The Houston Push made a statement in its inaugural season in The Basketball League, finishing second place overall with an impressive 22-2 regular season record and persevering with a 3-2 record in the playoffs. The 2021 TBL Champion, Enid Outlaws, bested the Push in the regular season and knocked them out of the playoffs.
Push player Ruston Hayward received First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-TBL honors and Devine Eke recently signed to play professionally with Destino Palencia in Spain. In addition, first year coach James White was recognized as Runner Up for Coach of the Year.
In addition to the players and coaches, Francis thanks all who helped with the successful launch of this franchise, especially key sponsor Keating Toyota, Push home game venue Fallbrook Church, and the Push marketing and operations team. Francis is also grateful to David and Evelyn Magley for their guidance and faith in him as an owner.
“One of the things we players love most is that we love to play basketball. But throughout my career I was also interested in knowing more about the owners’ side of basketball, and how they pay a lot to players but also maintain and grow investment in their teams. Our aim with the Houston Push is to develop some of the world’s best up-and-coming players who want to realize their dream of an NBA career. It’s a stepping stone. The inaugural season of Houston Push was the beginning of me seeing how I can help the game of basketball. The high and lows are what drive sports and I am looking forward to the future”-Steve Francis
The Basketball League launched in 2018 with 8 teams; 22 teams played in the 2021 season and 10 more will launch in 2022. Its mission is to serve communities while providing more opportunities for basketball players to continue with their professional careers in the United States. TBL is dedicated to delivering an affordable World Class Professional Basketball experience to the community, fans and business partners.
Additional Links: TBL, Keating Toyota, Fallbrook Church, Houston Push