By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi like to shop… American. The Israeli team has had great successes using an American recipe, and they want to return to the highest levels of the EuroLeague with just that kind of recipe.
This is why, in addition to some big signings from the European market, Maccabi wanted to go for the bang from the NBA and did so with the arrival of Tarik Black! The 27-year-old center will be crossing the Atlantic for the first time after a full four-year stint in the magical world.
Eurohoops writes about the journey of the American player, who has already achieved plenty – not just in relation to basketball – and who would like to leave his mark as a role model as well, not just as a basketball player.
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— Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) 20 Αυγούστου 2018
The two colleges and the degrees
Ever since he came in contact with the orange ball, Black showed that he had the potential to go a long way, with double-digit averages in Ridgeway High School in Memphis (15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds), enough to attract the attention of several colleges.
His desire, however, was to stay close to his roots, in Memphis, where the African-American population is over 62% but where the quality of life is not as high for that same population.
This is why he chose the University of Memphis for his college career, where getting a degree was the priority for him, since he was advised – by his mother, among others – to work hard and finish his degree in three years so that he could then go to the NBA without any distractions.
In basketball terms, however, things weren’t always rosy, since the rivalry he had with Memphis’ coach, Josh Pastner, didn’t allow him to follow up on his excellent first two years, a rivalry for which he now takes responsibility since he was, in his words, “young and immature back then.”
Academically, though, he was a champ, as in 2013 he had the highest grades among all his teammates and earned a degree in organizational leadership in three years. Having gotten his degree, Tarik now had the opportunity to continue in a different college for his last year before the NBA Draft, with Kansas winning out against Duke and the player stating that, “I may be leaving Memphis, but my heart will always be here.”
And this was because he always wanted to be close to his people, to help them and give back to the community something of what it gave him.
