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Also Religion, Community News and Classifieds THURSDAY,January30,2020 Timothy Ramsey Sports Columnist Everything is not okay in La La Land Entering this season, the Los Angeles Clip pers were one of the fa vorites to win the NBA Finals. As of Jan. 24, the Clippers’ record is 31-14 and they are currently seeded third in the West ern Conference. From the outside looking in, the team seems like they are playing well, but reports have started to come out of the locker room stating some players are unhappy with the “preferential treatment” star players are receiving. When I first heard of the reports, I thought it was maybe a reporter be ing a little overzealous about something he or she heard, but then I began to see the same things from multiple sources. Now I’m starting to believe the Clippers may have some team chemistry issues. Before adding Paul George and Kawhi Leon ard, the Clippers were a scrappy group of players that overachieved all last season. They even gave the Western Conference champions, the Golden State Warriors, all they could handle in last sea son’s Western Conference semifinals. This season it doesn’t seem like they have that same camara derie. According to the Ath letic, there are multiple teammates “who have struggled with the orga nization’s preferential treatment” of its super- star players. There was a report of a walk-through being cancelled when many players were “eager to work.” It has been said that the players believe Leonard made the execu tive decision to have it cancelled, however head coach Doc Rivers denies the claims. I somewhat find it hard to believe that NBA players are foreign to the concept of preferential treatment toward super- star players. That has been the way of profes sional sports for as long as I have been a sports fan. I am not sure if the Clippers’ role players feel their superstars are taking advantage of their lever age to the detriment of the team, but it must be bad if we are hearing these sorts of issues. There have been grumblings from the players as well. Montrezl Harrell has never been one to hold his tongue and after a recent loss he said, “I don’t know brother, I don’t know, and maybe that’s the problem right there,” when asked about the feel in the lock er room. I can understand how some players could be upset by how Leonard and George have come in and somewhat upset the team dynamic. Most of the Clippers’ players have had to give it their all ev ery day of their careers to make it to this point, so to have two superstar play ers come in and seeming ly not do the same, I can see how that could make some players angry. But the other players See La La L?nd on B2 1 Photos by Alphonso Abbott Jr. BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE The JDL Fast Track is the place to be for in ¬ Tatum quietly turning Lady Bruins into winners BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE The Piedmont Inter national University (PIU) Lady Bruins basketball team is having a very suc cessful season. In only her second season at the helm, Toccara Tatum has her team ranked 9th in Division I of the NCCAA (National Christian Col lege Athletic Association) with a 13-4 record overall (at the time this article was written). “It is a surprise for me; I say that because we (coaches) have always come in with the mindset of one game at a time, so to be where we are now and knowing we are only go ing one day at a time and everyone else now gets to see it is awesome,” said Tatum about her expecta tions for the year. Before PIU, Tatum, a North-South Carolina na tive, coached at several high schools such as Lex ington, Glenn and Park- land. Tatum is a graduate of Ferrum College and holds several records at the school and was a Di vision III All-American while there. She has re cently been nominated to the Ferrum College Hall of Fame. The opportunity for the Lady Bruins j ob came door track in the Triad Area. From high school athletes, all the way down to those just begin ning their AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) ca reers, the Fast Track brings the best and bright ¬ est of what the area has to offer. Last week, some of the area’s future hopefuls looked to make their mark. about following a recom mendation to the athletic director from Carver High School, the great Porsche Jones. Coaching on the collegiate level has always been a dream for Tatum and now that she has her chance, she is putting her all into it. “Coaching is my call ing and I have always known that’s what drives me,” she said. “It has al ways been a career goal of mine to coach on the col lege level.” Year one at PIU was very challenging for Ta tum, she said. “I had the coaching part of it down, but it was still a lot for me to learn as far as recruiting and managing of the time that was outside of the court.” The Lady Bruins fin ished last season 16-12 overall and lost in the South Region Champion ship. Tatum stated that her first year was a success in her eyes, even though they had to fight through injuries and teaching the young ladies how to be student athletes on this level. With the success Ta tum and the Lady Bruins enjoyed in her first year, See Tatum on B2 . Photo by Timothy Ramsey Toccara Tatum has the Lady Bruins ranked #9 in the country in Division I of the NCCAA.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Jan. 30, 2020, edition 1
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