility to defend and score. He is averaging 11.1 points per game as well as 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
During the 2009–10 season with the New Jersey Nets, Lee led the team in steals with 93, free throw percentage (86.9) and three-point shots (76).
Lee’s message is about Jesus.
“He is everything to me. He is the Creator. We all can live this life on earth giving back to Him,” Lee said.
That truth can be described as the headline once did of Lee: “UnbeLeeable.”
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