At ACA International’s 2026 Convention & Expo, Boston Celtics legend M.L. Carr shared how early mentorship shaped his NBA career and inspired his ongoing mission to create educational opportunities for the next generation.
09/11/2026 11:00 A.M.
Speaking at ACA International’s 2026 Convention & Expo in July, Boston Celtics champion M.L. Carr shared how a childhood encounter shaped his life and career.
At age 12, Carr approached local businessman Davis Lee with a proposition: teach him to caddy, and he would work a month for free.
Lee accepted, becoming a key mentor who helped send Carr to basketball camp — a pivotal act of support that Carr credits with teaching him the power of paying it forward.
Carr went on to play basketball in Israel, Missouri, and Michigan before landing in Boston and becoming a two-time NBA champion.
He and Lee are now business partners in the Davis Lee Companies.
During his speech, Carr recalled asking Lee how he could ever repay him for his mentorship and support — to which Lee replied, “Give another kid a chance.”
From there, the M.L. Carr Scholarship Fund at his alma mater, Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., was born.
Established in 1986, the M.L. Carr Scholarship Fund supports the education of full-time students.
“When I look back on the journey, I keep checking [with] myself to see, am I bringing other people along for the ride?” Carr said in his concluding remarks at the convention.
Carr shares his alma mater with Niel Welborn, an ACA board member and vice president at Todd, Bremer and Lawson, Inc. The two were teammates at Guilford College.
After his convention speech, Carr asked ACA to donate $10,000 to his scholarship fund instead of paying his speaker fee. ACA agreed, and Welborn presented the check to the Guilford College president on Sept. 8.
Welborn commended Carr’s generosity.
“As good a basketball player that M.L. was, he’s an even better human being,” Welborn said.
Jeff DiMatteo, ACA president and president of American Profit Recovery, added, “The passion Carr showed throughout his career is evident in his initiatives to give back to others now.”
In his speech, Carr emphasized setting short- and long-term goals to measure progress in your education and career — and the importance of asking for help.
“Now I’m here trying to give kids another chance,” he said about the scholarship. “One of the greatest things that has happened for me is to be able to see the next generation come along.”
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