He wasn't a young prodigy; he was kicked off the basketball team in junior high because he was too short.
After graduating high school, no NCAA Division I school wanted him. The Bucks picked him in the seventh round of the draft, but everyone knew that the seventh round was just a joke.
Before even finishing training camp, he was cut by the Bucks, forcing him to play in Europe and South America to make ends meet—in leagues in Portugal, Argentina, and Ireland, where the competition was lower.
He kept at it from age 22 to 27. Many others would have given up on this path, living off their natural athleticism and experience as black men. Playing anywhere to make money—isn't that life?
But not Ali. He never gave up on his dream of returning to the NBA. He made a name for himself in the CBA and then returned to the NBA, securing a place for himself through defense and reliability.
