When the small group of kids from Lennox Middle School watched in awe from courtside as the Lakers warmed up before a recent home game, student Michael Morales said to himself, “And I thought I was tall.”

The students, the first of 30 who will receive free tickets over the next few weeks, were the guests of forward Brian Cook, who treated them to tickets for demonstrating good character as part of his Cook's All-Stars community program.

Judging from the letters the kids wrote Cook afterward, his gesture meant a lot to them and their school.

'I had a sign that said DO IT FOR BRICK, COOKIE! because your biography said you had a dog you adopted from Katrina named Brick. ' – Michael Morales

'I enjoyed meeting Brian. He told us to keep up the good work and never give up because following the Pillars will take you where you want to be.' -- Unsigned

'I feel very fortunate because usually Lennox doesn't get recognized, but we are a school of good character and want students to share character skills with their family.' – Melissa Rocha

'It was inspiring how you and your teammates play a part in CHARACTER COUNTS! When you guys lose, you aren't mean. You just say, ‘Hey, you guys won, we lost. Congratulations.' You're an example of character because you inspire kids like me to become better persons.' – Christina Martinez

'I hope you can make more kids smile in the future.' – Jose Morales