Wesley’s incredible resume boasts 11 years as a player in the NBA spending his first year in the league with the Phoenix Suns, going 23rd overall in the 1994 NBA Draft. His accolades include leading the league in minutes played, three-pointers taken, and percentage made during the 1997-98 season and spending seven years of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers. When his playing career came to an end, Wesley transitioned into a coaching role, spending the last 20 plus years mentoring the next generation of athletes. Prior to joining DME in 2022, Persons was the head coach of the Greenville High School Tigers in Greenville, Alabama where he was named 2021 Coach of the Year. Wesley’s passion for teaching basketball IQ and mentoring athletes has made him a successful and beloved coach. Being part of the lives of the kids who are members of his team is his way of giving back to a sport that gave so much to him. Wesley’s coaching philosophy is simple: teach an athlete once and your job is done. When coaches give athletes the tools to be successful, it enables them to figure out how to adapt their playing style to what’s needed to succeed. It also guarantees they won’t make the same mistake twice. Even with a history of winning on high-school, collegiate, and national stages, Wesley considers the ultimate win seeing his players be successful in life and being given the opportunity to choose where they want to take their careers next. Wesley’s passion for teaching basketball IQ and mentoring athletes has made him a successful and beloved coach. Being part of the lives of the kids who are members of his team is his way of giving back to a sport that gave so much to him. “I have a different coaching style for each athlete. As a coach, you have to identify the best practices of each player – how to communicate with them and what they need to improve on so you can help them take their skills to the next level,” says Wesley, “If athletes put in the work, it gives them a higher chance of advancing their career. I’m always looking ahead at how I can prepare them for whatever is next.” Wesley’s coaching philosophy is simple: teach an athlete once and your job is done. When coaches give athletes the tools to be successful, it enables them to figure out how to adapt their playing style to what’s needed to succeed. It also guarantees they won’t make the same mistake twice.