Every person is born talented and passionate, but only a few people have the courage and will to take their talents and passions to greater heights to be successful. Talent and passion might be the motives to attain success, but true success cannot be gained without the ultimate cliché, hard work.
Nothing great in life is simply handed over; it requires a great deal of struggling and ceaseless efforts, and only then can a person achieve what they truly desire. Regardless of the field, whether it is bodybuilding, teaching, singing, dancing, or assisting, the baseline in achieving greatness is set through hard work and setting goals, making plans, and staying on track is what hard work means. It is the only key that can help a person climb the ladder of success. It does take a lot of time and effort, but hard work never goes wasted.
The people who are respected and idolized throughout the world are those who have stayed true to their passions and worked hard to make their way to the top. From Barack Obama to Oprah Winfrey, success did not just fall at their feet; they worked hard. One of the most distinguished people when it comes to taking their passions seriously and working hard to achieve success is Alex McLean. Starting out life with a fondness of music, Alex later realized that his true passion lied in playing basketball. Today, he is one of the most notable assistant coaches at the NBA.
Born on October 20, 1985, Alex McLean spent his early life in New York. He was a student at the Bayshore High School with special fondness for music, which was proved when even though he had the size and potetntial to fit the school’s basketball team criteria, Alex chose to play musical instruments. From childhood Alex learned to play the piano, drums, cello and bass. He later became a top concert bassist in high school and New York State due to his exceptional skills. Alex’s abilities were recognized on various notable platforms urging him to pursue a career in music. He even received interest from the famous music school, Julliard. However, the young McLean soon found his true calling- Basketball. He turned down scholarship offers from highly esteemed music schools, including Cal-Berkley and Hofstra.
Instead of choosing a music school, McLean began is basketball journey at local community college in Long Island, Ny. McLean’s parents and his friends were stunned at his decision since no one ever thought Alex was interested in basketball. McLean’s sacfrices soon paid off and he was offered a full athletic scholarship from Liberty University. He decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and later completed his Master’s in the same field from Liberty University.
Studying at the Liberty, Alex stepped into a successful role on the Liberty Flames Men’s basketball team. There, he was named 1st Team- All Big South Conference, VaSid- All-State Team and All-American watchlist . At the conference, he ranked second, with 15 double-doubles, 15.8 ppg and 8.8 rpg.His field goal percentage was 56.0 percent which alsolanded McLean the second rank. Alex McLean’s stellar performaces and fast reflexes helped him become one of two players in the conference to be ranked in the Top 3 in terms of scoring, rebounding and field goald percentage
In the year 2011, McLean joined the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He also played in the QBF Emir Cup in Doha under the team, Al Gharafa, in the same year. McLean and Al Gharafa went on to win the Emir Cup in both 2010 & 2011, and in 2011, McLean was named MVP due to his exceptional performance.
McLean joined the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in 2014. He actively performed as a distinguished player under the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). At PBA, McLean served as an import for the team for the first five games of Commissioner’s Cup. In the last game at the PBA, he scored 23 points and 16 rebounds. McLean helped the team gain a two-game skid with a convincing 96-79 rout of Meralco. He marked the end of his career at the PBA with an average of 22.8 points. McLean did not limit his basketball experience to just the Philippines, China, and Qatar. He worked hard and also played in Poland, Greece, Argentina, Paraguay, Lebanon, Dubai, and Egypt.
Due to his skills, and will to move forward, Alex McLean belongs to the small circle of people who were presented with great opportunities without having much NBA, D-league, or even high-major NCAA Division 1 experience.
After playing for a successful nine years, Alex McLean was hired as a Graduate Assistant for the Liberty Flames in 2016, the same place he had once graduated from. He spent his time working hard and coaching the next generation of basketball players for a year, when he saw a glimpse of an opportunity that could help him become the Assistant Coach / Player Development of the Washington Wizards, a team that played for the National Basketball Association – NBA. This time, Alex did not flinch or hesitate even once and took up the opportunity instantly.
In 2017, Alex In McLean was hired as a G-League Assignment/Player Development Coach for Washington Wizards. The team is an American professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. His passion, skills, and hard work helped him reach the final step, and he was promoted to Assistant Coach/Player Development in 2018. Alex had never been more satisfied, knowing that his hard work paid off.
Alex McLean is one of the people that were born with the motivation to exceed all expectations, and not take life for granted. He made sure that he took every right step and worked hard. His determination and hard work are exemplary for anyone who needs a little motivation to move forward.
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