New Anderson Legends League set for star-studded debut
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May 18—ANDERSON — Basketball has been very good to Troy Taylor, and the three-time THB Sports Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year rarely misses a chance to give back to the game.
His latest venture debuts Wednesday inside the fieldhouse at the Anderson Township Trustee Office and Youth Center on Madison Avenue. The Anderson Legends League is a six-team pro-am style event set to unfold over the next seven weeks and will be star-studded with local talent.
Among the former Madison County high school stars set to compete are Pendleton Heights' Kellen Dunham, Highland's Asauhn Dixon-Tatum and Anderson's JoMel Boyd.
Former Highland star Gary McGhee, who has played professionally overseas for more than a decade, also will join the league in Week 2 and square off against Dixon-Tatum in an unprecedented battle of former Scots big men in his debut.
Other area players familiar to local fans include former Anderson star and current Liberty Christian head coach Norman Anderson, former Anderson and Crispus Attucks star Zac Owens and former Anderson stars Tre Jackson, Dionte Raines, Kenya Wilkerson, Tim Boyd and Zakarius Milhouse as well as former Highland star Jay Mohr.
Former Kentucky star and Chicago Bull Marquis Teague, Duke's Josh McRoberts, Purdue's AJ Hammons and Butler's Chrishawn Hopkins and Roosevelt Jones are among other players with professional experience set to compete.
Former Anderson and Crispus Attucks head coach Phil Washington will serve as emcee and provide live commentary throughout each game night.
"These are my friends," Taylor said of assembling the all-star brigade. "... We play video games together. We all just hang out. After you get through college, the circle gets smaller and smaller of who still plays basketball."
One of the league's primary goals is to keep that circle together and give everyone a place to play that doesn't require an obscene amount of travel.
The fact it can also provide quality entertainment for fans in Taylor's hometown is another major draw, and Taylor plans to put on a first-class show.
Each game will have three accredited officials, and there will be a 24-second shot clock. Professional photographers and videographers also will be on hand, and Taylor plans to share highlights widely on social media.
In just four weeks of preparation, the league's Facebook page already has garnered nearly 19,000 followers. It's a humbling total for Taylor, who previously created the Anderson Legends as a championship-level team in The Basketball League before being forced to put things on hold as he played professionally in Canada.
Taylor also has played in Australia and Lithuania in addition to the TBL, where he, Dunham and Dixon-Tatum are currently members of the Indiana All-Stars. The new Legends League will be scouted by coaches and front office personnel from the All-Americans and at least two players will earn invitations to next year's training camp.
Providing opportunities for local players to continue their careers is important to Taylor after seeing the challenges of playing overseas first-hand.
"When I was in Lithuania, the coach didn't speak much English," Taylor said. "I was even in Israel for a little bit this year, and they didn't speak no English — like none. It was definitely an adjustment, but I thought it was amazing."
And he wants to help as many players to follow in his footsteps as possible.
Taylor is not playing in the new league, but his fingerprints will be all over it. He hopes to add sponsors as highlight videos begin to be created, and he predicts more talent also will come into the league as players see the product for themselves.
It's already popular among the targeted fanbase.
"I've been getting a lot of social media attention, a lot of inboxes," Taylor said. "Everybody's excited. I'm getting a lot of phone calls."
Dunham was one of the league's biggest additions. A married father now, he's grown tired of playing overseas but still wanted an outlet to keep his skills sharp.
He and Taylor have known each other since high school — Taylor was a senior when Dunham was a freshman — and have become good friends as professional teammates.
It didn't take Taylor long to convince the former Arabians' sharpshooter to come on board, and once Dunham was confirmed Taylor knew others would follow.
"He's a good guy, and that guy can still play," Taylor said. "He's one of the best shooters I've ever played with."
The story was similar with McGhee, Teague and Hammons — close friends of Taylor whose presence on the rosters convinced other players to join.
Taylor expects a big crowd for Wednesday's opener, and triple-headers will follow every Wednesday thereafter.
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the first game begins at 6. Admission is $3.
Seating will be limited, and Taylor advises fans to bring their own folding chairs or arrive early.
Taylor is in the basketball business for the long haul and hopes the Legends League becomes a community staple.
"I'm thankful to have everybody involved," he said. "I'm thankful the city's excited about it. And I believe as time goes on, it's gonna get better and better."