Meet the HoopSeen team: Tai Young
Who: Tai Young
How long have you been at HoopSeen: I'm currently in my third year here at HoopSeen.
How long have you worked in basketball: I've worked in basketball since I was 21 years old. I started as a student assistant at Tennessee Tech University. From there I was fortunate enough to have a stint as a college coach at Kentucky Wesleyan, Pratt CC, and Lincoln Memorial University.
Favorite current NBA player: James Harden
Favorite past NBA player: Kobe "The GOAT" Bryant
Favorite NBA team: The Lakers before Kobe retired. Now I just coach them all from the couch
Favorite college team of all time: I'm still not sure how as a Knoxville native I fell in love with Trey Burke and the Michigan Wolverines a few years back. I'm still upset about that Louisville game.
Your favorite HoopSeen memory: Best of the South at the Georgia World Congress Center comes to mind. 300+ plus teams from across the country came and joined us for a weekend. But there's one game that will always stick out to me and it was the Atlanta Celtics vs Team Charlotte at the 2018 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. Both rosters were packed with talent and led by two very capable coaches. But what made the game stand out was, unfortunately, the foul count. The game went into double overtime with multiple players fouling out. It was the wildest game I've seen in my three years of running events.
Your favorite HoopSeen player and why: My first camp on staff I was approached by a parent that had complaints over the way a kid was playing. I vividly remember the statement "He's playing as if there are coaches here to watch him. Someone is going to get hurt with how hard he's playing" I look out on the court and I didn't see someone that was throwing elbows or knocking guys out of the air. All I saw was a player that just wanted it more. That player was JaQueze Kirby his sophomore year.
Your favorite HoopSeen event: Easily the Best of the South. Because that's what it is.
What new skill have you developed in the quarantine: The ability to quote lines from my favorite television series. I've watched more TV than I remember. In all honesty, I don't know if I have developed a new skill as much as I have tapped into an old hobby. I was so used to watching players in person that I completely went away from watching film. Now, I'm hooked again. It's a tool that I'll go back to utilizing even when things go back to normal. I'm also down 20 pounds although I may not look it.
Your favorite basketball movie: He Got Game. Denzel and Ray Allen. Easy. I grew up watching one on one games that were essentially fights, similar to the movie.
Your favorite NBA play-by-play and analyst team: Tough one. When it's a game between bad teams I want to hear Van Gundy and Mark Jackson argue back and forth. If it's a game between two contenders I want to hear Hubie Brown or especially Doris Burke. But if I had to choose between watching the game or watching EJ, Chuck, the Jet, and Shaq then I'll see you at halftime.
Your favorite NCAA play-by-play and analyst team: I'll take Bill Walton along with whatever topics are on his brain that day.
The coach who has made the most impact on your life and why: Happy Osborne. Pulled me off of my mom's couch, helped me finish school and gave me my first real opportunity. Without him, I'm not sure where I am right now.
What is your must-have song in your hoops playlist: Fivio Foreign