Former NBA player Maurice Taylor joins The Fumble and takes them on a trip down memory lane.
Real hoopers know Detroit breeds A1 talent, and Maurice is a prime example of that. From his time at the University of Michigan to being drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1997, 14th overall. Taylor expressed to The Fumble squad that basketball wasn’t always in the cards for him; it was football.
He learned quickly that he wasn’t going to be needing cleats, “I found out early I was built for an indoor sport. Football was my first love.”
Also adding that football “Oklahoma Drills” turned him and a lot of others into basketball players. Maurice also went in-depth about the positive impact his city of Detroit had on him. Looking up to Jalen Rose, Derrick Coleman, & Glen Rice. Positive examples of people who looked like him, came from the same city, and were doing something positive with their lives.
Taylor also kept it real about his thoughts on the Fab Five scandal: “I don’t think we were respected in the way we should’ve been for what we did for the university.” The experience made him understand the world of capitalism and also self-worth. Once he understood his worth, it made him start asking questions, why can’t he can’t afford a jersey that he is making popular for the university?
Fans of the Fab Five will never forget their impact despite the backlash.
Maurice also reflected on his time at the University of Michigan, saying, “Michigan influenced me a lot. We were transitional for Michigan. They have always been known as a football school. Seeing inner-city kids come from Detroit and change the culture in Michigan put them on a path they wouldn’t have been on.”
Check out the full episode of Maurice Taylor on The Fumble:
