Cameron Graham lifts Long Beach boys basketball over Hewlett

Cameron Graham intercepted an inbound pass at half court and burst to the rim for a fastbreak slam midway through the second quarter. Long Beach coaches, players and fans jumped in excitement as Graham tapped his head in celebration.

While the dunk was a one-time occurrence Thursday night, Graham energized Long Beach on both ends of the floor. Long Beach (3-4) cruised to a 69-34 non-league win over Hewlett at home.

“I already knew I had him beat in the fastbreak,” Graham said. “By the time I got to the basket, the only thing I thought about was just dunking the ball. When I raised up and I jumped, I had the confidence like ‘Oh yeah, I’m about to make this. I already knew I was going to make this.’ ”

Graham, a junior in his first year on varsity, scored 10 points to go along with three blocks and two steals. He celebrated his blocks with a finger wag and told Hewlett defenders they were too small to stop him in the paint.

It’s a contagious energy that the bench and coaches caught. Graham calls himself the “fire starter” because of it.

“I get everyone jumping and everyone excited,” Graham said. “I bring an edge to this team, and I like that. Everyone knows my passion and I’m really emotional, so they see me get hype, they’re going to get hype around me. It’s going to be a good time.”

To bring such potent enthusiasm, Graham prepares himself by listening to Drake, massaging his legs and throwing down some pregame dunks. He treats each game with the same mentality: don’t take anything for granted.

Long Beach won one game in its previous three one-possession games. Mike Main led with 19 points and Jack Shields added 13 points. Blake Salice-Mitchell had seven points and four blocks.

“We told them that (Hewlett) struggled with pressure in the last few games,” Long Beach coach Scott Martin said. “So, that means let’s pressure up, let’s try to get some loose ones. That actually got us running … We played good defense. They had a tough time making shots.”

Graham is ready for the Bethpage Tournament on Dec. 29-30, but he wants a conference championship. Beyond that, his dream is to play collegiately and professionally.

“Basketball means everything to me …” Graham said. “It’s everything I ever dreamed about. Playing in the NBA is my biggest dream. … (I want to make) my family proud.”