Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Tim Thomas to Launch ‘Paterson NBA’ to Keep Kids Off The Streets
Tim Thomas, the most successful basketball player ever to emerge from Paterson, N.J., plans to give back to the “Silk City” by launching the “Paterson NBA” Pro-Am this summer.
The league is working in partnership with the “Guns Down, Life Up” organization and with Ballers Convention, which promotes the slogan, “Shoot Basketballs, Not People.”
The league will have 12 teams, including two comprised of local high school players, and will run on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from June 12-September 15 at Paterson Kennedy and Paterson Eastside High Schools. Fans can attend games for free.
Thomas and current NBA players Tyshawn Taylor and Kenneth Faried are among those on the rosters.
“This is mainly for our city,” Thomas, the 36-year-old former Paterson (N.J.) Catholic star who played for numerous NBA teams, including the Knicks, 76ers and Bulls, told SNY.tv.
“We’re not concerned with media coverage. We’re just trying to do this for our city and save our youth. There’s a lot of crime and murders.”
Thomas said the league wanted to promote a “generational” feeling in which high school players could compete against current college and NBA players, as well some of the legends of Paterson like Thomas and James Hargrove.
“We’re just trying to to bring awareness to the youth to put these guns down and keep them out of our system so they can be successful at something in their life besides getting caught up in the streets,” Thomas said.
Two 12-man high school teams will compete in the league and will feature six players each from Kennedy and Eastside and four apiece from Passaic and Passaic Tech.
Thomas said it was also possible that various college players from Paterson such as Myles Mack of Rutgers and Fuquan Edwin of Seton Hall could also compete in their spare time.
“If they’re in town I would love for them to come and play a game or two,” Thomas said.
“That way the younger kids and the high school kids can have an opportunity to see them and play against them,” Thomas said.
For more information, hit the Website here.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Tim Thomas, the most successful basketball player ever to emerge from Paterson, N.J., plans to give back to the “Silk City” by launching the “Paterson NBA” Pro-Am this summer.
The league is working in partnership with the “Guns Down, Life Up” organization and with Ballers Convention, which promotes the slogan, “Shoot Basketballs, Not People.”
The league will have 12 teams, including two comprised of local high school players, and will run on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from June 12-September 15 at Paterson Kennedy and Paterson Eastside High Schools. Fans can attend games for free.
Thomas and current NBA players Tyshawn Taylor and Kenneth Faried are among those on the rosters.
“This is mainly for our city,” Thomas, the 36-year-old former Paterson (N.J.) Catholic star who played for numerous NBA teams, including the Knicks, 76ers and Bulls, told SNY.tv.
“We’re not concerned with media coverage. We’re just trying to do this for our city and save our youth. There’s a lot of crime and murders.”
Thomas said the league wanted to promote a “generational” feeling in which high school players could compete against current college and NBA players, as well some of the legends of Paterson like Thomas and James Hargrove.
“We’re just trying to to bring awareness to the youth to put these guns down and keep them out of our system so they can be successful at something in their life besides getting caught up in the streets,” Thomas said.
Two 12-man high school teams will compete in the league and will feature six players each from Kennedy and Eastside and four apiece from Passaic and Passaic Tech.
Thomas said it was also possible that various college players from Paterson such as Myles Mack of Rutgers and Fuquan Edwin of Seton Hall could also compete in their spare time.
“If they’re in town I would love for them to come and play a game or two,” Thomas said.
“That way the younger kids and the high school kids can have an opportunity to see them and play against them,” Thomas said.
For more information, hit the Website here.
