Vicksburg’s Anthony Lumpkin paves the way for local athletes to gain athletic scholarships

Vicksburg native and former Warren Central star basketball player Anthony Lumpkin has helped produce multiple athletes around Vicksburg and surrounding areas by leading them to gain athletic scholarships.

Lumpkin played basketball for the Vikings from 1992-1996 under head coach John Duett before gaining scholarships to South Florida Community College and then Southwest Oklahoma State where he finished up his collegiate career. He then went on to play in the AND1 league for three years before his basketball career ended, but he always kept his love for the game. Overall, Lumpkin played professional basketball for 10 years in the United States and abroad.

Lumpkin began training basketball players around Vicksburg in 2014, where he found his passion of working with young athletes.

“I just felt the need start training and pass the knowledge down to the younger generation and help them become better athletes,” Lumpkin said.

As a trainer, Lumpkin makes sure that his athletes are mentally prepared.

“Confidence is everything,” Lumpkin said. “I want to be able to help them overcome things that they think they can’t.”

When training with Lumpkin, each athlete has certain goals they wish to achieve; once identified, he does his best to help them reach them.

“I always ask them what are their goals,” Lumpkin said. “After we reach a common goal, we set another and then another, but I always know that each athlete is different.”

Over the last six years, Lumpkin has helped over 20 local athletes gain basketball scholarships, both women and men. Some local athletes who have earned basketball scholarships under Lumpkin’s training are Cameron Butler (Co-Lin), Tera Jones (Tougaloo College), Aniya Sanders (Co-Lin), Dasha McGloster (MS Valley State), and Dominique Caldwell (Talladega College).

Lumpkin also trains six athletes out of Tallulah, Louisiana, and is also helping Eric Cobb, who plays at the University of Connecticut.

Although Lumpkin is helping athletes reach their goals with training, he also has dreams to become an NBA trainer one day. Lumpkin first wants to coach on the collegiate level, which is where he enjoys coaching the most.

Athletes around Vicksburg are grateful to have someone like Lumpkin who takes the time to invest knowledge and basketball skills within the local community. Lumpkin now has a group of athletes he is training who he feels will be his most successful class.

Lumpkin feels grateful for the opportunity to work with local youth. “I would like to thank all the parents who allowed me to invest in their children,” Lumpkin said.

Vicksburg will be looking forward to seeing Lumpkin’s next move and the next group of athletes that he helps receive college scholarships.