UMD alum is turning heads as a 'Showtime' Laker

The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty is the superbly written and unabashed behind-the-scenes dramatization of the burdened ascent of arguably one of the greatest teams to ever play in the National Basketball Association, The Los Angeles Lakers. The series is an underdog comeuppance tale that only those who lived during the pre-fantastic years, or die-hard sports fans, would expect. 

In a near documentary-style dramatization, the stellar casting is also key to this sensational production's success and that, no doubt, includes UMD alum Delante Desouza (B.S. '16, computer science), who is back for season two to reprise his starring role as Michael Cooper, who played his entire career in the NBA as a Laker, winning five championships with them.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Desouza said he knew he wanted to become an actor at a very young age. Giving credit to his cousin, voiceover actor Ty Tillman, who encouraged him to sign up for acting classes with him, he said he was around 14 when the winning seed of acting was planted.

“I started my training at a historic theater called The Arena Players in Baltimore, which is the longest-running African-American operated community theater in the United States,” he said.

Click HERE to read the full article and HERE to read a previous piece about Desouza's UMD story.