Lance Thomas isn’t a prolific scorer. He’s not the strongest or fastest. In fact, there are plenty of players not in the league who are better than him. And he’ll be the first one to tell you that.

I got the chance to cover Thomas as he hosted a clinic with the New Heights Youth Organization’s Summer Academy as an alumni ambassador. Teammates Damyean Dotson and Isaiah Hicks joined him, and the trio spent the afternoon guiding the kids through drills, talking with them, and preaching the importance of academics and life outside sports.

[Full disclosure: As a Knicks fan, I’ve disparaged Thomas on many occasions for his on-court shortcomings. He’s a fringe NBA talent who averaged around 20 minutes per game during his three and a half seasons in New York. Time that I thought would be better served going to players with more upside. But when you meet the man and see what he’s about, it’s hard reverting back to cynicism.]

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Midway through the event, Thomas sat down with all the program’s kids — ranging from incoming fifth-to-eighth graders — and doled out excellent and real advice. He explained that while basketball and sports are great, the odds of making it as a pro are infinitesimal.

“I was the man on my high school team. I scored a lot. I was a McDonald’s All-American. Then I went to Duke. And then I went undrafted,” Thomas said. “There are a lot of players in the world who are better than me that aren’t in the NBA. The secret is not letting them outwork you.”

Thomas delved into his time in the (then) D-League and how he considered playing overseas but instead pushed through the challenges and constant doubts. “Excuses get you nowhere. People who make them are those who don’t want to succeed.”

He continued, “A lot of guys can shoot 3’s and score, but how many will play defense and do the dirty work? That’s how I decided to stand out. What are you gonna do to be different, to set yourself apart?”

He then went around the room and asked each kid what they wanted to be when they grew up if basketball doesn’t work out. Thomas listened intently and shared that if it didn’t work out for him, he wanted to be an architect. Maybe one day he will be.

The kids got to pepper him with questions of their own. One wanted to know what it was like playing with Carmelo Anthony. Another asked what point guard would he want to play with aside from his current teammates. Thomas said Anthony was one of the best professionals in the league. Recalling how he would get trashed online and sit in the locker room with a big smile on his face not worrying about it. For his not-current-Knick point guard, he chose Russell Westbrook, citing his unmatched intensity.

After he finished fielding questions from the kids, it was the media’s turn. Five reporters, a pair of PR reps, and a photographer all crammed into the sweaty stairwell of a high school gym and surrounded the Knicks forward.

I broke the news to him about David Fizdale saying Thomas could be the Knicks’ version of Draymond Green.