Hawthorne is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is part of a seventeen-city region commonly called the South Bay. As of the 2020 US census, Hawthorne had a population of 88,083.
Lawndale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 32,769 at the 2010 census, up from 31,712 according to the 2000 census. The city is in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Donald Argee Barksdale was an American professional basketball player. He was a pioneer as an African-American basketball player, becoming the first to be named NCAA All-American, the first to play on a United States men's Olympic basketball team, and the first to play in a National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
William Howard Taft Charter High School is a public school located on the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California, within the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school gained affiliated charter status beginning with the 2013–2014 school year.
Dorell Lawrence Wright is an American former professional basketball player. Wright was drafted in the 2004 NBA draft by the Miami Heat directly out of high school. He has also played for the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers. He has previously led the league in three-pointers made, and was selected to participate in the NBA Three-Point Contest in 2011.
Hawthorne High School is a public high school located in Hawthorne, California, within the Centinela Valley Union High School District. It opened in 1951 with 9th and 10th grades. The first graduating senior class was that of 1954. It is most notable for its association with The Beach Boys, whose original members Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and Al Jardine attended the school. Coincidentally, Olivia Trinidad Arias, who later became Olivia Harrison, also attended; she graduated in 1965.
Larry Brett Krystkowiak is a retired American professional basketball player, and former head coach of the Utah Utes men's basketball team.
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national titles in 12 seasons, from 1964 to 1975, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record four times. Coach Jim Harrick led the team to another NCAA title in 1995. Former coach Ben Howland led UCLA to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. As a member of the AAWU, Pacific-8 and then Pacific-10, UCLA set an NCAA Division I record with 13 consecutive regular season conference titles between 1967 and 1979 which stood until tied by Kansas in 2017. In 2024, UCLA departed the Pac-12 Conference and joined the Big Ten Conference on August 2, 2024.
The Utah Utes men's basketball team, also known as the Runnin' Utes, represents the University of Utah as an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Big-12. They play their home games at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The school has made the NCAA tournament 29 times, which ranks 20th in NCAA history and tied for third most appearances behind UCLA and the University of Arizona in the Western United States. They last made the tournament in 2016. Utah won the NCAA Championship in 1944, defeating Dartmouth College 42–40 for the school's only NCAA basketball championship. However, the school also claims the 1916 AAU National Championship, which was awarded after winning the AAU national tournament. They have also won the NIT once, defeating Kentucky in 1947. In 1998, the Utes played in the NCAA championship game, losing to Kentucky.
Russell Westbrook III is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has played for six NBA teams.
Jack Paul McClinton is an American former professional basketball player. McClinton played shooting guard for the University of Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team.
DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for boys located in Hyattsville, Maryland, United States. Named after John of Matha, DeMatha is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a member of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
Cory Ephram Joseph is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the point guard position and was previously the captain of the Canadian national team.
Scott Jon Garson is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach at Santa Clara University.
Zachary Thomas LaVine is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. A two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, he was named an NBA All-Star in 2021 and 2022. He also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.
Delon Reginald Wright is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the CC of San Francisco Rams and the Utah Utes, being a first-team all-conference player in the Pac-12 in 2014 and 2015. He also earned the Bob Cousy Award in 2015.
Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, also known by his initials SGA, is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats and was selected 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 NBA draft before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers that same night.
Gerry Royce Blakes is an American professional basketball player for Šiauliai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He played college basketball for Arizona State.
The 2019–20 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 12th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 53rd in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This was the Thunder's first season since 2007–08 without Russell Westbrook, as he was traded to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and future draft picks on July 11, 2019. The trade reunited Westbrook with former Thunder teammate James Harden, who had played for the team from 2009 to 2012. The trade also marked Chris Paul's first time since 2006–07 playing in Oklahoma City after playing his first two seasons there when he was a member of the New Orleans Hornets. This trade was preceded by a trade where Paul George was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a record 5 future 1st round draft picks on July 7.
Jalen Devonn Williams, nicknamed J-Dub, is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Santa Clara Broncos for three seasons before declaring for the 2022 NBA draft where he was selected by the Thunder in the first round.
