'It’s an emotional time': Basketball game honours young players who died two decades ago

It was an emotional night inside A.B Lucas Secondary School, at a high-school all star basketball game – honouring two outstanding basketball players who died in a tragic car crash in January of 2000.

“I did know them very well on a personal level, Shaun Lodge played at Central Secondary School, where I played. I graduated, and he came in after me. And Jason Edmonds was a very good friend of mine, and we trained in the summer together. (They) were just amazing amazing people,” said Saunders High School teacher, and tournament organizer, Jamie Clark.

It’s been 24 years since Jason Edmonds (23) and Shaun Lodge (21) died in a road-rage crash on Wonderland Road, but the pain remains constant for their friends and family.

“It’s an emotional time being at the gym, because it brings up all the same memories that we had when we were playing and watching them play,” said Shaun Lodge’s cousin, Genoa Mosley-Harmon.Jr. Boys all-star basketball game at A.B. Lucas in London, Ont.

High school students from across the region were represented at the tournament tonight – that not only shines a light on their skills – but also on road safety.

“You know, it’s important that we continue to talk about road rage, and talk about safety of the roads for teenagers,” added Mosley-Harmon.

The Edmonds/Lodge Memorial Basketball All-star Game is held annually, and this year organizers and volunteers also collected toys for Eid, and funds for childhood cancer at this years special game.

“I think it’s important to hold this in honour of the two young men that passed away because they dedicated a large portion of their life to basketball, and they were large rising stars in the game of basketball, representing not only their schools but the City of London,” explained co-organizer and Beal SS Sr. boys basketball coach, Chris Scott.