The Most Comprehensive Database of African-Americans in Sports

Tom Hammonds had to skip Phoenix in February. He wasn't in Charlotte a month later or in Houston a couple of weeks after that. Atlanta, Chicago, Denver -- scratched, scratched, scratched. He hopes to get busy again in Charlotte next month or a week later in Dallas. Hammonds as an NBA road-city delinquent? Nah, his days as a rugged, defense-first power forward across 12 NBA seasons have been over since 2001, when the wear-and-tear got to him and his ankles. But stepping away from his life as a player at pro basketball's highest level wasn't nearly as difficult as sitting out a whole season as a driver and owner in auto racing's... more.

The Denver Nuggets will name Masai Ujiri as the team's next general manager, according to the Denver Post. Ujiri, a former Nuggets scout, most recently worked with the Raptors as the assistant general manager. According to the Post, a deal could be finalized as early as Thursday morning with the two sides negotiating on Wednesday night. In addition to working with the Raptors and the Nuggets, Ujiri has also spent time with the Orlando Magic. The 39-year-old Zaria, Nigeria, native has one clear first task: Convince more.

New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire garnered a lot of attention in recent weeks for his trip to Israel and the comments that he’d be practicing Judaism, including eating kosher and observing the Jewish holidays. That got the attention of Marc Gold of Gold Pure Food Products, which has been making kosher products for 78 years. Gold, whose company is the official mustard of the more.

As LeBron James prepares for his annual bike-athon Saturday in downtown Akron, he sent a message to the community in a full-page advertisement Tuesday in the Akron Beacon Journal. ‘‘Akron is my home, and central focus of my life,’’ he says in the advertisement. ‘‘It's where I started, and it's where I will always come back to.’’ The message comes about four weeks after his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the... more.

Justin Gatlin knew he'd be labeled a cheat after failing a drug test and being banned from track and field. He just didn't know his orange Escalade would be branded, too. The sprinter awoke one morning in his native Pensacola, Fla., shortly after being disgraced to find his truck scarred. "Steroid user," it read. "In my hometown, that happened in my hometown," Gatlin said last week, still with a sense of disbelief four years later. "That really broke me down because I felt like my home, my neighborhood, my parents' neighborhood was a safe haven... more.

Several reports out of Israel along with messages on Stoudemire’s Twitter account said he was  visiting the country. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said Stoudemire, the Knicks’ new power forward, decided to go after recently learning that he had Jewish roots on his mother’s side. An Israeli Army report said Stoudemire was learning Hebrew, and Stoudemire said on Twitter: “This is going to be a great trip. The holy land. Learn about it. This ze ha’halom... more.