Posts tagged basketball
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Title IX Exemption For Religious Schools

The exemption, the appellate court affirmed, does not violate the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law or the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which prohibits the government from establishing a particular religion.

Read More
On Religion: Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Draws Cheers And Jeers For His Outspoken Faith

(ANALYSIS) The son of an Italian father and a Black mother, Mazzulla is an outspoken Catholic whose pregame routine includes pacing through an empty arena, praying with a rosary made with wood from the court of the original Boston Garden. While his faith has drawn many cheers across social media, it also attracted some criticism.

Read More
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla’s Faith Helped Guide The Boston Celtics To An NBA Title

Joe Mazzulla woke up on Tuesday morning an NBA champion. It has been a very long and unlikely success story rooted in faith. Mazzulla — whose only head coaching experience before taking over the Boston Celtics in the fall of 2022 was at the NCAA Division II level — guided the team to a record 18th NBA championship after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

Read More
Caitlin Clark: How The Catholic Star Captivated A Nation And Rewrote The Record Books

Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark is a lot of things to many people. To fans, she’s known for breaking NCAA records. To her teammates, she’s the one they are looking at to spearhead a national title run after getting Iowa to the Final Four. And to those in the sports marketing business, she’s a budding star who will be playing in the WNBA next season. She’s also Catholic.

Read More
College Basketball Players Navigate Ramadan Fasting On Road To The Final Four

The University of Connecticut’s basketball team won the men’s NCAA title last year. A year later, the Huskies are again hungry for a championship. The team reached the Final Four with three practicing Muslims who have had to deal with more than just scoring points over the last few weeks. The trio join a growing group of practicing Muslims who are balancing basketball and fasting this spring.

Read More
March Madness: Ranking The Tournament’s Religiously Affiliated Schools

Another March Madness is once again upon us. The NCAA’s men’s Division I basketball tournament will enthrall millions with its bracket-busting upsets. It is, for many sports fans, the best time of the year. This year’s 68-team field features seven Catholic schools. In addition, five are Protestant and one Mormon. Here’s a look at how they stack up.

Read More
NBA’s Jonathan Isaac Seeks ‘Identity In God,’ Not Basketball

Initially, a symbolic gesture against racism, taking the knee evolved into a collective action. Orlando Magic’s power forward Jonathan Isaac chose a different path. Throughout 2020, he made a choice not to take a knee or wear a BLM shirt. This placed him among the few athletes who opted to stand during the national anthem.

Read More
LeBron James Biopic A Slam-Dunk Success, But Ignores Important Faith Angles

(REVIEW) LeBron James’ coming-of-age story is inspiring and entertaining. Whether you enjoy basketball or not, this biopic keeps audiences vested in the success of James and his three best friends/teammates — even though you already know he’s going to go on to become an NBA star. Those looking for faith angles, however, will be left disappointed.

Read More
5 American Athletes Who Converted To Islam

Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. Some notable American athletes have converted to Islam starting in the 1960s, a trend that continues to this day. For some, the belief provides a chance to emphasize personal responsibility and social justice.

Read More
NCAA Basketball Star Caitlin Clark's Success Rooted In Her Faith And Catholic Education

Everyone now knows what Caitlin Clark can do after her wonderful performances this season — but many schools had seen that potential a few years ago. She was heavily recruited by a number of schools after ESPN rated her one of the nation’s top prospect in 2020 when she was a budding point guard at a Catholic high school in Iowa.

Read More
Celebrities Rule: How Should Reporters Assess The Name Fame Game In Religion?

(OPINION) Since the media and the internet are crazy over lists (is this David Letterman’s doing?), how about a well-reported article — not about our American era’s top 10 religious celebrities but which ones exercise the most influence, seen or unseen?

Read More
Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard Uses Hoops And Christianity To Address Needs Of Young Men

Chris Broussard is dressed in an elegant suit. He sports a friendly smile and looks and acts exactly like the man many love to watch on television. Broussard, a basketball analyst for Fox Sports, is passionate about basketball. He’s also passionate about being a Christian, helping Black youth, combating racism and making the world a better place.

Read More
Sports, Passion And How North American Team Games Connect To Religion

(REVIEW) A new book by historian Randall Balmer called “Passion Plays: How Religion Shaped Sports in North America” explores the relationship between sports and religion. Specifically, he writes that the book “examines how the history of religion across North America connects in fascinating ways to the emergence of modern team sports.”

Read More
Faith Helps Drive Steph Curry And The Golden State Warriors in NBA Title Quest

In a sport in which scoring three-pointers, avoiding turnovers and getting to the free-throw line frequently are all keys to a successful season, it’s the Golden State Warriors’ commitment to Christ and faith that has become a major driver for the success of this team.

Read More
Inside The Rise Of Kansas Hoops Powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy

(REVIEW) You may have never heard of the school, but that’s what makes their story an even better one. Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas has the numbers and alums to prove it is a powerhouse. Now there’s a new documentary that takes viewers into what makes this school so special.

Read More
Meet The Little Jesuit School That Could: St. Peter’s Busts March Madness Brackets

March may be all about dressing in green and celebrating St. Patrick, but March Madness has been all about wearing blue and cheering on St. Peter’s in Jersey City. The small Jesuit school socked the field by reaching the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Read More
Baylor’s basketball success rooted in Christian motto: ‘Jesus, Others, Yourself’

The secret to Baylor’s success this season wasn’t limited to its great defense and a hail of three pointers. The secret for the Baptist school on the road to the NCAA men’s basketball championship lies in a culture the players and coaches call “Jesus, Others, Yourself.”

Read More
Gonzaga's namesake saint inspires NCAA Tournament run during the pandemic

Gonzaga (the saint) and Gonzaga (the basketball team) are two different things. Nonetheless, the patron saint of Christian youth (who also died in a pandemic) can help inspire the school to capture its first national championship.

Read More
Lies, damned lies, statistics: For Biden, religious vote was crucial — maybe

This week’s Weekend Plug-in explores whether religious voters were important to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Plus, check out the week’s top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.

Read More