Dex G. and Kurt Lee Team Up to Inspire Others with Their Podcast, “D&K in the lab”

Everyone loves an inspirational sports story, and the podcast “D&K in the lab” is full of them. Created by Dex G. and Kurt Lee, the two men talk about the realities of playing for Division 1 college basketball teams, the very difficult road to being recruited for them, and Dex’s own struggles to defy the doubters in his life and play collegiate basketball. “While it does center on the basketball world,” Dex says, “in reality it’s full of lessons and wisdom that anyone can relate to even if they’re not into the sport. Our message is universal. Basketball is just the setting.”

Dex knows what it’s like to have to overcome some big odds to accomplish his goals. “I didn’t exactly have a big crowd of supporters when I said I wanted to play basketball in high school and college,” he says. “I didn’t listen to them, though. I knew what I wanted to do, and I went after it, playing at Suffern High School in New York.”

That journey continued in college. “After I graduated from Marist College, I went on to Montclair State and joined their basketball club. Can you imagine how exciting it was to help them go 7-0? That was my first semester there, and all I could think was how fantastic it was to be playing on this level,” Dex remembers. “It gave me so much confidence that I kept playing even while I was taking classes at different schools to become a medical records professional.”

Going on to play for SUNY Ulster Community College’s division 2 NJCAA team was a time Dex will never forget. “I felt proud to be one of the four players who made it to the next level. I actually committed to playing at County College of Morris after Montclair, but after a month, I transferred to SUNY Ulster and walked on the team later on in the season. I also played semi-pro for the East Carolina Cardinals. I am still trying to play at a high level, and I will be working out with the Ghanaian team, Braves of Customs. It is one of the top basketball clubs in Ghana that competes in FIBA competition, and they have competed in the NBA-BAL qualifiers.” Dex has shown great enthusiasm for helping the team reach its ultimate goal: winning a FIBA qualifier once the pandemic slows down.

The quarantine took Dex’s passion for basketball in a new direction. “It was terrible not being able to play because of the pandemic,” Dex sighs. “But then Kurt came up with this great idea of making a podcast. In the beginning, it really was just a way to pass the time, but as we explored it and brainstormed ideas, we realized we had something unique.”

“What makes our podcast so different is that we really get into what’s needed to get to play on Division 1 teams,” Kurt says. “Getting to that level isn’t easy. You’ve got hundreds, probably thousands, of high school players across the country who want to get onto a team, but the sheer dedication you need to do it is incredible. Our discussions of this will help anyone pursue their dreams, basketball fan or not.”

Dex interviewed Ahmad Clark, who plays for Albany University, and Chris Galbreath, who plays for Sam Houston State, for his podcast. “They get real about how hard you must work to make it to that level, how you have to eat, and how brutal the training really is.” That’s one of the messages Dex would like to get across to high school players: the importance of changing their mentalities so that they can play at the Division 1 level.

As interest in the podcast grows, Dex and Kurt know they have an important platform that can reach a lot of people. “We have the potential to inspire thousands, perhaps even more than that, during a time of tremendous difficulty. We will do everything we can to help people keep going after their goals,” Dex says. “Nothing is impossible. I think that’s the biggest message of our podcast. No matter what’s happening in your life, you really can achieve your dreams.”