A unique basketball league has been launched at San Quentin by the inmate behind The Show, the popular magazine that appears weekly on cell block walls.
The Champion Basketball League, organized by Aaron “Iman Harun” Taylor, includes a draft, unusual rules, all 38 and older players, under 38-year-old coaches, multi-racial teams and takes place in the gym.
Taylor debuted the league with a draft on June 22. Coaches picked from a list of available players, all over 38, during six rounds. The draft was held to “keep all the teams balanced,” Taylor explained.
The younger guys chose team names such as “Death Row,” “Fully Loaded,” “The Assassins,” “Game Time” and “Most Hated.”
Known as the CBL, it has unusual rules such as all or nothing free-throws. That means only one free throw is awarded, but it scores one, two or three points – depending on the type of foul. Free throw baskets count as one for a foul inside the arc and as two for fouls behind the threepoint line. Technical fouls are worth three points.
“The CBL rules are great, except for three points for one technical foul shot,” stated player Oris “Pep” Williams. However, “The three-point tech rule is here to stay. It will keep teams from catching techs in the fi rst places,” Taylor insisted.
The four-on-four half-court games began July 6 in the gym and approximately 200 inmates showed up to watch. The first match-up was between “Death Row” and “Fully Loaded,” which The Row won, 19-9
This league is running first as a pilot program for the older guys and is scheduled to last nine weeks, including the championship. Taylor said he hopes to start another league for younger players. It’s a “great opportunity for older guys to relive their glory days. My teammates are the best,” added La Cooke of The Assassins.
Games take place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, with six different teams playing three separate games. “If it goes well, it will be opened up to all ages,” said Taylor.
Coaches and players say they love the CBL. “I really, really, like it. Whole lot of excitement,” said Robert Lee. “Awesome League,” said Demond “Oola” Lewis of Fully Loaded.
The CBL promotes unity. The younger basketball players are the coaches of the veteran teams. All races play together on mixed teams. “The CBL is a good thing for morale and great use of the gym,” said player Tone Evans.
Taylor received a laudatory chrono, commending him for his sports programs from 2008- 2011 at Centinela Prison. The captain who issued the chrono credited his CBL for a reduction in violence there, according to Taylor. It was “created to combat constant violence,” he said.
Taylor also started The Show magazine at Centinela, in which he used his comic nature to highlight amazingly good or bad plays that happen on the court. He is now producing The Show at San Quentin.
Taylor covers the games and prints all the stats in his magazine, which inmates call the best-known secret in San Quentin. Currently, The Show is distributed by pasting a copy on the walls in the various prison sections and cell blocks. Only Lt. S. Robinson and whoever was interviewed gets a precious copy. Taylor’s goal is to get enough printed to give one to every cell in San Quentin. “They could cheer up Death Row guys with its comedy nature,” said Taylor.
In the meantime, you can “bet all amazingly good or bad plays that happen in the CBL will be mentioned in The Show,” said Taylor.
–Rahsaan Thomas