Game day. Potentially the most thrilling two words any athlete could hear during their sports season. For Milford’s basketball phenomenon Sam Lewis, this term means something different. Lewis is a 6-foot-5-inch small/power forward who has been playing basketball since he was four years old. He started playing at the YMCA, however, he didn’t only play basketball. He was a pitcher in baseball as well. Once he started to thrive in basketball, and realized that it was his true passion, he decided to drop baseball and focus on becoming an elite player on the court. “With playing both baseball and basketball during the summer, it was a lot. Playing AAU in the summer was a lot, and I liked basketball more anyway, so I decided to make the decision,” said Lewis. With joining “The Process AAU” in 2019, he started to play higher level competition and started to compete in big tournaments. This higher level competition translated over to high school basketball by helping him make JV his Freshman year, and becoming a key component on the varsity squad by his Sophomore year. During his Sophomore season, he was able to play hard and earn himself an All-Conference honor. “Playing with the school is about wins, playing in AAU leagues is about marketing yourself and showing what you can do,” explained Lewis when asked the difference between school ball and AAU. With the offensive game plan often heavily involving him his Junior year, he was looking to become one of the most recruited players in the Oakland County area. For everyone apart or looking to become a part of the Sam Lewis fan club, here is a preview of a “gameday” in the life of Sam Lewis.

A huge part for an athlete is getting a good night of rest, especially the night of an upcoming game day. He wakes up around 6:15 a.m. and immediately gets a granola bar in his system. While getting ready for school, he tries to get rid of the “game day” jitters so that throughout the school day he can be cool, calm, and collected. He then drives to school and attempts to get all his work done, so he can focus on the task ahead of him. Once he completes his first four classes of the day, he heads to lunch to make sure he is fueled for the rest of the day. What does he eat on game day? “An apple for sure, a Clif bar as well. Super important. You know, really your everyday lunch, nothing special,” said Lewis. After lunch, he continues to finish his school work until the last bell of the day rings where he can switch his mindset from school to basketball. He immediately heads to the gym with some teammates after school to put up a couple shots before heading home to get ready for gametime. 

Pregame is a huge part of any athlete’s game day routine. Whether it would be certain music, drills, stretching, many players have different ways to prepare themselves. However, Lewis does things a little differently. “Believe it or not, I actually don’t like to listen to music,” he laughed. “It amps me up too much. I like to be chill before a game. Maybe play some games on my phone before.” This may shock many fans, but it sure does work. In Lewis’s last three home games of the regular season, he scored a total of 57 points. Throughout the season, he averaged 19 PPG (points per game) and six RPG (rebounds per game). “Sam is something special,” said Junior Max Cremeans, a friend of Lewis. “You can tell by the way he plays that he is a leader on and off the court. He is also a great person outside of school and sports. The future is very bright for him.”Lewis has some advice for younger players who want to play at an elite level. 

 “Live in the gym,” replied Lewis,“Get a parent, a friend, a teammate, anybody who can help you get better. Have the rebound for you, shoot around with you. It can go a long way.” 

Going into his Senior season, Lewis looks to be the leader of Milford Basketball and one of, if not the best player in Oakland County. He has high hopes and expectations for himself and his teammates next year, including a district and conference championship. Buckle up basketball fans, next season is going to be a good one.