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Central South Sudan Khaman Maluach grateful for Olympic experience at 17

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VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQN, France – Duke University’s incoming freshmen are preparing for move-in on Aug. 17. As for 17-year-old Khaman Maluach, he’s keeping busy because the youngest player to play in men’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics while also playing for South Sudan’s historic team.

Maluach was born on September 14, 2006, in Rumbek, Sudan, now South Sudan. The 7-foot-2 center is the youngest basketball player — the following oldest is Bilal Coulibaly of France, born on July 26, 2004, of the Washington Wizards. Chinese skater Zheng Haohao is the youngest player at the Games, at 11 years, 11 months.

“This whole experience makes me feel like I’m living the dream when I was 17. Big dreams. And I’m just a small-town kid chasing big dreams in the big city,” Maluach told Andscape magazine after South Sudan beat Puerto Rico 90-79 on Sunday.

South Sudan is the youngest nation at the OlympicsIt gained independence from Sudan after a referendum in 2011. The split got here after years of war between Sudan and what’s now South Sudan over a shared border and natural resources. With the guidance and financial backing of former NBA star Luol Deng, South Sudan’s men’s basketball team qualified for the Olympics for the primary time this yr, despite not having a single indoor basketball court.

Like lots of his teammates, Maluach is a refugee from South Sudan. His family fled the conflict-ridden country when he was a toddler and moved to Uganda. The South Sudanese men’s basketball team’s first appearance at the Olympics was marred before it even began when the fallacious national anthem was played before the opening match against Puerto Rico. But the East African nation recovered and made history by winning in front of virtually 27,000 fans at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. Maluach’s mother and other relations from Kampala, Uganda, were in attendance.

“For me, it’s a big deal for my family. The opportunity to come, see me, watch my performance,” Maluach said. “I only dreamed of them leaving the country and seeing me on such a giant stage.

“Now we will celebrate our victory, we will be grateful for our first Olympic match and our first victory. So I will celebrate until midnight. We will put this match aside and prepare for the next one.”

Maluakh and South Sudan’s next match will probably be on Wednesday 2021 against the United States, the defending gold medalists of the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

South Sudan center Khaman Maluach hits the ball throughout the match against Puerto Rico in Group C throughout the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, July 28.

SAMEER AL-DOUMY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. team has won 4 straight gold medals at the Olympics, dating back to 2008. South Sudan proved to be no easy opponent, losing narrowly 101-100 in an exhibition match to the U.S. in London on July 21. South Sudan led by as many as 16 points before missing a buzzer-beater shot that will have given it the victory.

Although Maluach is predicted to play within the NBA, the prospect to play twice for the Americans is an ideal learning experience for him.

“It’s really different because I’ve seen all these people, I’ve watched them on TV and the NBA playoffs,” Maluach said. “I’ve stayed up late at night in Africa watching. I’ve watched LeBron (James). The NBA Bubble (in Orlando in 2020). I’ve watched Joel Embiid. Being on the same floor as these guys was a different feeling. I was like, ‘Dreams really do come true.’ Me playing against Joel Embiid and LeBron James, I’ve always looked up to those guys.”

Maluach scored two points on 1-of-2 shooting and grabbed two rebounds in six minutes against Puerto Rico before being benched within the second half. South Sudan coach Royal Ivey, an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, is patient with the teenager, who he believes is the long run face of South Sudan basketball.

“He’s our second big. Our backup big,” Ivey said of Maluach after the Puerto Rico game. “I wanted to give him an injection early to see what he could do for us, see if he could help us rebound. Think about it, he’s 17 years old. He’s learning from grown men. Sometimes he has good days. Sometimes he doesn’t have so good days. He’s still in the rotation. I believe in him.”

“He’s a talent. In five years, this will be his team. I have to put him in and give him the chance for some fiery moments. When he makes mistakes, I have to take him out as a coach. He’s OK and he’ll be OK for the next game.”

“My role obviously changes depending on the game and the size and the talent. Whatever it takes for my team to win, I’ll do it. It doesn’t matter,” Maluach said.

South Sudan center Khaman Maluach warms up before their match against the Philippines throughout the 2023 FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Nicholas Muller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

NBA Academy Africa successfully recruited Maluach at age 14 in 2021 after certainly one of its scouts saw him training outdoors in Uganda. The academy is an elite basketball training facility in Saly, Senegal, that opened in November 2018 for the very best female and male prospects from Africa. Maluach, the 2023 Basketball Without Borders Africa MVP, also played three seasons within the NBA-sanctioned Basketball Africa League.

Maluach was on South Sudan’s roster when the country qualified for the Olympics at the 2023 World Cup, ending as the highest African team. He also represented South Sudan in April at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, an exhibition match pitting the very best American highschool players against the very best teenagers from all over the world.

“The entire African continent is excited and proud to follow South Sudan’s journey at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” BAL President Amadou Fall told Andscape. “It’s great to see Khaman again after being the youngest player at the FIBA ​​World Championship last summer. He is an ideal example of what’s now possible in Africa with the trail we’ve got established from grassroots to elite level.

“He was a young, raw talent at the age of 14, through NBA Academy Africa and the BAL Elevate program, now on the world’s biggest sports stage with his South Sudanese national team. We also applaud the extraordinary work our NBA legend and BAL Ambassador, Luol Deng, has done in building this world-class basketball program.”

With an arm span of 7-4.5 and a reach of 9-8, Duke adds Maluach to a highly rated 2024 class that features No. 1 overall 2024 recruit Cooper Flagg. Maluach plans to return to Durham, North Carolina, after the Olympics to check and play basketball, but until then, he’ll proceed to enjoy this basketball experience as a teen with quite a lot of potential to enhance.

“The whole experience was like a movie for me,” Maluach said. “It was the same with the World Cup, because so many things happened in just a few years. Two years of experience and for me, things go by faster every time I think about them. I think, ‘Oh, I’m here and this is a great experience.’”

“I went out there (to the arena) and saw the crowd and I got chills. I was a little nervous. I was like, ‘Wow, this is what it’s all about.’ It’s been a great experience so far.”

“It’s an incredible experience for a 17-year-old. He’s the heart and soul of this team. The court jester. He’s one of the funniest guys on the team. He’s so carefree, so innocent. Half the time he doesn’t even know what’s going on. And once he gets that fire in his heart, he’s going to be a really good player,” Ivey said.

Marc J. Spears is a senior NBA author at Andscape. He used to have the opportunity to dunk, but he hasn’t been in a position to for years, and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Tyreek Hill breaks silence after disturbing footage shows him attacked by Miami police ahead of explosive season opener

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Tyreek Hill

 

On Sunday, Sept. 8, just hours after being aggressively detained by Miami-Dade police, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill scored his first points of the 2024 NFL season, catching an 80-yard touchdown within the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After running 54 yards after the catch, what ESPN reports that it’s the longest point scored in his NFL profession, Hill’s touchdown pass caused as much confusion because the career-defining rating. After the play, Hill, with the assistance of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, stood in the long run zone along with his hands behind his back, allowing Waddle to carry them back as if Hill was “under arrest.”

Tyreek Hill's touchdown celebration sends Miami-Dade police into a tailspin after being busted just hours before the season opener (Photo: Getty Images)
Tyreek Hill’s touchdown celebration sends an enormous “fuck you” to Miami-Dade police after he was detained hours before the season opener. (Photo: Getty Images)

@TheBestCelly the report called the moment “probably the best celebration I’ve ever seen,” One said user He said, “He will definitely be fined for that.”

One X user supported Hill’s big “FU” towards the police.

Hill’s eventful day began earlier that morning when he was stopped by Miami-Dade police as he headed to Hard Rock Stadium hours before the sport.

Footage circulated on social media showing the NFL star being forcibly placed face down on the sidewalk and aggressively handcuffed by members of the Miami-Dade Police Department near the stadium. One officer was seen along with his knee in Hill’s back, angering many fans who watched the disturbing clip.

Video courtesy of @AdamSchefter

Another photo shows officers punching Hill before he falls to the curb.

“This officer apparently hit a handcuffed (and compliant) Tyreek Hill multiple times. On a busy Miami street in the middle of the day. Unacceptable. Fire this idiot,” user X wrote, sharing the video clip.

“This is absolutely DISGUSTING behavior by @MiamiPD” he said one other fan. “This cop decides to KICK and HURT #Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill while he was cooperating and just sitting on the ground.”

USA today reported that the daddy of 10 was initially detained in reference to a “road accident.” Later, ESPN Jeff Darlington posted on X, stating that his sources cited dangerous driving as the explanation police pulled Hill over. Hill then got right into a verbal altercation with police, was handcuffed and beaten before he was eventually released with a ticket.

Many other athletes and celebrities also expressed their support via social media.

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III shared his thoughts on the situation. “Tyreek Hill should not have been forcibly taken to the ground, handcuffed and treated so aggressively for a minor traffic violation before entering the stadium before the game. Period.”

Sports Analyst and Host Stephen A. Smith called the aggressive force on Hill in comparison with what happened to golfer Scottie Scheffler during his arrest in May. “Check it out for yourself. It’s bullshit. It’s completely unnecessary. And by the way… I know the Scottie Scheffler incident happened in Georgia — not Florida — and he was arrested, detained, booked. And I know we don’t know all the details, blah… blah… blah! But he wasn’t lying face down in handcuffs? And then he was forcibly placed in the seat by the officers a second time. No! This story won’t go away — and it doesn’t have to go away.”

During a post-game press conference, Hill shared his recollection of the events. When asked what led as much as the incident, Hill told the press, “I really don’t know. I’m still trying to piece it all together right now.”

He added: “I wasn’t naughty because my mom didn’t raise me that way, she didn’t swear, she didn’t do anything like that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out.”

According to Hill, it was necessary to make use of his platform to make clear the horrific incident because not everyone seems to be as fortunate. “I want to use my platform to say, what if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Worst-case scenario,” he said, before calling the officers who beat him “black sheep.”

Miami defensive end Calais Campbell, who was also on the scene, revealed that he was detained while attempting to deescalate the situation between police and Hill.

“I saw Tyreek in handcuffs. Excessive force. The officer felt the need to put handcuffs on me. They said I disobeyed a direct order,” Campbell told the Palm Beach Post Joe Schad.

Campbell told NFL Network that he was just as confused as Hill when the incident occurred. “They handcuffed me too, and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I didn’t understand what was going on,” he said. “The fact that he handcuffed me made me feel weird.”

CNN reports that the Miami-Dade police officer who stopped Hill has since been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation into the matter. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said an investigation has been opened into the matter

“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I initiated an internal affairs investigation to ensure a thorough investigation. One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed in an administrative position while the investigation continues,” Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in an announcement Sunday. “I am committed to transparency and accountability to the community in every situation involving my officers.”

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams opens NFL career with victory and support from Lincoln Riley

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Star black quarterbacks are not any longer the exception, they’re the rule. Throughout the football season, this series will explore the importance and influence of black quarterbacks from the grassroots level to the NFL.


CHICAGO – USC coach Lincoln Riley once more took time through the first week of the NFL season to observe the primary game of a rookie quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in college and was drafted first overall.

Riley, who has mentored three quarterbacks who’ve won the honors, enjoys rooting for his guys.

On Sunday afternoon, Riley watched his newest protégé begin a brand new journey, watching quarterback Caleb Williams lead the Chicago Bears to 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field.

Williams, Chicago’s first-round select of USC in April’s NFL draft, didn’t have an ideal debut statistically. In fact, he accomplished just 14 passes on 29 attempts for 93 yards passing — a median of a paltry 3.2 yards per attempt — and no touchdowns. Williams, a productive college runner, had just 15 rushing yards.

“Obviously, we didn’t play the way we wanted to (offensively). We want to be the most efficient team, and so do I. We didn’t play the way I wanted to,” Williams said. “I missed a couple of passes that I don’t normally miss. … I have to be better. I’ll be better.”

Above all, though, point guards are judged on the success of their group. Despite Williams’ rough opening performance, his teammates lifted him up, rallying from a 17-point deficit within the second quarter.

Chicago returned a blocked punt for a touchdown and an interception for a touchdown. The Bears combined for 3 turnovers within the fourth quarter because the Titans faltered, allowing the Bears to go away the sector satisfied despite struggles on offense as Williams tried to search out his way.

“I don’t care about the stats. I feel great (about the win),” Williams said. “The stats aren’t where I want them to be. I want to go out there and play my best. I didn’t do that today. We’re going to be better.”

No matter what additional challenges Williams will face as a rookie – and there will probably be more – he is not going to quit, Riley said.

“With all the attention and everything that’s on him, being the first pick, and being in the city of Chicago, you want someone who’s not going to be afraid of that,” Riley told Andscape. “He definitely won’t do that.”

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on the road of scrimmage through the first quarter of a game against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field on September 8 in Chicago.

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

With Williams on the helm, Riley is confident the Bears can have many great days ahead. And few know Williams higher than the person who coached him for all three of his college seasons.

While Riley was coaching at Oklahoma, he convinced Williams, a former standout at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., to sign with the Sooners. After Riley unexpectedly left Oklahoma to take the identical position at USC in 2022, Williams soon joined the Trojans.

Under Riley’s tutelage, Williams won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. The Bears entered the 2024 NFL Draft with Williams as the highest pick. Now, Williams continues to meet his dream of becoming an NFL superstar and a Super Bowl champion.

Riley is admittedly biased. He has established that, he is definite Williams is headed where he desires to be. How quickly Williams gets there, Riley said, will rely on how quickly he adapts to the trials of playing a very powerful position in top-level football.

“He definitely made progress (from his freshman to his third season), he worked hard and it showed,” said Riley, who leads the nation’s Thirteenth-ranked team.

“And he’d be the primary to let you know that he’s just going to need to proceed to grow, especially as he adjusts to the NFL, and he continues to grow as a player and face different challenges. I mean, teams played him somewhat in a different way last yr than they did the primary few years. You know that is going to proceed to occur. People are all the time going to attempt to evolve the best way they attack.

“They’re not going to just sit there and let you beat them up, game by game, and not try new things. You better be ready to adapt. That’s going to be part of his development. But it’s not going to be a surprise to him. He definitely sees it. And he’s still a student of the game. He’s studying the game and learning. He knows that’s going to be a big part of it. He knows that’s definitely going to be a critical factor in his success. He knows he’s got to continue to be able to move the ball and win games.”

USC coach Lincoln Riley (right) goes over the sport plan with quarterback Caleb Williams (left) through the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on September 30, 2023 in Boulder, Colorado.

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Among college coaches, Riley is unrivaled in his ability to provide star quarterbacks in American football.

While at Oklahoma, he mentored Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, who each won Heisman Trophies and were the highest picks of their draft classes. Additionally, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was a Heisman Trophy finalist while playing for Oklahoma after transferring from Alabama.

In the NFL, Mayfield finished second in AP Rookie of the Year voting. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the primary time last season. AP voters selected Murray because the offensive rookie of the yr, and he’s a two-time Pro Bowl player. Hurts led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance and finished second in AP Rookie of the Year voting.

At first glance, Williams has loads in common with the opposite members of Riley’s quarterback club. But upon closer inspection, Williams is entering the NFL a bit in a different way than his predecessors, who were conductors in Riley’s system.

“One thing is he just played a lot less football than the other guys,” Riley said. “Those guys were older at the tip of their (college) careers. All those guys could have played full highschool careers. Caleb missed his senior yr due to COVID.

“These guys were a little further along. They’ve just seen more, experienced a little more, played a little more. And when you play the ball a little more, you see more from a talent perspective. But he’s right up there with any of them in terms of his ability. He’s a really special talent.”

While he’s not one to make specific predictions about how Williams will fare within the league, Riley is confident the Bears will proceed to get one of the best out of Williams every day.

“He keeps asking himself what can I do better to be better next time. Then he puts in the work to be better,” Riley said. “If they (Bears) can put the right players around him and really get him settled, he’ll start to improve.”

And Riley would love to search out some TV time to observe it.

Jason Reid is a senior NFL author at Andscape. He enjoys watching sports, especially any games involving his son and daughter.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Ebony Ladies Golf League gives black women the chance to pick up the club

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golf, Ebony Ladies Golf League, chicago


The Ebony Ladies Golf League is devoted to its mission of growing and diversifying the sport of golf. President Tracy Raoul recently he said CBS News reported that their goal is to proceed welcoming recent members to this inspiring community.

The organization celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in March, marking one other 12 months of encouraging women of color to play golf. Raoul, who has been president since 2021, said that while golf can seem intimidating to newcomers, their Chicago-based group is concentrated on breaking down those barriers and helping more women tackle golf with confidence.

She explained: “Golf is a great sport. It’s great physically. It’s a mental game. You have to know how to let go of that bad shot and move on to the next one.”

Raoul proudly told the website about the recent increase in recent members of the Ebony Ladies Golf League from 2022 – from 46 ladies to 81 members in total.

“A lot of them have never picked up a golf club. I want to grow the game and see more African-American women playing the game.”

Back in the early twentieth century, there was an amazing demand for women of color in the game of golf.

“African Americans were not allowed to play the game back then,” Raoul said. She continued: “They could be caddies, and if they did play, unfortunately they had to play with poor materials and equipment.”

She added: “Walter Speedy and his three gentlemen sued the Park District because they couldn’t play on the public golf course, Jackson Park. So they sued and won. In 1910, these gentlemen started playing.”

It took an extended time for women to have a spot on the golf course, and it took even longer for women of color to play. Fortunately, Raoul said she sees a trend of more young golfers bringing in black girls and boys, which she is optimistic will help diversify way forward for the game.

The Ebony Ladies Golf League approached CBS about accepting more members and provided some advice to its founders and members.

Member Eleanor Fox said: “If you want to play golf, play golf. You can do anything our colleagues can do, and sometimes we can do it better.”

Another member, Kathy Davis, added, “I’ll say, ‘Yes you can, and we (Ebony Ladies Golf League) are here to help you.'”


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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