From Court to Community: Honoring Basketball Legend, Philanthropist, and Mom, Nancy Lieberman with Our VIP Award
By Karyn Brodsky | Staff Writer
What more could a former two-time Olympian, three-time All-American, two-time collegiate national champion, and two-time National Player of the Year from Old Dominion University desire? Nancy Lieberman has not only made her mark as a professional basketball player, head coach, and general manager in the WNBA, but she has also carved out a notable career as a sportscaster and author.
Her true aspiration? To uplift others.
Nancy Lieberman is the recipient of our VIP Award, thanks to her extensive efforts outside of basketball. This inspiring individual began her journey in sports at a tender age of seven, and by eleven, she was traveling alone to Harlem to seek out the best pickup games. Her impressive accomplishments and her dedication to advocating for children and those in need reflect her character.
Through the Nancy Lieberman Foundation, she conducts free basketball clinics and camps for underprivileged youth, actively participating in every session. This year marks the 35th anniversary of these camps. “At these camps, we leverage basketball to impart crucial life lessons such as the importance of education, healthy living, resisting drugs and alcohol, making sound choices, and building self-worth,” she states (nancyliebermanfoundation.com). The foundation also collaborates with the Worldventures Foundation to establish dream courts across the nation, providing children with safe spaces to play while nurturing their self-image and health.
Lieberman’s commitment to the cause stems from her own challenging upbringing in a financially constrained household in Far Rockaway, Queens. “I was that kid,” she shared. “In my youth, my pencil holder was a lunch sack and my backpack was just a paper bag. I felt embarrassed, and I understand what these children experience.” To combat this, her foundation supplies backpacks and laptops to level the academic playing field. Lieberman recalls her own history of receiving help when her high school principal raised funds for her flight to Olympic trials: “He went door-to-door with a can to gather contributions for me.”
For Lieberman, her life’s journey is a sequence of contributions. “The first chapter of my life was about learning, the second about earning, and now I’m focused on giving back,” she explains.
Above all her many roles, Nancy Lieberman treasures her identity as a mother. She proudly supports her son T.J. Cline, a sophomore studying marketing at the University of Richmond, who is not only the starting center for the Spiders basketball team but has also been accepted into the business school. “He’s developing his own path,” Lieberman beams. “He earned his scholarship and starting position through hard work and determination.”
Nancy and her ex-husband, Tim Cline, co-parent T.J., instilling values of altruism in him. “T.J. is a remarkable kid,” she says. “He knows that despite our busy lives, we are always there for him.” She believes that children thrive with supportive and engaged parents. “Communication is essential for life, love, relationships, family, and business. It’s critical to show how you communicate not just in good times, but especially during challenging periods. T.J. recognizes this trait in us, and I admire him for that.”
T.J. attributes his maturity to experiences gained while working at the Basketball Camps organized by Nancy. “It taught me business ethics and the importance of diligence since I was constantly aware that I was being observed as Nancy’s son.”
Reflecting on her divorce, Nancy acknowledges its impact on T.J.: “Divorce inevitably affects children. However, demonstrating kindness, respect, and dignity toward one another helps mitigate the pain.” She adds that both she and Tim maintain a civil and thoughtful relationship, providing T.J. with positive role models: “It’s beneficial for him to witness his parents treating each other with love and respect.”
T.J.’s journey in basketball began from day one; he was born just two days before Nancy earned an award in Chicago in July 1994. “I had committed to being there, and we flew to Chicago right away. I brought T.J. onto the stage to accept the award, but we didn’t linger.”
T.J. expresses his pride in being Nancy’s son: “The opportunities I’ve had, the connections I’ve made, and the experiences I’ve had in basketball are beyond what most kids can even imagine. But at the end of the day, the most valuable aspect is sitting on the couch and talking to her because she’s my mom.”
For her unwavering commitment to improving lives for children and the underprivileged, along with her stellar role as an athlete, philanthropist, and parent, Themerrythought Magazine is thrilled to honor Nancy Lieberman with this month’s VIP Award.
Editor’s Note: For details about summer camp registration, please visit nancyliebermanfoundation.com
Nancy Lieberman made history as the first female head coach in the NBA, taking the helm of The Dallas Mavericks’ D-League Team, the Texas Legends, leading them to a playoff appearance in their inaugural season as an expansion team.
In 1975, Lieberman’s talents secured her a place on the USA Women’s National Basketball Team, thrusting her into the national spotlight. The following year, she claimed a silver medal at the World Championships in South America and a gold medal at the Pan American Games held in Mexico. At just 18 years old, she secured a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, making history as the youngest basketball player to compete in Olympic history, both male and female.
NANCY LIEBERMAN FOUNDATION
by Melissa Chaiken | Section Editor
Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, The Nancy Lieberman Foundation is a dynamic organization that runs basketball camps, constructs basketball courts, offers scholarships for camps and education, and provides school supplies and laptops.
The foundation annually grants educational scholarships to student-athletes who excel both in sports and academics. Another initiative, Backpacks & Laptops For Love, aims to motivate students to strive for academic excellence.
The upcoming 2015 Dream Ball Gala fundraiser organized by the Nancy Lieberman Foundation will take place on April 16 at the Omni Hotel, with proceeds supporting their mission “to cultivate a nurturing environment for youth to build self-esteem and confidence, enabling them to make positive choices in their future.”
For more details about the Dream Ball Gala, please visit www.nancyliebermanfoundation.com or refer to the Calendar of Events in this issue of Themerrythought Magazine.
Interested in learning about our VIP Award? Know someone worthy of a nomination? Click here for further details!
