Welcome to a different installment of Hoops, Rap and All the pieces Black, a weekly column that zeroes in on the 2 elementary elements of SLAM—hoops and rap—whereas threading in different features of the colourful tapestry of Black tradition. Let’s get it.
Quiet because it’s saved, Osman Bangura’s fingerprints are everywhere in the sport at each degree—highschool, faculty and even the NBA. At completely different factors over the previous twenty years, he coached one of many nation’s finest basketball applications in Virginia’s Paul VI Excessive Faculty, and at Howard College for a stint. He’s additionally helped construct Staff Durant and Staff Takeover, respectively, to turn out to be two of the premier Nike EYBL applications within the nation. In the case of teaching and basketball, you identify it and Osman has executed it. He’s performed many roles, each massive and small, in serving to a large number of hoopers obtain their dream of enjoying Division I basketball and a few to the league. He has unequivocally turn out to be THE man within the DMV grassroots basketball panorama.
“I’ve been teaching for a really very long time,” says Osman. “However folks don’t actually know that as a result of I don’t boast. Folks do the speaking.”
Osman, 46, who was born in Sierra Leone and moved to Prince George’s County, Maryland when he was eight, has no qualms about enjoying the background whereas others get the shine. His soft-spoken confidence units him aside from a lot of his friends. He’s not in it for his ego. He is aware of his function—whichever one the second requires—and he performs it about in addition to anybody within the nation in his discipline. He merely needs to assist put youngsters ready to get scholarships and assist youngsters enhance their high quality of life by way of the sport, and he’s executed each ten instances over. It’s not that he shies away from the notoriety and a spotlight, however he’s not looking for it both.
“I’ve executed a lot for youths and I don’t count on nothing again,” he tells me. “The way in which I used to be raised, you do proper and the blessings are gonna come.”
Osman acquired into basketball late, and although he developed to be a reasonably good participant, admits he was by no means fairly the prospect like his brother, Alpha Bangura, who went on to play for St. John’s College earlier than carving out a stable profession abroad. “I’ve at all times been a stable participant. I used to be extra of a defensive man, I wasn’t a stud or all-American,” says Osman describing his sport. And whereas he earned some alternatives on the subsequent degree, his faculty enjoying profession was filled with forks within the highway.
Sadly for Osman, he suffered a handful of accidents together with a ruptured Achilles and indifferent retina, which might ultimately get one of the best of him and stop him from having the enjoying profession he envisioned for himself. He final performed for Division III powerhouse Virginia Wesleyan in Virginia Seashore earlier than hanging up his jersey for good. “I used to be so beat, I believed basketball simply wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get by way of it,” he says.
However Osman knew he nonetheless had extra to offer to the sport, even when it was now not predicated on his athletic skills. Osman returned to Maryland and one of many first folks he reached out to was Glenn Farello, then-head coach at Eleanor Roosevelt Excessive Faculty, the most effective public highschool basketball applications within the space on the time.
Farello has since moved on to teach Paul VI, the place he’s been for the previous 16 seasons. Farello has been named Coach of the 12 months 13 instances. He’s coached greater than 80 faculty basketball gamers and counting, with 22 who’ve performed professionally 5 who’ve performed within the NBA. And Osman was there for a piece of that. “I advised Farello, ‘Man, pay attention, I’m again residence [from school]. I been by way of a lot and I need to give again. I’ve so much to share,’” Osman recollects. It was a no brainer for Farello who coached Osman’s brother, Alpha, years prior.
The 12 months was 2003 when Osman made that telephone name and jumped into teaching, and he hasn’t seemed again since.
“I felt [coaching] is what I needed to do, I felt like I bought myself brief as a participant. I do know I might’ve executed a lot extra however I simply coasted by way of it,” says Osman. “I needed to give again, even when only one individual acquired one thing out of it.” Effectively, in the event you take into account all the present faculty coaches, Division I hoopers and NBA gamers who Osman coached alongside his journey, it’s secure to say that so much of individuals acquired one thing out of it. Brooklyn Nets’ Dariq Whitehead, New Orleans Pelicans’ Jordan Hawkins, Syracuse’s Judah Mintz, Oregon’s Kwame Evans and Florida State’s Jalen Warley are only a tremendous tiny pattern dimension of Osman’s former gamers.
This checklist of basketball success tales that Osman is connected to is just going to continue to grow, too. At the moment, he’s the pinnacle coach at Thomas Pullen, which Osman says is among the finest center college basketball applications in Maryland. He additionally not too long ago determined to half methods with Staff Durant as their program director and head coach, and rejoin crosstown rival Staff Takeover, the place he acquired his first style of teaching AAU hoops within the early 2010s. Even with Osman leaving Staff Durant and becoming a member of forces with a rival squad, you’d be hard-pressed to seek out somebody badmouth him or query his integrity. And that’s as a result of Osman’s intentions are made very clear; it’s at all times all in regards to the youngsters.
Many individuals take into account the DMV to be the promise land for faculty basketball recruiting, and Osman is on the middle of it. He’s not the one main determine on this house, however he’s on the high of a shortlist of essentially the most impactful. And whereas Osman might justifiably stroll round along with his chest out, he prefers to play it cool. He provides the credit score again to his student-athletes and his employees each probability he will get.
“With out the children, there’s no teaching,” says Osman. “And the most important factor I might say is that there’s approach you can do all of this by your self. I might completely not achieve success if I didn’t have my employees. I’ve it straightforward as a result of I get up [and coach], however these guys take so much off my shoulders from scouting, recruiting, washing uniforms and driving vans.”
There aren’t many youth coaches on the market with a observe file that’s similar to Osman’s. He’s executed nearly all the things this sport has to supply. However he’s nonetheless decided to continue to grow and evolving. He says he nonetheless has feats to perform and objectives to examine off. He’s labored at each degree besides the NBA, and that’s the place he has his eyes set when eager about the distant future. “I’ve executed a lot on this [youth basketball] house and I feel I’m wanted on this house. However long-term I might like to be an NBA scout or GM sooner or later,” says Osman. “I couldn’t play on the highest degree however perhaps I can coach, be a scout or within the entrance workplace on the highest degree and influence the sport that approach.”
Positive, his objectives are lofty however I wouldn’t guess towards Osman. And it goes again to one thing he mentioned early on, “you do proper and the blessings are gonna come.” He’s not good, no one is. However Osman has executed quite a lot of proper over time. It’s secure to imagine the blessings are going to proceed coming tenfold.
Curtis’ Nook
Hoops: One other week of school hoops and one other freshman placing the world on discover for what to anticipate for years to come back. This time it was LSU WBB freshman Mikaylah Williams who dropped 42 factors in a win towards Kent State. LSU is loaded with expertise and a championship pedigree made obvious by final 12 months’s nationwide championship. Including gifted freshmen like Mikaylah to the fold simply means LSU shall be a pressure to be reckoned with within the foreseeable future.
Rap: If you happen to’re on the hunt for a refreshing pay attention full of elegant manufacturing, easy flows and high quality substance, take a look at Oddisee’s album “To What End,” which dropped early this 12 months. I only in the near past got here throughout it and have been operating it constantly.
All the pieces Black: This week Brandon Jennings penned a guest story for SLAM about his Tuff Crowd collaboration with Stephen Curry’s Curry Model. Brandon known as it “essentially the most impactful collaboration the league has ever seen” and he made some legitimate factors to help his declare. You’ll want to give {that a} learn and take a look at the gathering here.
As at all times, right here’s the official Hoops, Rap and All the pieces Black playlist. It’ll be up to date weekly with every column. Add the playlist to your library to remain within the know, and remember to comply with SLAM on Spotify.
