Meet the First Black Woman to Own a Male Professional Sports League in the U.S.

-

Evelyn Magley has made history as the first African American woman to ever own a male professional sports league in the United States. Magley and her husband, retired NBA player David Magley, are the founders of The Basketball League (TBL), a newly formed minor professional basketball league which acquired the North American Premier Basketball (NAPB) league and is scheduled to debut next year.

“I am thrilled to start a league that treats our players with the greatest level of respect thereby impacting our community in a manner that is consistent with our faith, by serving those who need it the most,” said Magley in a statement. She was named as the CEO of the league while her husband operates as president.

The league has targeted 40 markets in the U.S. and Canada and expects to start with 12 to 16 teams in January 2019. Some of the teams include the Kansas City Tornados, Ohio Bootleggers, Nevada Desert Dogs, Vancouver Knights, Raleigh Firebirds, Tampa Bay Titans, and San Diego Waves. Each team will play 32 games that will be available via livestream.

TBL offers athletes who don’t make it in the NBA or G-League another option to play ball professionally and earn anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 a month. TBL is also dedicated to providing families with affordable and quality entertainment as well as community support through the launch of an upcoming philantropic arm, youth camps, clinics, and nonprofit organizations. Plus, the league gives individuals and groups an opportunity to own a professional sports business with a relatively low cost barrier to entry.

David Magley, who most recently served as the Commissioner of the National Basketball League of Canada, said Mrs. Magley brings a “unique vision” to the new league as the wife of a pro athlete and the mother of four children who played sports collegiately. “Her passion for people allows us to build on a vision of impacting community through giving young men opportunities that do not exist today, then leveraging our platforms to engage each local market to benefit the youth and non-profit initiatives she is so very passionate about,” said the former Cleveland Cavaliers small forward in a statement. He was drafted in 1982.

Join the Conversation

Good article originally from: blackenterprise

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quicken Loans National: Tee times, pairings for Tiger Woods, field on Saturday

-
Image
The field may be weak, but we have ourselves a worthwhile leaderboard heading to the weekend at the Quicken Loans National . The names that needed to make the cut, did. And really, the one, all-important draw is back in contention and within scaring distance of the leaders at TPC Potomac. Tiger Woods will have another late weekend tee time on Saturday, playing at 12:25 p.m. ET alongside Joel Dahmen. Woods started Friday’s second round near the cut line, but shot up the leaderboard with a 5-under 65. That put him in a tie for 11th place at the 36-hole midpoint and just four shots off the lead. Brian Gay, Ryan Armour, and Beau Hossler all hold the lead at 9-under, which would have won last year’s event on this same course by a good two shots. It’s only going to get hotter, play firmer and faster, and toughen up on the weekend. It looks like we’re headed for a winner in the double digits but it might not be too deep come Sunday night, giving Tiger plenty of time to close that gap. Wood
Read more

Cultivating a Community for Creative Millennials of Color

-
Image
Leaving no stone unturned in the realm of content creation, conversation facilitation, and event curation, Driven Society has become part of the creative professional scene in New York City by its focus on live events targeted to millennials of color. The organization has partnered with major brands including WeWork, JBL, Hennessy, Belaire Rose, Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, New York Latino Film Festival, and more, The platform’s CEO and co-founder Travis Weeks sits at the helm of the ship with co-founders Natalia Saavedra, Zuhaib Kokab, and Darren Bowen. I spoke with Weeks about the mission behind Driven Society, its various arms of business and the importance of amplifying up-and-coming talent. “The goal of Driven Society is to cultivate a community of creatives that push the culture forward and build success for millennials and post-millennials. We envision a world where business, philosophy, and art converge to provide equal opportunity for success regardless of background or privil
Read more

Seahawks waive 2017 2nd round pick Malik McDowell, another draft whiff

-
Image
The Seattle Seahawks parted ways with defensive tackle Malik McDowell on Thursday, just over a year after the team picked him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft . McDowell never took a snap or donned a Seahawks uniform before an ATV accident in July 2017 caused injuries that ended his rookie year before it ever began. The details of his injury were never revealed, but over a year later, the Seahawks still weren’t ready to medically clear the lineman. McDowell will now have to hunt for another NFL team willing to give him a chance. For the Seahawks it’s another bad pick in a string of poor draft choices in recent offseasons. McDowell was the first pick Seattle made in 2017, putting him in an underwhelming group. Seahawks first draft pick last six years: Malik McDowell, Germain Ifedi, Frank Clark, Paul Richardson, Christine Michael, Bruce Irvin, James Carpenter — Danny Kelly (@DannyBKelly) April 16, 2018 In that group: Three left as free agents (Carpenter, Irvin and
Read more