HARVEY RESIDENT NAMED HUMANA GAME CHANGER

James Lewis, a resident of Harvey, is competing in the National Senior Games. He also has been named a Humana Game Changer. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES LEWIS.
James Lewis, a resident of Harvey, is competing in the National Senior Games. He also has been named a Humana Game Changer. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES LEWIS.

 

Harvey Resident Named Humana Game Changer

By Tia Carol Jones

James Lewis has been playing 3-on-3 basketball since back in the early 1980s. He had an injury and stopped playing, then he returned to the sport after his son encouraged him to be more active.

Last year, Lewis was asked to play in the qualifying 3-on-3 tournament for the Senior Games. During the tournament, he saw a lot of the guys he had already been playing against in other organized events. He was also able to meet a lot of new people through the Senior Games.

Lewis is currently competing at the 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh. Lewis also has been selected as a Humana Game Changer. “It’s kind of humbling and it’s an honor at the same time to be to be chosen as the Humana Game Changer for this year. I was told we have more than 11,000 athletes competing at the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh this year.  I’m looking forward to it. All the other seniors that I’ve talked to are looking forward to it,” he said.

Lewis has been playing basketball since he was in elementary school. He also played in high school. He played in league games throughout the city. He plays for the Masters Basketball Association, the top 40+ basketball league, and has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. “I love the competition with everyone. We call it fellowship, with all the different players from all the different states gathered together,” he said.

Playing basketball with different leagues and in different competitions keeps Lewis in the gym, moving and staying active. To train for this year’s Senior Games, Lewis has been in the gym a minimum of twice a week. He also has been playing invite and pickup games throughout the city.

“It keeps me moving, it keeps me in the gym, working out, working on my strength so I am able to play competitively. It also gives me a chance to see and talk with all the other seniors,” Lewis said.  When he does talk to the other seniors, he is encouraging them to keep moving and stay active. He tells them to rest when they’re not feeling well, but when they are feeling better to get up and keep moving.

Lewis credits and oldest son and his teammates with encouraging him to get back involved with competitive basketball a little more than 10 years ago.  Lewis is looking forward to having more years of playing basketball. He said younger people are surprised at how well he plays at his age – 67. By setting the example, he has inspired those younger people to keep moving.  Last year, Lewis’ team had three gold medals in the qualifiers.

“They’re a very good group of guys. All the seniors were very competitive at all levels,” he said, adding that while he usually would play in the 65 division, he is playing in the 60 division for the Senior Games this year.  When he is traveling with the Masters Tournaments, he sometimes plays in the 55 division.

With being chosen as the Humana Game Changer, Lewis wants to be able to talk to about the importance of staying active and encouraging others to stay active, because he believes it can give seniors a better quality of life. “It will be nice to see a lot of the individuals that are in the Senior Games this year,” he said.  For more information about the Senior Games, visit nsga.com.

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