Maurice “Recce Buckets” Carter, the Chicago Fury semi-pro basketball team owner, graced Chicago Leader with an in-depth interview early afternoon on Feb. 16, 2022. He was the head coach of the team for the first two years after he took ownership. Partnerships with Champion Sports and “MC4 Sports” have proven advantageous to the team’s ability to recruit fresh team members.
Chicago Fury’s owner shared that he successfully sent more than 60 players overseas to compete in the European leagues. Carter recently sent two of his players to Nicaragua and El Salvador for team tryouts. Basketball players do not get paid over there as they do in the NBA, but athletes who apply themselves can make a good living for themselves and their families.
Euro basketballers are typically paid between $1,500 to $20,000 per month. However, some sources indicate euro players can earn as much as $50,000 a month compared to an NBA player’s average salary of $7.7 million during the 2019/2020 season.
The team’s owner was joined in 2018 by an old friend Mike Williams to take over the coaching duties. Since Carter took over ownership, they have been on fire. The team was the Official Basketball Association (OBA) champ for the 2020-2021 season.
In the interview, he shared that there are three leagues that the team participates in yearly:
- The American Basketball Association (ABA) runs for seven months, from October-April.
- The Official Basketball Association (OBA) runs from April-July.
- The National Professional Basketball League (NPBL) runs from the end of July through the first week of October.
Carter envisions having his basketballers playing nearly the whole year, keeping them away from the various challenges young adults face in America’s inner cities.
He is very proud of Coach Williams for taking the team to their winning record of 98-4.
Fans can support Chicago Fury at their home games, played at a gym located on 53rd and Halsted, or see them on Facebook (@ChicagoFury2021) and the team’s YouTube Channel (Chicago Fury Basketball 2021).
In addition, the team has a registered nurse attending their practices and home games to test the players and coaches for COVID-19 as a preventive protocol. Those attending home games must pay a $10.00 admission fee, have their temperature taken, and must wear a mask at all times.
The team’s owner shared great concern for boosting crowd attendance for their home games. He stated that they have about 100 faithful attendees, but he feels that having a championship-winning team would attract a larger fan base.
Carter also shared that he has ownership of the Chicago Lady Rage semi-pro basketball team. The Lady Rage is hosting tryouts for the team on March 27, 2022, at Urban Prep College Academy located at 6201 South Stewart Avenue at 1:00 pm. There will be a $50.00 fee for the tryout. If interested, contact Recce at 773-990-0728 or email him at ladyragebasketball@gmail.com.
Written by Omari Jahi
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Interview: Maurice Carter Interview on Feb. 16, 2022
Love at First Fit: Overseas Basketball Players Salary | Global Table Chart
IES Euro Basketball: PLAY IN THE D-LEAGUE OR EUROPE? By Eli Steinfield
Images Courtesy of Maurice Carter – Used With Permission
