High School Basketball

Hall of Fame guard Ray Allen has reportedly been hired as the head coach of the boys basketball team at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted Friday that Allen was listed in the school directory.

Congratulations to Ray Allen on his head coaching position at Gulliver Prep. pic.twitter.com/XYIk7Ssyur

— Mia High School Bask (@miamidadebb) August 20, 2021

Allen starred at Hillcrest High School in South Carolina and UConn before being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1996 draft. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat during an 18-year NBA career that ended in 2014.

The 46-year-old California native was one of the most decorated guards of his generation, earning 10 All-Star selections and winning NBA titles with the Celtics in 2008 and the Heat in 2013.

His clutch three in the final seconds of Game 6 in the 2013 Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, which tied the game before Miami won in overtime and subsequently captured Game 7 to complete the title run, is one of the most memorable shots in Finals history.

Allen still holds the all-time NBA records for three-pointers attempted with 7,429 and three-pointers made with 2,973, though Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (2,832) is on pace to surpass that mark next season.

In July, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist suffered injuries in a bicycle accident and said his helmet "saved me from a far worse fate":

Ray Allen’s post about his bike accident & a reminder to wear a helmet. pic.twitter.com/cnTE76EA5f

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 19, 2021

Meanwhile, Allen explained to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy in 2014 he didn't want to make a transition directly from playing to coaching. The father of four young boys left the door open for taking up residence on the sideline in the future, saying he felt like a coach during the latter stages of his playing career:

I like trying to get people to realize their full potential and getting people to be better and motivating people to be better than what they were. I'm a coach already. I think if you look at the guys around this [Heat] locker room there are so many guys that come from so many walks of life, so many college programs and so many different mindsets when it comes to the game, you could see that each one of these guys can be a coach in the locker room. And that's what makes this team pretty good, because the IQ is pretty high. We also have kids and most of our kids play and you coach them.

Gulliver Prep sought a new boys basketball coach after Gary DeCesare left the school in May to accept the same position at De La Salle Institute in Chicago.

The Raiders are scheduled to open the 2021-22 season Nov. 30 against Sports Leadership and Management.

Two former girls high school basketball coaches have been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty following the death of 16-year-old Imani Bell, who suffered heatstroke as she and the rest of her Elite Scholars Academy (Clayton County, Georgia) team members participated in outdoor conditioning drills in nearly 100-degree temperatures.

Leon Stafford of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the grand jury indictment, which also includes involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct charges, against head coach Larosa Walker-Asekere and assistant coach Dwight Palmer.

The coaches were overseeing the team as they performed the drills on Aug. 13, 2019, per the Associated Press.

Stafford provided more details on the conditioning drills the team was performing as described in the autopsy report:

The players were told to run up a hill, perform jumping jacks and then come back down the hill. Imani lagged, at which time the coaches were 'encouraging her and providing her water,' the report says. The players ran a quarter-mile lap around the track and then were instructed to run a set of stairs.

Bell did a fast-paced walk on the track lap before attempting to climb the stairs.

“A coach was with her, encouraged her and may have physically assisted her up the stairs. As Miss Bell neared the top ... [she] leaned into the rail and then went limp," per the report.

Bell collapsed in high-90s temperatures while the area was under a heat advisory. According to Stafford, the heat index got up to 106 degrees.

A lawsuit against school administrators filed by her family cited a Georgia High School Association rule that prohibits outdoor practices in weather conditions similar to those on the day the team was doing conditioning.

Per the rule, coaches must measure the outdoor temperature via a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reading (WBGT). Any reading above 92 degrees means that any outdoor practices must be banned. The lawsuit states the coaches never "properly measured the temperature in advance."

Per Stafford, the school district's own policy bans outdoor practices when the heat index is above 95 degrees.

Per the AP, the lawsuit says Bell died of heat-related cardiac arrest and kidney failure.

Bronny James had three opportunities to defend his father's high school court Saturday on Day 2 of The Battle: Summer Showcase in Akron, Ohio's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

Games are played at LeBron James Arena—where the Los Angeles Lakers star became a nationally recognized star in high school—with Bronny's Strive For Greatness U17 AAU team slated for three games Saturday.

In one of those contests, an overtime battle against Wildcat Select, James went off for 16 points with four three-pointers, while Virginia Cavaliers commit Isaac McKneely led the way with 20 points.

Part 2! 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/Sp66L7h2dt

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 4, 2021

SFG and Wildcat Select put on an OT thriller 😤

Virginia-commit Isaac McKneely scored a game-high 20 points to lead Wildcat Select over SFG 7️⃣3️⃣-6️⃣9️⃣ @IsaacMcKneely @TheBattleUS @TreWhite19 https://t.co/sFS6sk0Ev5

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) July 4, 2021

Bronny & @TeamSFG_EYBL brought the 🔥 to #thecookout vs C2K! 🥵 @TheBattleUS @JasonMorrow270 pic.twitter.com/GMIYmUoaIg

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 3, 2021

The 16-year-old James still has some time before he has to decide between playing college ball, going pro overseas or potentially joining the NBA G League, but it's clear he can already pack a gym.

Of course, it certainly helps when that gym has his family name on it.

Bronny James and the Strive for Greatness 17U team played Midwest Basketball Club on Day 1 of The Battle: Summer Showcase in Akron, Ohio's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School on Friday.

Justin Brantley, who works as a national recruiting director/analyst for SUVtv and called the game, broke down some more details:

What a GAME! @MidwestBBClub beats Strive for Greatness 99-97 behind a game high 26 from @CuppsGabe Trey White led Strive For Greatness with 23!

Catch the action of @TheBattleUS Summer Showcase all weekend on @SUVtv

— Justin Brantley 🎈 (@JustinWBrantley) July 3, 2021

Midwest Basketball Club led 53-39 at the half before hanging on for the two-point win.

Some highlights can be found below via SLAM:

Bronny James 🆚 Gabe Cupps lived up to the hype! 🍿 Midwest made it rain from deep & took home the W! 💦 @TheBattleUS @TeamSFG_EYBL @MidwestBBClub pic.twitter.com/n2CIhdiAiB

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 3, 2021

Before the game, James warmed up with his father, four-time NBA MVP and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

At St. Vincent-St. Mary’s LeBron James Arena for The Battle AAU showcase. Bronny James warming up with his father before “Strive For Greatness” tips at 7:30 pic.twitter.com/7oHVzW8jDn

— Baillie Burmaster (@baillie_burm) July 2, 2021

🎥Bron getting Bronny ready for Strive For Greatness vs. Midwest Basketball Club at The Battle Summer Showcase

🚨@MidwestBBClub 16 SFG 11 with 3min left in 1Q

📺Watch Live: https://t.co/beGmNMGXJQ@TheBattleUS @TWoodieSUV @JustinWBrantley @RP3natural @coachwilford #SUVtv pic.twitter.com/ECyBGp6pyt

— SUVtv (@SUVtv) July 2, 2021

He also put on a show in the dunk line.

Bronny James at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School tonight for The Battle showcase. pic.twitter.com/PUYI1QI9QO

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) July 3, 2021

The event took place at the elder James' alma mater, where he played before the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him first overall in the 2003 NBA draft.

The showcase is a three-day high school boys basketball event that features some Division I recruits, per George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon-Journal. They include Ohio State commit Bowen Hardman and Gabe Cupps, who has also been offered a scholarship by OSU.

As Brantley noted, Cupps led all scorers with 26 points for Midwest Basketball Club during the Friday night finale.

The Strive for Greatness 17U team will play Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET against C2K Elite Basketball and Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. All-Ohio Red.

Bryce James, Bronny's younger brother, is also taking part in the event with the Strive for Greatness 15U team. Per Ballislife.com, they won in blowout fashion over NEO Basketball on Friday.

The Coronado High School basketball team in San Diego had its division regional championship vacated Wednesday by the California Interscholastic Federation. The move stems from a June 19 game against Escondido's Orange Glen High School when at least two Coronado players threw tortillas toward the predominantly Latino team.

Coronado has been placed on probation through the 2023-24 school year and will not be allowed to host any sectional, regional or state playoff basketball games through 2022-23. The school will not be allowed to participate in any postseason sports until the completion of a sportsmanship workshop and game management training, the CIF announced.

"While consequences are warranted for such an egregious action as throwing tortillas at a predominantly Latino team and the sanctions below are being levied on the athletic program at Coronado High School, we must all be aware that behavior does not normally change with sanctions alone," a CIF statement read. "The path towards real change comes with the development of empathy for those who are on the receiving end of this type of degrading and demeaning behavior, no matter the proffered intent of that behavior."

The workshop, which includes racial sensitivity training, is required for all Coronado administrators, athletic directors and student-athletes.

Kristen Taketa of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported witnesses saw Coronado head basketball coach JD Laaperi cursing at an Orange Glen coach following the game at the start of the incident.

"That's why you don't talk (expletive)," Laaperi allegedly said. "Get your kids and get the (expletive) out of here."

Video footage showed players throwing tortillas shortly after.

The Coronado Unified School Board unanimously voted to fire Laaperi last week. The CIF "strongly encouraged" Coronado to work with Orange Glen to create a positive relationship, suggesting a restorative justice approach including community service projects the two could collaborate on.

"We are currently reviewing the decision and will evaluate a possible appeal," the Coronado Unified School District said in a statement released after CIF's decision. "We have also retained an outside investigator to thoroughly review the incident, which will guide any additional corrective actions. Whatever actions we take to address this matter, this incident and the CIF decision have served as clear reminders of the importance of sportsmanship and respectful conduct toward one another."

One of Bronny James' next basketball games will take place on the same court where his father became a national star as a teenager.

LeBron James' alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, will serve as the host for The Battle Basketball Showcase AAU tournament featuring Bronny James' Strive for Greatness team founded by his father, according to George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. The event will be held at what's now known as LeBron James Arena—where the NBA star guided teams to three state titles. 

The tournament is organized by Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter Danny Green—who played with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers—and will feature a number of highly touted college recruits including Bowen Hardman, Gabe Cupps and Josiah Harris, per Thomas.

It's unknown if LeBron James will return to his namesake arena for the event. 

The Coronado (California) Unified School Board voted unanimously to fire boy's basketball coach JD Laaperi after allegations that at least two of his players threw tortillas in the direction of the Orange Glen High team after a Saturday game, according to Kristen Taketa of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Per Taketa:

"According to witnesses, Coronado head basketball coach JD Laaperi allegedly cursed at an Orange Glen coach after the game, saying, 'That's why you don't talk (expletive). Get your kids and get the (expletive) out of here.'

"That's when, according to video footage circulated on social media, at least two Coronado players flung tortillas into the air toward the Orange Glen team."

Because Orange Glen High is largely Latino, many organizations—including Gente Unida, the People's Association of Justice Advocates, Latino American Political Association, Chicano Federation, La Raza Lawyers, North County Equity and Justice Coalition, NAACP San Diego, CAIR-San Diego, and the League of United Latin American Citizens—have viewed the tortilla throwing as racist in nature. 

The Coronado Unified School District, Escondido Union High School District, Coronado police and the California Interscholastic Federation are all investigating. Both teams are under investigation.

On Saturday, Laaperi tweeted that he did not condone the actions of those who threw the tortillas and called it an act of racism:

https://twitter.com/jdlaaperi/status/1406470622113275909

The captain of the Coronado boy's basketball team, Wayne McKinney, said he did not believe the action was meant to be racist, though he did note that it was an unsportsmanlike gesture and said he apologized to Orange Glen High, per Taketa.

"It was not based on race or class; it was simply a great game between two teams," he said. "I think many people are making Saturday out to be something it was not."

But Coronado Board Trustee Whitney Antrim offered a different perspective.

"Even if they were not intended as racist, we cannot ignore that our guests, these children who played their hearts out for a championship, felt attacked because they were Hispanic," she said.

Coronado High School boys basketball fans threw tortillas at players from Escondido, California's Orange Glen High School, which serves a predominantly Latino and Hispanic population, following their team's win in the CIF Southern California Boys Basketball Division 4-A Regional Championship last Saturday.

A video of the aftermath of the Coronado Orange Glen championship game clearly shows that players were among the folks who threw tortillas at the Orange Glen players and staff. I’m beyond disappointed. pic.twitter.com/RCIIfEgv4r

— Aaron Burgin (@FullTimeHoops1) June 20, 2021

Coronado Unified School District Superintendent Karl Mueller issued a statement after the game, calling the incident "reprehensible."

BREAKING: Coronado Unified School District Superintendent Karl Mueller issues statement on the aftermath of the Coronado Orange Glen championship game. pic.twitter.com/vIFk6z1caz

— Aaron Burgin (@FullTimeHoops1) June 20, 2021

The CIF has also started its own review:

CIF State office has issued a statement regarding the incident at the end of the Regional final boys basketball game between Orange Glen and Coronado. @SGVNSports @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/TGNJAyPSdW

— James Escarcega 📈🏈🏀⚾️🥎 🤼🤽🏽‍♂️🏊🏼‍♀️🏌🏻⚽️ (@James_Escarcega) June 21, 2021

California State Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez called for the CIF to issue sanctions to Coronado High School or strip the school of its title:

If you think it is a “teaching moment” then have the lesson include real consequences for the near adults.

— Lorena Gonzalez (@LorenaSGonzalez) June 20, 2021

Coronado defeated Orange Glen 60-57 in overtime.

Nick Herrmann never stopped dreaming of hitting a dramatic buzzer-beater even after he was diagnosed with cancer.

His dreams became a reality Saturday.

"I've dreamed of this moment my whole life," he said after hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section championship. "Every day that I was in the hospital I dreamed of this very moment taking that very shot."

Nick Herrmann was told he would never play basketball again.

He was told there was a chance he could lose his leg after being diagnosed with bone cancer.

Last night, he hit the GAME WINNER in the championship game leading his team to 29-0.

Absolutely amazing 👏 @NickHerrmann25 pic.twitter.com/wIHjjpz3C7

— Overtime (@overtime) June 14, 2021

https://twitter.com/KUSISports/status/1403961206423969793

Joshua Doering of Sports Spectrum noted the shot improved Torrey Pines High School's record to 29-0 heading into the CIF Southern Section championships.

In January, John Maffei of the San Diego Union-Tribune profiled Herrmann, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancerous tumor in his left leg, in September 2018. Herrmann initially thought the pain he felt was shin splints during a tournament in Las Vegas, but X-rays and an MRI revealed that he suffered a broken tibia because of a tumor on the bone.

He spent 70 days in the hospital, faced the possibility of losing his leg, underwent four surgeries and was told he would likely never play basketball again.

Herrmann also required a special orthotic designed for his left shoe as he dealt with nerve damage in his foot that prevented him from raising his limb for six months. He missed last basketball season and had a straight-leg cast that went from hip to toe.

Herrmann's mother Nicole was also diagnosed with cancer in January 2019. She eventually returned to work in October 2019 following 10 months of treatment for ovarian cancer.

After all that, Herrmann got to play the role of hero for his undefeated team.

Torrey Pines will be the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern California Open Division championship tournament. Herrmann and his teammates will play in the regional semifinals on Thursday.

Former longtime NBA star Rasheed Wallace is continuing his coaching career, agreeing to become the head coach of the boys' team at North Carolina Good Better Best Academy.

The high school in Durham announced his hiring Wednesday.

Introducing our new head coach, former NBA champion and Tarheel, Rasheed Wallace. #TheSheedEra has begun! #FlyEagles pic.twitter.com/QiGlKF9DPN

— NCGBB Basketball 🦅 (@ncgbbambb) June 2, 2021

Wallace got into coaching shortly after his playing career ended in 2013.

He served as an assistant to Maurice Cheeks and John Loyer with the Detroit Pistons in 2013-14 before taking the head job at Jordan High School in Durham in 2019. The 2004 NBA champion and four-time All-Star played his college basketball at nearby North Carolina from 1993 to 1995.

Unfortunately for the school's media strategy, the announcement of Wallace taking over NC GBB may only be the second-biggest coaching change announced in Durham on Wednesday.