Lakeland Community College men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes and coaches recently found themselves at the center of a filming of the hit series Eli Manning Presents: The Undercovers during a professional development event hosted at Lakeland by the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).
During a segment with the PCA, Lakeland student-athletes were joined by "Peanut Waterloo," an eccentric, older youth basketball coach who engaged with the Lakers in a discussion about basketball. Unbeknownst to the group, "Peanut Waterloo" was actually five-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell in disguise.
The elaborate transformation, orchestrated by two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, allowed Mitchell to test his coaching persona on the athletes and coaches before eventually revealing his true identity. Anton Vrebac, Lakeland men’s basketball assistant coach, noted that the experience left a lasting impression on everyone at the session.
"When I first walked into the gym, a taller elderly man shook my hand, and I noticed that he had a very big hand... I knew it was very unusual," Vrebac said. "Once his identity was revealed, you could see the excitement on the faces of the kids. They were so excited because for most of them, he is a true role model.”
The episode of Eli Manning Presents: The Undercovers is now available for streaming on Prime Video.