Tag: The Basketball League

After wrapping up a 24-hour shift as a …

After wrapping up a 24-hour shift as a firefighter in Toledo, Ohio, this past weekend, Myles Copeland went to New York to suit up for his other job, a player for Toledo Glass City of The Basketball League, for a playoff game against the Jamestown Jackals. But his two worlds collided near the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s game when a referee, John Sculli, passed out on the court and became unresponsive. It happened across from Toledo’s bench, and instantly, Copeland sprang into action. He checked Sculli’s vitals, but didn’t feel a pulse or see him breathing, so Copeland began administering CPR until paramedics arrived.

“It was kind of instinctual. It …

“It was kind of instinctual. It surprised me how quick I was able to switch into that mode, especially being in a basketball game,” Copeland said during a phone interview with ESPN on Wednesday. “But with being a firefighter, when you’re off the job, you’re really not off the job. You still got to keep an eye out for the community and what’s going on around you.”

Former Rockets Steve Francis, Moochie Norris launching minor league hoops team in Houston

Steve Francis and Moochie Norris, who played for the Rockets in the early 2000s, are now leading The Basketball League’s Houston Push.

Former Rockets star Steve Francis is now owner of the Houston Push, a new minor league hoops organization within The Basketball League. The team’s debut season will begin on April 8, 2021.

The Push will be led by Moochie Norris as GM and head coach. Norris played alongside Francis with the Rockets in the early 2000s.

“This is something that we started from the ground up, and we want to see it progress,” said Francis, who noted that he wants to leave a legacy in Houston. “A lot of players don’t get an opportunity to play now, especially with overseas basketball being jammed up [due to COVID-19].”

The league is currently scheduled to have 35 teams, with the Push competing in the Southwest Division of the Central Conference.

“It’s an opportunity for guys to pursue their pro careers, because unfortunately there’s not enough opportunities out there for them, and this league is a great vehicle to give them an opportunity to grow and get involved with the community,” Norris said.

Tryouts for the Push will take place Saturday, Jan. 23 in Houston, with other events scheduled for the weeks ahead in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Further tryout details are available here.

[lawrence-related id=28418]