The San Quentin Warriors won again!
For the second straight year, the prison’s premiere basketball team beat the Golden State Warriors squad of staffers 93-85 in a community atmosphere that featured NBA-playoff intensity. The victory had particular significance for San Quentin power forward Harry “ATL” Smith, who paroled a few days after the game.
“All praise is due to God,” Smith said. “It’s bigger than basketball. This program has really been my family. When I get out, I plan to continue repping the Warriors and Jesus Christ.”
The annual games between Golden State (GS) staffers and San Quentin (SQ) started in 2012.
They match up incarcerated men against management, coaches and employees of the NBA champions.
The events unite affluent NBA executives—including Warriors’ assistant general manager Kirk Lacob, son of the team’s owner Joe Lacob—with incarcerated people, through their common love of basketball.
Golden State leads the series four games to three; however, SQ has won two straight since Rafael Cuevas went from point guard to coach. His motto: character comes first, talent second.
“We’re not on this team for nothing,” SQ King Jason Robinson, who suited up with the SQ Warriors, said. “We proved we’re worthy to play with people from the outside and show what community is all about.”
For the Sept. 5 game, Lacob showed up with a team that included Nick Kerr (son of Golden State Coach Steve Kerr), Kent Lacob, Assistant Coach Chris DeMarco and others. First-round draft pick Jacob Evans, a former Cincinnati Bearcat, came for moral support, as signed players are not allowed to play.
The Golden State staffer squad was loaded, but it was missing its leading scorer and rebounder, Bob Myers, two-time NBA General Manager of the Year. Myers usually shows up and shows out but injuries caused him to miss the event.
“Bob had hip surgery,” Lacob said. “He had the operation in May and trained hard so he could rehab in time to be here, but he over-did it.”
Evans, the draftee, came along to see how good the SQ team is and to bring happiness to the incarcerated population.
“I feel like everybody deserves a second chance,” Evans said. “You never know what somebody’s situation is, so it’s important to show that you care.”
The day had a festive atmosphere, starting pregame when SQ resident Philippe Kelly rapped “The San Quentin Warriors Song.”
Then, under an overcast sky, hundreds of fans surrounded the basketball court on the yard as Aaron “Showtime” Taylor announced the starting five for GS, then for SQ.
GS scored first. Chris DeMarco received a pass inside and made a lay-up.
SQ’s Anthony “Half-Man, Half-Amazing” Ammons responded with one-and-one.
First year SQ Warrior Delvon Adams, who started at point guard, followed with a lay-up inside.
A determined Lacob tried to snatch a rebound out of the hands of SQ vet Allan McIntosh. The refs called a jump ball.
Taylor, SQ’s play-by-play announcer, had some fun with Lacob’s aggressive play. “Kirk ran up on him like he wasn’t scared he’s in a prison,” Taylor said.
At the end of the first quarter, SQ’s Tyrrell “City Life” Price Sr. made a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 29-18 lead.
“We’re only down 11; we’re good,” Evans said.
In the second quarter, Kerr, who played for the University of San Diego, came off the bench and helped get GS back into the game, nailing a trey from the corner to bring GS within five at 31-26.
Prison Sports Ministry sponsor Patrick Lacey, who suited up with GS, made an and-one with three SQ players surrounding him to bring GS within two points with 1:48 left in the half.
The half ended with SQ up by a thread, 46-45.
Aaron Miles, coach of the Warriors’ Santa Cruz G-League team, spoke at halftime. Miles, now 35 years old, was the all-time leader in assists in the Big 12 while playing for the University of Kansas. He went on to play for Golden State in 2005, and then played professionally overseas. At the annual game, he coached GS.
“I had a brother who was locked up and I questioned what he would do when he got out,” Miles said. “Now he’s ministering, going to school and doing the right thing. There is something special meant for you when you get out.”
Harry “ATL” Smith spoke at halftime as well, saying that at college, basketball was a business that used him up. The school didn’t care about his grades, only that he could ball. At San Quentin, he found a team focused on character.
That philosophy served him well. For Smith, a tryout for the Santa Cruz Warriors awaited his release.
“ATL is strong physically,” Miles said. “More than anything, I like his character. I’m excited for him to go out there and make a life for himself, to have success at whatever he does.”
As the halftime show, SQ residents David Jassy, a Grammy nominated rapper and producer from Sweden, and Joshua Burton performed an original rap song called “I’m a Champion.”
“No matter what happens today, I’m not quitting, I’m a champion,”Jassy rapped.
The home team kept the intensity up in the third quarter, which ended with SQ up 65-58.
Antwan “Banks” Williams, the sound designer for hit podcast Ear Hustle, performed another rap song between quarters.
In the fourth, Kerr made a series of shots that brought GS to within one point at 71-70 with 7:45 left. First he got fouled from behind the arc and made two of three free throws. Then he made five more points scored.
Smith answered with a hook shot in traffic and SQ’s Dejon Joy added another basket to pull away again.
“Delvon and Dejon played big in this game,” Cuevas said. “They were great mid-season additions who came and dedicated themselves.”
GS’s David “Just Dave” Fatoki stepped up. The 25-year-old from St. Louis played for the University of Washington and pro overseas in Spain. Now he works for GS basketball operations.
With six minutes left and his team down six, Fatoki made a three that made the score 76-73.
But Ammons answered with a runner in the paint, and shortly after that, Joy made an up and under scoop shot over Fatoki.
Smith fouled out with 1:45 left in the game. The crowd applauded.
Fatoki fouled out on the next play and Lacey shortly after as SQ continued to increase its lead.
With SQ up 93-85 and timing running out, DeMarco made a three-pointer too late to count. He led GS with 33 points, 14 rebounds and five fouls. Kerr added 23 and Fatoki 13.
“They attack the basket so much,” DeMarco said.”It’s hard not to foul.” Ammons led SQ with 17 points. Smith added 16 and McIntosh 14.
For the second year in a row, the San Quentin Warriors posed with the NBA trophy in front of a banner that saluted the NBA champions, designed by SQ artist Bruce Fowler.
“It’s surreal,” SQ guard Jesse Blue said. “It’s like finally arriving to some degree. It’s like showing the world we can actually play.”
Kirk Lacob and Miles reported to center court to pay off the pushup bets they lost.
Lacob jokingly blamed the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the defeat.
“We lose every time we bring it in,” Lacob said. “Maybe we should leave it here.”
SQ Warriors lose a squeaker to ex-pros, 70-66
Reilly Griffin going to the rack against the SQ Warriors basketball team
The San Quentin Warriors hung with a Green Team stacked with former pro basketball players but their valiant effort fell short in the final minute of a 70-66 loss.
“They’re good,” Evan Fjeld, who played for the NBA D-League and led the Green Team with 16 points, said. “They’ve gotten better since last year—more patient and more organized. We are lucky to get out of here with the win.”
“SNY [Sensitive Needs Yard] …comprises roughly half the California prison system,” according to Lody Lewn in the Prison University Project Spring 2018 Newsletter Volume 13, No.1
The Prison Sports Ministry’s “Green Team” has a roster of over 40 basketball players on an email list that they blast out before each game to see who’s available to play. After losing two of their first three games of the season, sponsor Bill Epling challenged the Green Team to respond—and four former pros did.
Besides Fjeld, the former pros included Reilly Griffin, who played pro in Spain up until 2014. Then there was the 32-year-old John Smith, who played pro in Asia for six years and whose uncle is the all-star Phil Smith, who won the 1975 NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. Last, Dan Wohl, who played pro in Israel and played in the first Green Team loss of the season, returned.
“Corruption within the California state prison system cannot be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman to NBC San Diego regarding the indictment of a 23-year CDCR veteran caught smuggling heroin and meth into prison. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Prison-Guard-Accused-of-Smuggling-Drugs-into-Prison-475486693.html
In addition to the professional level talent, were Pat Lacey and his band of former Claremont-McKenna college players like Riley Hall, Kevin “K-Mac” MacPherson and Ben Bergsma plus David Liss, who played for Pomona, and KJ Logue, a Cal Poly basketball team 2016 graduate.
“No matter who we bring in here, it’s always a battle the Warrior squad represents” Griffin said.
The score went back in forth in short spurts with the intensity of the NBA finals. The game came down to the final seconds and a blown lay-up.
“We could have actually made the plays to win,” Cuevas said. “I’m proud of how close we were but we still have some things to work on at practice.”
Before 100 San Quentin spectators on a sunny day, the Warriors were down 68-66 with 30 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter.
Warrior 5-foot-4 point guard Walter Cook brought the ball down court, shook the defenders and got to the rack. However, he over shot the lay-up that would have tied the score.
“The seas parted—I thought for sure we were going to overtime,” Griffin said.
Fjeld added, “I came over and he thought I was going to block him—he doesn’t know I can’t jump anymore. He threw it up too high.”
Fjeld grabbed the rebound and the Warriors fouled him to stop the clock. He made both free throws, which increased the lead to 70-66 with :03 left.
SQ Warriors Center Harry “ATL” Smith launched a three at the buzzer that missed.
Fjeld, who got hot in the second half, led all scorers with 16 points, followed by Griffin with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Liss dropped 12 points after hitting four three-pointers in the second half. Wohl added 7.
For the Warriors, Tevin Fournette led his team with 14 points, followed by Allan McIntosh with 12 and both Smith and Cook contributing 10 points each.
“I made the mistake, I didn’t finish, but the great ones come back and win the next time,” Cook said. “Next time, I want to apply more pressure and show my team we can beat those dudes as a unit. We just have to dig hard at practice.”
John Smith shared the reason why he likes to play basketball at San Quentin.
“God demonstrated his love for us while we were still sinners,” Smith said. “When I come down the hill onto the yard to play, I feel love.”
Warriors nail season opener with defense, 60-59
Jesse Blue Shooting
The San Quentin Warriors won their season opener over the Green Team 60-59 with a clutch turnaround jumper in the face of a defender, a lot of help from their bench and closeout defense.
“This game was all defense,” said Warrior Tevin “Cutty” Fournette, who made the game winning shot. “From the opening bell we focused on defense.”
“if y’all think I did it…just give me a lawyer, dawg, ‘cause this is not what’s up.” Warren Demesme said during police questioning. The Louisiana Supreme Court held that this reference was too ambiguous to count as a request for counsel. REASON Magazine, January 2018
Warriors Coach Rafael Cuevas added, “Nobody played a part that’s too small. Everybody got the win.”
The Warriors suited up a mix of veterans such as Allan McIntosh, Harry “ATL” Smith, Brad Shells, Tyrrell Price, Sr., Jason Jones and Fournette with new teammates Jessie “JD” Frazee, Khalil Dallas, Dontaye “Twin” Harris, Walter Cook, Isaiah Love, Dejon “Dago State” Joy and Jesse Blue.
San Quentin Warriors Basketball vs. Green Team
The sun shone down on the green-blue court as a camera crew taped the opening game for a documentary. Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant is the executive producer, along with Heist media’s Jordan DeBree and producer Rebekah Fergusson who made the “futbol” documentary Pelada, which is Brazilian slang for pickup games. Michael Tolajian is the director.
“While basketball is the main plot, this story will go way beyond the white lines,” Tolajian said. “Many consider inmates villains; this is a chance to show that people can change and become the hero. I’ve met with ATL, Ant (Ammons), (McIntosh) and Rafael and have come to see them as human beings, who have flaws like any of us. Then to see (McIntosh) with 25-to-life for a non-violent crime is heart wrenching.”
Prison Sports Ministry’s Green Team, which has a roster of more than 40 players, including former overseas pros and All-American college ballers, showed up with Dan Wohl. He played for Williams College, then pro in Israel.
Sponsor Patrick Lacey also had several former Claremont-McKenna teammates, including 2017 graduate Riley Hall, with him for the opening game.
“It’s awesome to be back; I hate it when the rain comes, and we have to take time off from coming into San Quentin,” Lacey said.
Warrior guard Love added, “You have people out there willing to give us their support – it gives you back your humanity. It’s more reinforcement to be accountable and stay out of trouble.”
In the first quarter, the Green Team took an early lead but the Warriors inserted 19-year-old Frazee from off the bench and gave his team a spark.
He immediately nailed a three pointer in the face of a defender, but it arrived a fraction of a second after time expired on the clock. The quarter ended with the Warriors down 15-11.
In the second quarter, Frazee made a three that counted and helped his team catch up. He ended the period with five points.
Warrior point guard Cook, at 5’4”, played big. He went to the rack strong and scored in the chest of a defender.
“I’ve been playing ball since I was knee high to a grasshopper, and I’m still knee high to a grasshopper,” he joked.
At halftime, Prison Sports Ministry’s Don Smith shared inspirational words about heeding the call of God.
“Often we hear things but don’t listen,” Smith said. “God can speak through earthquakes, wind storms and whispers; don’t miss what God has in store for you.”
McIntosh, who guaranteed the Warriors would win before the game, had only 4 points at the half.
“I said we would win; I never said I was going to do it on my own,” McIntosh said with a smile.
In the second half, “ATL” Smith and Harris’ back-to-back buckets put the Warriors ahead.
First “ATL” Smith made a reverse layup, followed by a basket by Harris, which put the Warriors up 32-31.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound “ATL” Smith added another two points with a “you can’t stop me little homie” move in the paint.
By the end of the third, the Warriors were up 48-39.
The Green Team charged back in the fourth.
With 3:30 remaining to play, Wohl fed Hall who tied the score at 56 with a layup.
The Green Team fouled Warrior Frazee, which sent him to the line. He hit both free throws, which gave the Warriors a 58-56 led.
Again Wohl connected with Hall for a hook shot and tied the score at 58.
Warrior Price, Sr. lost the ball to Lacey who fed Hall again.
Hall was fouled with 23 seconds left in the game. He made one free throw, to give the Green Team a 59-58 led.
Warrior Coach Cuevas went to his veterans to close the game out. McIntosh, Shells, Smith, Price, Sr. and Fournette played the final minutes.
“The bench played great; I can’t call the bench a bench anymore – everybody’s a starter,” McIntosh said.
Fournette, with Hall pressed on him, made a 10-foot jumper over the defender’s hand to put the Warriors up 60-59.
With 10 seconds left, Wohl dribbled the ball down court, determined to go coast-to-coast, but Smith cut the lane off, and Wohl lost control of the ball.
“It was a great game,” Lacey said. “I thought we had it. We needed one stop and Cutty (Fournette) made a great play.”
Wohl added, “This is like a highlight of my week; it combines so many things I love – I enjoy the competition and building relationships.”
Wohl led the Green Team with 19 points followed by Hall with 17. Lacey didn’t score any points, but he had 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. New Green Team point guard John Smith had 10 points and 3 assists.
Harry Smith led the Warriors with 14 points and 14 rebounds. McIntosh had 12 points, Fournette 7, and Frazee 8.
When the cameras came out, my team finally bought into what I was telling them to do all last year,” Cuevas said.
http://sanquentinnews.com/optionb-org-support-group-overcoming-effects-incarceration/
New volunteers to referee games but still face the same complaints
Veteran ref Robert Lee in 2017 advising the old referee crew Willie “Butch” Thompson and Ishmael Freelon
A new cast volunteered to take on one of the toughest jobs at San Quentin—refereeing basketball games.
“It’s challenging,” Antonio Manning, new ref and former SQ King, said about refereeing. “You have to deal with different attitudes and personalities.”
“if y’all think I did it…just give me a lawyer, dawg, ‘cause this is not what’s up.” Warren Demesme said during police questioning. The Louisiana Supreme Court held that this reference was too ambiguous to count as a request for counsel. REASON Magazine, January 2018
Veteran ref Robert Lee, 62, added, “It’s the hardest job on the yard. With every call, 50 people are going to hate it, and 50 people are going to like it.”
Complaints about the officiating at San Quentin have persisted for years. As the head ref, Aaron “Showtime” Taylor, is out to change that with a mostly new eight-man squad and new system.
Taylor’s system involves the refs rotating so one of them is always in the best position to see the action.
Despite the difficulty of being second-guessed and heckled, these men still want to be referees.
“After playing for five years as a King, I look at it as what more can I contribute?” Manning said. “As a ref, I can bring more control and add to the community here. Also, I see myself doing this out in the community as well.”
New ref Troy Smith added, “I don’t need to be a ref and didn’t want to, but I was asked so I agreed. I love sports, and I don’t internalize the calamity.”
Lee said, “I want to stay involved with the game I love but can’t play anymore. Also I want to stay connected to this community of inside and outside people like Bill Epling and Bob Myers.”
Epling sponsors Prison Sports Ministry, which brings members of the community into the prison for basketball games and ministry. This includes Myers, the general manager of the Golden State Warriors.
Three new refs got their first test on March 24. Manning, Anthony Thomas and Wayne “Tariq” Mobley coached the Kings season opener.
Throughout the game, the refs stayed professional as the complaints stacked up.
“We need Butch and Huggie back!” a King joked about wanting the old referees return.
“All three out of bounds calls were wrong,” Trailblazer Steve Lamb said.
“You got to be kidding me, yo!” Trailblazer Geoffrey “Free” Gary yelled after, while he was shooting, a King made contact, and there was no call.
The referees mistakenly sent a King to the free-throw line. After a ref timeout, Oris “Pep” Williams took the ball and went to the free-throw line. The refs believed he was owed two free throws and allowed him to shoot them. Williams said he missed both on purpose.
Lee said, “They’re new. Give them a chance.”
https://sanquentinnews.com/optionb-org-support-group-overcoming-effects-incarceration/
Good luck follows SQ visit
Visiting San Quentin State Prison may be good luck for a professional sports team that wants to win a championship.
The San Francisco Deltas soccer team became the third sports organization to experience the magic.
SF Deltas
On Oct. 24, SF Delta team members mingled with the prison population of San Quentin right on the brink of their playoffs.
Among the visiting Deltas was Devon Sandoval who, on Sept. 20, scored two goals in 10 minutes to bring the Deltas back against the New York Cosmos for a tie, according to a San Francisco Gate article.
On Nov. 16, the Deltas went on to defeat the Cosmos 2-0 in the final game of the playoffs.
The win earned the Deltas, a brand-new team with no star players, its first championship.
The consecutive phenomenon of professional teams winning championships after visiting San Quentin first started in 2015.
The Golden State Warriors experienced the magic when, on June 6, 2015, the day before game two of the finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, General Manager Bob Myers and Assistant GM Kirk Lacob played basketball at San Quentin.
Their visit was not the annual community basketball game Golden State plays every year at San Quentin. The two NBA executives played for the Prison Sport Ministry’s “Green Team” that comes into the prison for fellowship through basketball.
Myers scored 26 with 23 rebounds in their 85-79 victory over the SQ Warriors; while Golden State went on to win the 2015 NBA Championship.
In 2016, Lacob visited San Quentin after game two of the Western Conference finals with Golden State tied 1-1 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Golden State went on to fall behind two games, then recover from the semi-finals 3-1 deficit by winning three straight games.
“A Tennessee man ended up in cuffs after he ditched his date, stole her car, and used it to take another woman on a date.” The Week August 3, 2018
However, the Cavaliers topped Lacob’s Western-Conference playoff visit. The Cavalier coaching staff, including former NBA players Tyron Lue, Chancy Billups, James Posey and Rod Strickland, toured San Quentin the night before game seven of the NBA finals.
The next day, the Cavaliers capped off a comeback from 3-1 game deficit to win the first NBA championship of Cleveland’s history.
Could even a plan to visit San Quentin lead to good luck in the championships?
In 2017, neither Lacob nor Myers played basketball at San Quentin during the finals, but that may have been because Golden State beat Cleveland in six games. On June 17, Lacob returned as the 2017 NBA Champion.
“Living free, after police arrested a totally naked man in a ‘yoga-like pose” at a Planet Fitness gym in New Hampshire.” The man claimed he believed the gym’s slogan that it’s a “judgment Free Zone.” The Week August 3, 2018
“The key to winning an NBA championship is to come to San Quentin,” San Quentin Warrior Anthony Ammons said back in 2016.
That statement now applies to soccer for the SF Delta NASL champions, who started visiting San Quentin on June 27.
On that first appearance, CEO Brian Andres Helmick, Director of Operations Todd Dunivant, coach Marc Dos Santos, assistant coach Andrea DiPietrantonio, goalie coach Chris Brown and active players Cristian Portilla and Tyler Gibson for the San Francisco Deltas greeted the San Quentin OG and Youngster squads.
Dunivant, a retired five-time Major League Soccer champion with the San Jose Earthquakes and Los Angeles Galaxy, took the field on the side of the older incarcerated soccer players. The Delta coaches coached the opposing incarcerated teams. The active players provided moral support.
All involved had a great experience. The Deltas returned to San Quentin four times and were greeted each time by the smiling faces of incarcerated soccer enthusiasts.
The San Quentin population looks forward to seeing the Deltas return next year as champions, but the future is unsure.
Averaging just 2,600 soccer fans attending per game, the Deltas struggle to attract enough people to Kezar Stadium to sustain the business model, according to an article by Douglas Zimmerman called “San Francisco Deltas soccer team could win a championship, fold soon.”
We can only hope the parole board lets some of the Delta’s incarcerated fans go free before next season.
Eddie Herena contributed to this story
Addressing social justice inequalities
The roundtable panel taking questions from the audience in the Protestant Chapel
A roundtable centering on social justice inequalities in America took place Dec. 12 between two unlikely groups at the most unlikely place.
Earl Smith, San Francisco 49ers pastor, led a team of Bay Area sports personalities into San Quentin State Prison for a discussion with an audience of about 100 people, including inmates, community volunteers and prison staffers.
A major topic — the challenges athletes face when speaking publicly about mass incarceration and racism.
To protest the treatment of Blacks in America, 49er safety Eric Reid took a knee during the national anthem, along with ex-49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He didn’t want Kaepernick’s message to be misunderstood.
“Pastor Earl said kneeling is OK,” Reid noted.
Reid continued that his mother and cousins, who served in the U.S. military, do not feel disrespected by his peaceful protest.
Van Jones listening to Branden Terrell ask a question of the panel
The Arnulfo T. Garcia Sports and Social Justice Roundtable was moderated by Van Jones, a CNN political commentator and author of Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together, (2017).
Jones founded #Cut50 in 2015, an organization aimed at reducing the U.S. prison population in half by 2050.
The event featured members of the Golden State Warriors (GSW) and 49ers organizations. Both 49er players and president and owner Tony York came along with sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards. Football Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott and Charles Hailey also attended.
(127)SQRoundTable_12Dec’17_herena
The panel consisted of GSW GM Bob Myers; 49ers Reid, Robbie Gould and Louis Murphy; activist Pamela Black; and incarcerated men Aaron “Showtime” Taylor, Gus “Lumumba” Edwards and San Quentin News staffer Rahsaan Thomas.
Edwards founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights, which led to the Black Power Salute protest by two African American athletes during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics’ award ceremony.
He opened the roundtable, talking about the huge platform today’s athletes have, and said the “urgency of now” calls for addressing current social injustices, similar to the Civil War, women’s suffrage, anti-war movements and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
“We came out of each of these better people,” Edwards said.
Edwards called for free people to go inside prisons and talk to incarcerated people about the impact of mass incarceration.
“There is a need to constantly keep in touch with the community,” Edwards said. “There need to be clinics to talk to the young people. We must maintain contact with the community.”
Since 2012, Myers has been bringing members of his staff into San Quentin to play basketball.
People don’t understand why he comes inside a prison.
“I tell them that the people I interact with are all good people,” Myers said about the inmates he plays ball with, adding it has been a chance for him to open his eyes. “Each time I come here, I leave more educated.”
Thomas told the athletes, “Coming in here shows that somebody cares — somebody’s shaking it up. We have a little of that kind of power at San Quentin News, but you guys have a mega-horn.”
Pamela Black and Hall of Famer Charles Haley talking before the eventPamela Black and Hall of Famer Charles Haley talking before the event
The Challenges of Race Relations
“I didn’t have to deal with a community where somebody got shot,” said Myers. “Nobody in my community went to prison. I always ask myself, ‘If one of these guys grew up where I did, would they be running the Warriors?’”
Myers spoke candidly: “I have no idea what it’s like to be a Black man,” or how it felt being Black, taking an elevator with White people and then getting strange looks or what it’s like to be stopped by the police, based on skin color.
“If that happened to me 10 years ago, I’d still be pissed off,” Myers said.
Myers talked about race relations at San Quentin:
“The White guys are still sitting with the White guys, and the Black guys are sitting with the Black guys. Why is that?”
Myers told a story about being 18 years old and in a college locker room:
“I saw Black guys putting lotion on their legs. I’d never seen that, so I asked them what they were doing. They told me they didn’t want to be ashy. I didn’t know what being ashy was. Then I asked one of my Black friends if he wants to use my razor. He told me that he couldn’t use a razor because it would give him bumps. I don’t have a clue about being Black.”
He challenged Blacks and Whites to interact better and closer:
“It’s about unity. We have to walk past each other on the streets and see each other like seeing a friend.”
Murphy said he respects White players who support social issues particular to Black people.
“We need to continue to meet people like Bob Myers, who walk across the bridge. If the roles were reversed, I question myself, ‘Would I do the same thing as Bob Myers?’”
Murphy said although there’s more work to do to end racism and stereotypes, “We’re headed in the right direction.”
Taylor challenged the audience to rely upon themselves and not on the government to bring unity.
“When we have this conversation, we need to be honest,” Taylor said, emphasizing that Black people cannot have a conversation about race while pointing an accusatory finger at the other person.
“We need to look at each other without judgment,” Taylor said. “We need to look at people without assuming things about each other,” adding, “Either we going to be Americans, or we can keep up the tribalism.”
—Rahsaan Thomas contributed to this story
https://sanquentinnews.com/remembering-great-brother-father-son-friend/
San Quentin Warriors victory over Golden State
The Golden State (GS) Warriors are national champions, but after their sixth annual road game behind the walls of San Quentin State Prison. They lost 103-102 despite Bob Myers’ 32 points and 31 rebounds performance. The “home team” celebrated the victory by poses with the 2017 NBA Championship trophy.
“They earned the win; they out-played us,” said Myers, the NBA Executive of the Year, for the second time. “It was very fun … Everyone was great except the dude who guarded me today.”
Even before the arrival of the GS team, 31-year-old Cornell “The Fatality” Shields looked determined. While he prepared to play against NBA royalty for the first time, a funeral home in Oakland prepared Brenda Jackson, his mother who was 52 years old, for burial. Dubbed “The Fatality” for what he does on the basketball court, he planned to win and dedicate the win to his mother.
“She made me focus — her, my wife and my son,” Shields said.
Meanwhile, at the entry to the prison, ABC Sports Commentator Larry Beil was the first to walk through the gates. Seconds later, Myers, general manager of the Golden State Warriors, led his team of GS coaches and staff, including Assistant GM Kirk Lacob and GM of the Santa Cruz D-League Warriors Kent Lacob; scout Khalid Robinson, and Player Development Coach Luke Loucks, among others. Myers carried the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Warrior tryouts Antonius “AC” Cleveland from Missouri State and Georges Niang from Iowa State came for moral support and to experience San Quentin.
Golden State Center Javale McGee entered the prison last. Myers passed the trophy to McGee, who carried it down to the San Quentin Lower Yard.
“They asked if I wanted to go to San Quentin, and I said yes,” McGee said, as if carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy into a prison happened everyday.
Harry “ATL” Smith jamming on a fast break
More than a dozen incarcerated fans surrounded the Golden State squad as they headed for San Quentin’s green-blue outdoor basketball court.
Key players were noticeably missing from both teams. GS assistant coach and former 76er Willie Green, who scored 18 in last year’s game, went to represent Golden State at a hurricane pet rescue event. Chris DeMarco, who averages 20 points per game at Quentin, stayed out due to an injury. The SQ squad also played without starter Tevin Fournette (injured) and Anthony “Half Man, Half Amazing” Ammons (out to court).
“Tevin and Ant are very key players,” Allan McIntosh, SQ’s leading scorer, said. “Without them, we knew it was gonna be a struggle and that we needed to play as a unit.”
A huge banner — “SQ Dub Luv, Congratulations Warriors NBA 2017 Champions” — created by Bruce Fowler hung on the fence behind the guest bench.
“The whole idea is for SQ sports to show thanks to the organization for all the work they’ve done for us,” said James Benson, who organized the making of the banner. “We donated it to Golden State so they could have people bid on it and donate the money to Irma relief.”
After intros, Prison Sports Ministry’s Bill Epling, whose web of connections helped make the annual games happen, opened with a prayer for the hurricane victims.
Then the game started with the opening tip going to SQ’s McIntosh who, like all his teammates, wore real NBA Warriors jerseys donated by their namesakes across the Bay.
Myers, who wore a Prison Sports Ministry’s plain green jersey, started off with two turnovers against SQ’s rotating trap defense, implemented by first-year coach and former point guard Rafael Cuevas. First Myers lost the ball to Jason Jones and got blocked by Brad Shells, who also scored SQ’s first basket and went on to drop 12 with nine rebounds and four blocks.
Robinson answered for GS as Beil joined SQ play-by-play announcers Aaron “Showtime” Taylor and Damon L. Cooke.
As SQ’s leading scorer Allan McIntosh spun inside for a layup on Kirk, the referee blew his duck whistle. Kirk threw up his hands and shook his head at the call.
“Kirk ain’t foul,” Taylor joked. “I’ve seen prison fights harder than that.”
Beil responded with a laugh: “I thought we were playing by prison rules!”
SQ continued to play great defense but failed to convert. They ended up behind 23-13. Then Shields stepped up, going hard to the rack and scoring 4 unanswered points.
By the end of the first quarter, GS held a 25-21 lead, scored mostly by Robinson, who scored 10 to Shields’ 7 in the quarter.
MaGee joined in the play-by-play antics in Beil’s place just in time for a front row seat as SQ’s Phillippe Kelly performed a rap he wrote that morning about San Quentin’s team beating Golden State. Incarcerated people watched Kelly’s rap on ABC the next day from their cells.
The lead went back and forth until tied at 48 by halftime.
Santa Cruz Warriors GM Kent Lacob making a lay-upas
The SQ squad huddled around Coach Cuevas, and he told them, “Keep running them. We’re gonna win.”
Then fans and players alike circled around half-court SQ’s Brian Asey, who introduced Myers.
The Golden State GM, who went to UCLA, gave a brief speech about how years ago, coming from a place of privilege, he was a little scared to enter a prison, but he had misjudged.
“If a lot of you guys had a chance, you’d be the GM of the Warriors,” Myers said. “I’ve never been better than anybody, and I’ve never been worse than anybody.”
As the second half started, McGee went to play chess, and Beil retook the guest play-by-play announcer seat.
McGee, checkmated twice, went to try his hand at dominos. He won the first game then lost three straight.
“This was a new experience, I got a chance to play someone of his caliber and manhandled him,” joked Tofa Sekona, who played McGee in chess. “I got autographs to share with my children. This truly helps us psychologically.”
Andre “NBA” Belion, David Lee and SQ Warriors coach Rafael Cuevas
GS General Counsel David “Cap D” Kelly performed a half-time rap called “No Doubt.”
In the third quarter, SQ fell behind 61-52 but charged back. Shells blocked Myers and Harry “ATL” Smith scored five points straight from the line and the field, narrowing the gap, 61-57.
“And he’s wearing number 7,” Beil commentated.
Then came SQ Andre “NBA” Belion. He nailed a three-pointer and yelled, “Ahhhhhh.”
On the next unanswered possession Belion hit a floater, giving SQ the lead back at 62-61.
In the fourth quarter, Smith gave SQ a three point lead with a break-away dunk and six minutes left.
Guard Joshua Burton followed with a three-pointer. The game came down to the final seconds and a ref’s call.
Smith made two free throws to put SQ up 101-96 with 40 seconds left.
Robinson answered with a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 101-99.
Then Robinson ended up with the ball again after a SQ turnover. He launched a three from the right-hand corner that missed, but the ref called a foul on Shields.
“He bumped him on the way by as the shooter came down, knocking him to the ground,” said ref Ishmael Freelon.
Robinson nailed all three free throws, which added up to his 28 point and put GS up 102-101 with 15 seconds.
The ball went to Shields who went strong to the rack and scored, putting SQ up 103-102 but leaving 7sevenseconds for GS to responded.
Myers tried to spin away from a defender, but he turned right toward Shields who wrapped his arms around the ball and tried to wrestle it from Myers as time ran out.
The crowd ignited.
Kirk Lacob said, “We had it. They made a great play. That dude (Shields) was MVP.”
Shields, who scored 19 points with 9 rebounds, said, “It was liberating. It was a lot of fun because we played all around team ball — we were a unit.”
Then, with a sad smile on his face, he dedicated the win to his mother.
McGee said, “This was dope, I don’t know what I will take away from this event. I’m not a psychic, but I know it will be positive.”
Golden State try-outs Georges Niang, Antonius Cleveland with Kirk Lacob
Cuevas said, “I don’t think there is a guy we can take out of the equation and still get that win. I can’t think of a player who didn’t have a big play. I think we won as a team.”
Public Information Officer Lt. Sam Robinson noted, “They (SQ) had a good strategy — rotating all those bodies.”
After the game, Kent Lacob told Smith, “The Phenom,” he could try out for the Santa Cruz Warriors when he paroles next March.
“All glory to God,” Smith, who scored 20 points with 15 rebounds, said. “All the trials and tribulations we went through during the season paid off.”
Beil said, “This is no different from any game out in the neighborhood.”
There was one difference: The SQ squad held Golden State’s 2017 NBA Championship Larry O’Brien Trophy while they celebrated and posed for ESPN, Life of the Law, SQ News, The Athletic, San Francisco Chronicle and ABC photographers.
—Marcus Henderson contributed to this story.