James Sanders (American basketball player)
Encyclopedia
James "Twiggy" Sanders was born in Raleigh, North Carolina
. He played basketball
at Ligon High School where he earned All-Conference, All-State and All-American honors.
Sanders went on to star at Johnson C. Smith University
. He was voted to the CIAA All-Tournament team in 1973 and 1974. He received his B.S. in Physical Education in 1974.
Sanders later gained fame when in 1974 he joined the as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters
in which he played for 17 years. He retired from the team in 1991.
Since then he had become a head basketball coach at Bonner Academy in Raleigh and also was head coach for two years with the Raleigh Cougars of the United States Basketball League
(USBL). He was also an assistant coach for two years at the Morris Brown College
.
In 2004 Sanders became the first head coach of the American Basketball Association expansion team the Maryland Nighthawks
.
Twiggy has two sons, Monty and Jackson. Monty is currently the Director of Operations for the men's basketball team at Elon University in North Carolina.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. He played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at Ligon High School where he earned All-Conference, All-State and All-American honors.
Sanders went on to star at Johnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University
Johnson C. Smith University is a private, co-ed, four-year liberal arts institution of higher learning located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. JCSU is also a historically black college...
. He was voted to the CIAA All-Tournament team in 1973 and 1974. He received his B.S. in Physical Education in 1974.
Sanders later gained fame when in 1974 he joined the as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
in which he played for 17 years. He retired from the team in 1991.
Since then he had become a head basketball coach at Bonner Academy in Raleigh and also was head coach for two years with the Raleigh Cougars of the United States Basketball League
United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League , often abbreviated to the USBL, was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.-History:...
(USBL). He was also an assistant coach for two years at the Morris Brown College
Morris Brown College
Morris Brown College is a private, coed, liberal arts college located in the Vine City community of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is a historically black college affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church...
.
In 2004 Sanders became the first head coach of the American Basketball Association expansion team the Maryland Nighthawks
Maryland Nighthawks
The Washington GreenHawks were a team of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League based in Washington, D.C.. As the Maryland Nighthawks they were formerly part of the American Basketball Association and a founding member of the Premier Basketball League , in which they later played as...
.
Twiggy has two sons, Monty and Jackson. Monty is currently the Director of Operations for the men's basketball team at Elon University in North Carolina.
External links
- James "Twiggy" Sanders via Globetrotters site