About the Lion Kings Basketball Team
The Lion Kings Basketball Team was founded on March 13, 2004 as the Disciple Kings; by Christopher Carby and Doorley “Ray” Codling, built on the love for basketball, a vision for excellence and using basketball as a mentorship tool for teaching life skills. The idea for the team came from Carby, who had previously won the Whole Life Ministries Churches Basketball League Championship in 2000 as player/coach/manager and appeared in three condecutive finals; three years in a row. These experiences inspired him to create a team dedicated not only to winning games, but also to shaping lives.
The team competed under the original name: Disciple Kings, in the NPG Division One League starting in 2004, and in the Whole Life Ministries - Summer League in 2008. Since the beginning, the focus was clear: use basketball as a platform to mentor young men and women, teaching discipline, faith, teamwork, leadership, and life skills that will last far beyond the court. Central to the teams mission was also creating opportunities and a platform for evangelism.
Over the years, the program was guided by dedicated leaders, including the legendary Ian “ESPN” Anderson, whose passion and commitment helped strengthen the team’s culture and competitive spirit, across several seasons.
Today, Carby is back to leading the team, and revised the name to Lion Kings, as he continues the mission that he started two decades ago in 2004. The team now competes in the Marco‑Polo Summer Basketball League and is preparing to return to Division One Basketball in the GK‑One Howard McCatty Basketball Summer League. He is using these opportunities to prepare young athletes for success both on and off the court.
From Disciple Kings to Lion Kings, our purpose has never changed. We remain committed to building champions in basketball and in life through mentorship, unity, and faith in the power of discipline and teamwork.
