Why is byron mullens in jail

When he stepped onto the court for that first game in July, Mullens heard close to inmates yelling and jeering from the bleachers. Word had spread about Mullens' visit -- a showcase the inmates didn't want to miss. Most of the 2, inmates at Ross are from Ohio and, like year-old Ryan Janes, major Buckeyes fans.

While they're occasionally allowed to watch NBA and college basketball games on TV in the central viewing room, most had not seen an NBA player up close. Mullens' team won his inaugural game in overtime. The inmates have yet to win a matchup against Mullens, but Janes, a 5-foot Chillicothe native who was incarcerated in August for what he would only describe as "a mistake after I got involved with the wrong people," predicts it will happen.

One of the prison's best point guards, Janes was a teammate of Mullens in the inaugural game. But he was really looking forward to his first game against the NBA center.

The games are physical, but Mullens agrees that no one is trying to injure him. The institution has an "A" league for the more talented players, a "B" league for the less talented players and a and-over league. Only "A" league, level-2 players are selected for the game when Mullens visits. Inmates trash talk and yell at him on every possession to "dunk the ball," and the taunts only increase when Mullens steps behind the arc.

But Mullens says he's not there to dominate the boards. Instead, he sees these pickup games as an opportunity to work on his outside shooting and ballhandling. Since the tallest inmate Mullens has faced is and most hover around 6-foot, the majority of his shots are uncontested. The inmates try to counter with speed and 3-point shooting. Like most pickup ball, defense is not the focus of these games, which consist of three minute periods.

And even though inmates who have taken referee tests are paid 75 cents per game to serve as officials, fouls, traveling and three-second calls are hard to come by. While most inmates in the games have never played competitive basketball beyond high school, they often shoot around, play pickup or lift weights several hours a day.

As Mullens points out, there's a lot of time to spend improving their games. Twan Whitehead, a year-old Columbus native who entered Ross Correctional in June of following a robbery conviction, felt Mullens initially held back his intensity. But now Whitehead says, "We don't take it easy on him and he don't take it easy on us. Mullens and his crew don't linger very long after the games, but he makes a point to talk to the guys when he has time.

He's recognized around the prison and his visits are still highly anticipated. Post 31 » by dangermouse » Sat Nov 26, am. Post 32 » by tsherkin » Sat Nov 26, am.

Post 34 » by distracted » Sat Nov 26, am. Post 35 » by Warspite » Sat Nov 26, am. Post 36 » by paperboy » Sat Nov 26, am. Return to The General Board. Menu NBA. Evan Mobley seems to be what Cleveland has been looking for, a player who with his abundant and adaptable skills, casts the play of everyone around him in a rosier light.

He quietly improved nonetheless and turned into one of the most overlooked playmakers in the NBA. Scottie Pippen didn't get exactly what he wanted a long time ago, and has let those minor slights govern the entire back half of his life. He wears his disappointments about as heavily as any retired athlete in recent memory. The Blazers and Celtics brought in new coaches to address questions that we may see to be more existential and personnel-based than strategic or cultural.

Sometimes you're just putting a new face on the same disappointment, and sometimes that disappointment ossifies, and then morphs into something worse. Quick links. Byron "B. J" Mullens playing pickup at an Ohio prison Moderators: jamaalstar21 , Harry Garris , Dirk , ken , infinite , Domejandro , bwgood77 , bisme37 , zimpy27 , KingDavid.

Re: Byron "B. J" Mullens playing pickup at an Ohio prison. J" Mullens playing pickup at an Ohio prison Post 21 » by SDM » Fri Nov 25, pm Yeah, and damn that Johnny Cash too for trying to give something to people who have nothing at the moment and will continue to have nothing once they're released. How DARE he. What gall. All that mattered to these youngsters was that they had a giant of a friend for a day. In his first year there, he and the friend visited a juvenile detention center to teach basketball clinics and talk to troubled teens about making better choices — and also to play pickup games….

Not everybody would do this — would basketball finally stop at those walls? We and our partners use cookies on this site to provide a better experience with content, analytics, ads and to help improve security on our site. To accept cookies, close this box or continue to use our site, otherwise please do not use this website.