USC men’s basketball traveled west on Friday to practice on one of L.A.’s most notorious venues—the courts at Venice Beach. The trip across town was a break from the norm for the Trojans.
“[We’re] trying to break up the monotony and also just kind of get out in the community,” head coach Eric Musselman said. “A lot of these guys are not from L.A.”
But L.A. certainly embraced the Trojans upon their arrival to the beach. As they took the court, a large crowd of spectators began to gather in the bleachers surrounding the area. The 1990s R&B blasting through the speakers – emceed by an older gentleman with a folding beach chair and a microphone – quickly transitioned to bouncier beats. Onlookers took photos, asked the team questions and even challenged them to a game or two.
“I enjoyed the experience. I had a lot of fun,” sophomore forward Jacob Cofie said. “It was good to play outside again. Haven’t hooped outside in a long time.”
The Trojans hooped, ran drills in the sand and lifted weights at Muscle Beach’s iconic outdoor gym. Cofie and senior wing Amarion Dickerson even donated their cardinal and gold sneakers to spectators, including the aforementioned emcee.
“I just felt grateful to give my shoes away because I know I have a lot,” Cofie said.
“It’s always a pleasure to give back to the community,” Dickerson said. “It’s just always in our hearts as USC men’s basketball to always give back to Southern Cal.”
‘Giving back’ isn’t new for Dickerson; the Robert Morris transfer recently hosted the ADIII First Annual Bookbag Giveaway in collaboration with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Dickerson donated school supplies to students from his former school district, who also received free haircuts and food at the event.
Dickerson and Cofie are two of many new faces for USC men’s basketball, which returns just one starter: graduate forward Terrance Williams II. As their coach mentioned, the Trojans are largely not local, but events like Friday’s practice give them an opportunity to see more of what L.A has to offer.
“Monday we’ll go through a lot of the history of this court, some of the big events that have been out here, some of the legends that have played on Venice Beach,” Musselman said.
Film fans may recognize the Venice Beach courts from the 1992 sports comedy “White Men Can’t Jump,” starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Snipes and Harrelson play two rival streetball players who battle it out but eventually earn each other’s respect on and off the court.
The courts are also famous beyond the silver screen and hold great meaning for the local community. Since 2006, Venice Beach has been host to the Venice Basketball League, known as Veniceball, a “community-driven pro-am tournament”.
The organization closed out its 20th season on Aug. 24 with Veniceball Legends Day, a celebration to honor Venice greats like Ron Beals. Beals was an iconic Venice Beach baller who influenced generations of players in the area and beyond.
As it stands, this roster of Trojans has yet to prove itself in terms of L.A. hoop legends. But connecting with a historic basketball community is as good a start as any.
“I feel like we introduced ourselves well with the community out here,” Cofie said. “I feel like they felt our presence, for sure.”
USC will return to the Westside to kick off exhibition play at LMU on Oct. 18. See more photos from Friday’s event here:
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