Fat boys and basketball mix as well as peanut butter on uncooked ramen noodles.
They are usually the last to be picked, seldom passed the ball, and more or less only used to set immovable screens. But not in Nashville and not in KeAnthony Patterson’s league.
A Fat League of Their Own
The inspiration for the 270-pound and up league came to KeAnthony in 2020 like a steak served up on a platter, when he saw a group of neighborhood fat kids sitting on a park bench instead of working up a sweat on the hardtop.
They said “we didn’t get picked” and that’s when he decided to do something few fats do – take massive action.
He took to Facebook, set up a page for his fledgling idea, replete with a fat Jordan logo, and before long had about 100 fats interested in joining up.
Thus, the appropriately named Fat Boy Basketball League was born.
Making a Difference
Before you go thinking this is just some sideshow with an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner or BBQ wrapped in tinfoil as the top prize, the league is legit.
For starters, it has its own commissioner who keeps all participants in line and abiding by the rules. Like each player weighing in at the start of the season to ensure they do not fall under the 270-pound minimum.
Oliver “Big O” Miller used to pray for times like these.
The Sunday afternoon rec league also hands out the Most Weight Loss Player award at the end of each season, with some players already reportedly having shed 20 pounds.
Despite not playing its first official game until May 2022, it’s made up of six teams, with names like Team Fridge and the Snacktime Lakers, and already looking to upgrade to a bigger gym due to the demand.
We raise a Big Gulp soda salute to you, Fat Boy Basketball League🥤
If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like Wheelchair Basketball in Turkey Was a War Zone or How Minnesota Lost the Lakers and Got Stuck with the T’Wolves.
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