CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — More than 20 years ago, Lorez Simms believed his life would end on the streets of Richmond.
"Death and destruction, murder, mayhem. I used to live fast to die young," Simms said. "I gave my life up to those streets."
Raised in Highland Park, Simms was on his own by the age of 12.
"My mom had me at a young age, and she just couldn't do it," he said. "By 12 years old, we call it jumping off the porch. I jumped off the porch into the street life."
He remembers a world where violence and crime weren't just common — they were expected.
"Our male role models in the hood ... basically tell you, 'Take this gun, handle your business. Take these drugs, handle your business,'" he said. "They don't say, 'Do something different. Do something better.'"
Eventually, Simms said he realized the path he was on would only lead to one destination.
"I felt like I was going to die in the street, and I was scared," he said.
One invitation changed everything
Everything changed because of one invitation.
Lionel Bacon, then the executive director of the Downtown YMCA, welcomed Simms into the gym to play basketball.
"The most life-changing answer I ever got," Simms said. "The most life-changing."
Bacon watched Simms transform in ways he said he had never witnessed before.
"I've never seen a person, a human being, make the level of change that he's made," Bacon said. "A caterpillar walked in the YMCA, but I saw the butterfly. The caterpillar walked in, but I saw the butterfly. I could have put the caterpillar out, but I knew it was a butterfly."
That invitation helped Simms begin rebuilding his life. He earned his GED, made the Virginia State University basketball team at age 28 as one of the oldest rookies in program history, later played professionally in the American Basketball Association, and eventually founded Team Simms Elite Training (T-Set), where he now mentors young athletes both on and off the court.
"The purpose is bigger than even just playing basketball for me," Simms said. "It's about building men."
Breaking a generational cycle
For Simms, the greatest measure of success isn't championships — it's changing generations.
"The curse has been broken," he said. "Simply plain. It's been broken, and it'll never come back."
His oldest son, Mike'l, became the first person in the family to graduate from college, earning his degree from VCU before playing professional basketball in Brazil and Uruguay.
"He made a huge sacrifice for all of us to change his life," Mike'l said. "He's the man he is today, and I'm the man I am today because of him."
CBS 6 anchor GeNienne Samuels and photojournalist Cole Pearson followed Simms for almost two years, documenting his journey. A year after first meeting Simms, they returned to find his mission continuing to grow.
Today, Simms serves as a basketball coach at Life Christian Academy while continuing to lead T-Set, where he says basketball has become the vehicle for something much bigger.
"I follow God, follow faith," Simms said. "I want to be part of something bigger than what I am."
"I know ministry is my purpose. I know mentoring is in my purpose. How can I do both? Basketball coach... wow."
A transformation close to home
One of the most powerful examples of that purpose can be found close to home.
His youngest son, 17-year-old Lemone Simms, admits basketball wasn't always part of his future.
"I was horrible," Lemone said. "I had no interest in basketball when I first started."
By middle school, he was battling childhood obesity, weighing about 200 pounds at just 5' 3".
"I was obese," he said. "I realized I'm huge. I didn't know how big I was until I stepped back into school. I used to wear big clothes so I could hide how I looked. I was embarrassed to take pictures."
After breaking down in front of his father, Lemone made a decision that changed his life.
"I told my dad that I wanted to make a change," he said. "And he was like, 'Let's get to work.'"
Together, they committed to early morning workouts, healthier eating and countless hours in the gym.
"The miracles and the magic started happening," Lorez said. "He went from not being able to look at himself in the mirror to smiling at himself in the mirror."
Today, Lemone stands nearly 6 feet tall, weighs about 175 pounds, plays point guard and says his faith has grown alongside his confidence.
"Being here strengthened my relationship with God," he said. "I'm just thankful for the Lord bringing me here."
Watching his father transform has changed the type of man Lemone hopes to become.
"He tells me all the time how back when he was my age, he would never do anything like this," Lemone said. "Seeing him grow as a person... it really touches my heart."
'Now I want to create life'
Looking back on his own journey, Simms says his mission is no longer simply about basketball.
"Coming from the inner city, there's a G code that we live by," he said. "But that's not God's code. God's code says, 'Be a servant... make yourself last, you'll become first. Give, and you shall receive.'"
"I wanted to take life," Simms said. "Now I want to create life."
T-Set continues to grow
Since CBS 6's first visit a year ago, Team Simms Elite Training has doubled in size, expanding from primarily middle and high school athletes to now training players from elementary school through the collegiate level.
Just two days ago, Simms accepted an additional coaching position at TPLS Christian Academy Post Graduate School, continuing what he calls his purpose of using basketball, mentorship and faith to impact the next generation.
Anyone interested in T-Set's open practices, workouts or tournament opportunities can contact Lorez Simms through Instagram at @mr.teamsimms.
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