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Kareem Maddox, American 3×3 basketball player, is working hard to get to the Olympics

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PARIS – For Kareem Maddox and the struggling USA 3×3 men’s basketball team, their anticipated path to a medal at the Paris Olympics will likely be derailed. But for the American, simply making it to the Olympics from a singular Ivy League path has made his journey unforgettable.

“It’s been an absolutely beautiful experience,” Maddox told Andscape. “I’m enjoying it with my family, having the full support of everyone I’ve worked with at USA Basketball, all in one place. I can’t wait to reflect on it when it’s all said and done. But we’re keeping our heads down, still working hard.”

Since 2015, Maddox has been certainly one of the most decorated Americans in the short history of 3×3 basketball, a discipline that may appear on the Olympic program in 2020.

The Los Angeles-born player has played for the U.S. in two FIBA ​​3×3 World Cups, two FIBA ​​3×3 Men’s AmeriCups and two Pan American Games. Maddox was a member of the U.S. men’s 3×3 national team that went 3-2 in the 2021 FIBA ​​3×3 Olympic qualifying tournament. He is also a member of the USA Basketball 3×3 men’s team, together with former NBA point guard Jimmer Fredette, Dylan Travis and Canyon Berry. The U.S. was 0-4 with Fredette sidelined with an injury before Friday’s first group-stage victory, 21-19 against host France.

“I won’t lie, it was a tough time on the court,” Maddox said. “The rules and the length of the game make it unpredictable enough. Then you think about every thing that happened outside of that, and you’ve gotten a tournament that is like this. The game is the game.

“It’s not over yet. We’re still fighting. I’ve seen worse things happen. We just have to dig deeper.”

Kareem Maddox (right), a U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball player, blocks a shot by Polish player Adrian Bogucki during a men’s group stage match at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the Esplanade Des Invalides on July 31 in Paris.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Maddox was born on December 9, 1989, in Los Angeles to an African-American father and a Sudanese mother whose father was once the director of the Sudanese boxing federation. Maddox’s father, Alan, had been to several Summer Olympics and worked as a volunteer at the media center. Kareem Maddox was able to go to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he dreamed of becoming an Olympian.

Before specializing in basketball, Kareem Maddox grew up playing other sports, reminiscent of track, tennis, water polo, and cross-country, at his father’s request. Maddox was not a widely known basketball player in Los Angeles when he played at suburban Oak Park High School. The late-blooming 6-foot-8 winger didn’t play AAU basketball and was not a sought-after recruit by Division I programs. Alan Maddox, nonetheless, believed his son had the talent and grades to play college basketball at an Ivy League school.

In the summer of 2007, Alan Maddox sent his son to an elite basketball camp at Princeton. Then-head coach Joe Scott was impressed with Kareem’s play at the camp and commenced recruiting him. Penn, Harvard, Yale and Puget Sound showed interest during his senior season, but Kareem Maddox signed a letter of intent to play for Princeton on February 7, 2007.

“I didn’t play AAU or have any recruiting experience, so nobody had heard of me, I didn’t have any letters,” Kareem Maddox said. “So we flew out to New Jersey and just signed up for Princeton’s elite camp. I used to be like, ‘Okay, whatever, this sounds cool.’ So I played, Joe Scott was the coach, and I used to be just with the other campers. But I played pretty much. I used to be an athlete and a superb, decent basketball player, but probably not that sophisticated.

“(Scott) said, ‘Who are you and where are you going to school? How’s college going? And I said, ‘Oh no, I don’t have any letters. I don’t know if I’m going to play basketball in college.’ He said, ‘Well, can you come here? How are your grades?’ I said, ‘They’re good. I have a 3.8, 3.9 (grade point average). And I don’t know if they’re good enough for Princeton.’ He said, ‘I’ll worry about that. You don’t worry about that.’ And the rest is history.”

Maddox averaged 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game during his profession at Princeton from 2007 to 2011. As a senior in 2010-11, the 2011 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year averaged 14 points, 6.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.7 blocks per game. He also holds a level in English literature.

After Princeton, Maddox played professionally in the Netherlands and England for 2 seasons. In 2013, he retired from basketball and have become a news producer for Los Angeles radio station KCRW. Maddox also hosted NPR’s All Things Considered, which focused on vital public affairs.

Maddox began playing 3-on-3 basketball for Ariel Slow and Steady in 2015, which finished fourth in the 2015 USA Basketball 3×3 Nationals. His desire to return to basketball grew after watching the Cleveland Cavaliers come from 3-1 down in the 2016 NBA Finals to defeat the Golden State Warriors. In the summer of 2016, he traveled to Las Vegas and took part in basketball tryouts with foreign teams searching for players. This led to him working as knowledgeable basketball player in Poland during the 2016-17 season after a three-year hiatus.

“I was more surprised when he came out of retirement and decided to come back and play 5-on-5 in Poland again because his radio and TV career was going so well,” said Alan Maddox. “I would say I was 50-50 on that. But again, by that time he had the skills and the education to support himself even if it didn’t work out or if it did work out. It worked out in the end. We’re really happy for him.”

United States 3×3 forward Kareem Maddox (right) throws the ball towards Serbia forward Strahinja Stojacic (left) during the men’s group stage match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Esplanade Des Invalides on July 30 in Paris.

Lars Baron/Getty Images

In 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced that 3×3 basketball can be added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. That’s when Maddox began to consider his Olympic dream could come true. In 2018, he earned MVP honors as Ariel Slow and Steady won the 2018 USA Basketball 3×3 Nationals title. It was that honor that led to his first time on the USA Basketball 3×3 roster as a member of the gold-medal-winning team at the inaugural 3×3 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Maddox has had other interests outside of 3×3 basketball over the years, including work in media. He has been a journalist for NPR member stations in Los Angeles and Colorado. He has produced each day newscasts and hosted “All Things Considered” for a statewide audience on KUNC News. He has produced podcasts for Spotify-acquired Gimlet Media. He also produced “The Pitch,” a real inside take a look at the enterprise capital fundraising process.

Maddox didn’t make it to the NBA, but he became a component of it through the Minnesota Timberwolves. He lives in Minneapolis, where he works for the Timberwolves in video, scouting and player development. Maddox was hired by Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, whose younger brother, Dan, was the director of basketball operations at Princeton when Maddox played there.

“I’ll be out there warming up and shooting and stuff like that,” Maddox said. “Whatever they need. I’ll jump into practice if I need to. And then I’ll just put together some videos for the scouts.”

Maddox was devastated when the USA Basketball 3×3 team failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, the U.S. qualified for the Paris Olympics after ending second at the 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup in Serbia.

“I felt grateful working out and training for the last three years that I was able to do it, that I was healthy enough and fortunate enough,” Maddox said.

Alan Maddox is a part of a bunch of relations cheering on Kareem Maddox in France. Alan Maddox hopes more kids will get involved in sports by watching the Olympics.

“Only a limited number of people will be in the major leagues, but anyone can play an Olympic sport in their youth, high school, college and, in many cases, professionally,” said Alan Maddox. “Some of the most amazing people I meet are athletes who’re much more amazing of their careers outside of the Olympics. They have amazing careers because, again, coming back to those sports and specializing in something and having the ability to concentrate on something and stick to it, that’s just a very good thing, so far as I’m concerned…

“We saw (Kareem’s) work, discipline and travel. We were really excited to see that when someone puts that much effort into something, they succeed. That’s not an easy thing to do.”


Medal or no medal, the Olympic experience was definitely memorable for Maddox. While most of the American athletes stayed in the Olympic Village, all of the USA Basketball teams stayed in a secure hotel in Paris.

That means Maddox and the USA Basketball 3×3 men’s and girls’s teams will likely be staying at the same hotel as NBA stars LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, and WNBA stars A’ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart, who’re all members of their senior national teams. The Olympic 3×3 competition is also happening in the heart of Paris at La Concorde, a city park that has been transformed into a brief outdoor arena that also hosts BMX freestyle, breaking and skateboarding competitions.

“We’re just keeping a small footprint. And no, no, we’re definitely not trying to take pictures with anyone or anything like that,” Maddox said. “We’re hoping to get tickets to the finale, but we’ll be there to watch them.”

Playing basketball has given Maddox the opportunity to visit some 25 countries, and he’s enjoyed every trip. He’ll be 38 when the 2028 Olympics are held in Los Angeles. If USA Basketball still wants him on the roster, he’d like to try to win a 3×3 medal on American soil. In the meantime, he plans to proceed playing for the Timberwolves and begin a each day podcast.

“I’ll play as long as it makes sense, as long as I love it and enjoy it,” Maddox said. “It’s been the biggest blessing. It’s just every thing I like to do. It’s the traveling. It’s the time to myself while I’m traveling. It’s the competition, and also you only play for the weekend, after which you’ve gotten time to do whatever you wish.

“I’m going to try to get as much out of it as I can. And at this level, who knows? We’ll see. I think the game is evolving and it’s going to be harder and harder for a 38-year-old at this point to make it to 2028.”

Marc J. Spears is a senior NBA author at Andscape. He used to find a way to dunk, but he hasn’t been able 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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