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{"id":3501,"date":"2019-08-23T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T15:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbhids.org\/dev\/?post_type=news&p=3501"},"modified":"2022-12-07T15:04:41","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T15:04:41","slug":"inside-the-north-philly-basketball-league-for-homeless-men-it-helps-me-to-realize-who-i-really-am","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/dbhids.org\/dev\/news\/inside-the-north-philly-basketball-league-for-homeless-men-it-helps-me-to-realize-who-i-really-am\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the North Philly basketball league for homeless men: ‘It helps me to realize who I really am’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Philadelphia Inquirer<\/a> August 23, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This basketball game began with a bucket, right off the tipoff, and then a matching bucket, and another bucket. Finally, somebody missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every Wednesday this summer, in a little gym just off a courtyard in the back of the historic Church of the Advocate at Diamond and Gratz Streets in North Philadelphia, there\u2019s a men\u2019s hoop league, the quality more or less the same as most any community league in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Murray, who officiates high school games in the winter, came in to referee the first week. He wasn\u2019t sure what the quality would be. He was ready to let some things go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome guy dunked on the layup line,\u201d Murray said. \u201cAll bets were off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surprise factor came because this Hoops for Hope League may be unique, in Philadelphia anyway. It\u2019s the only one in the city specifically designed for homeless men. It\u2019s shelter vs. shelter competition. You wouldn\u2019t know any of that walking in, hearing a coach yell, \u201cKick the ball out, man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the entire column: \u201c Inside the North Philly basketball league for homeless men: \u2018It helps me to realize who I really am\u2019<\/a> \u201c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"