Bruce Wheatley Returns From Retirement

Returning to the court following a nine year hiatus, Bruce Wheatley has decided to lace up his sneakers for one more season, he will be playing with the Long Beach Jam of the American Basketball Association (ABA).  Bruce will continue his commitment to the organization, furthering ICI’s mission through his own example.

“My decision to return to playing basketball happened over night,” says Bruce. “When I first retired, I never thought I would return to the court again. After six years of not touching a ball I had this epiphany one day and realized, my body is different, I think differently, let me go see what I can do on the court. I began playing in Nike’s Summer One on One Battle Ground competition and found myself competitive with the younger players. After playing this past summer a lot of the guys were saying, Bruce you should make a come back. I insisted they were crazy and continued preparing for Inner City Industry’s upcoming program year.”

Mr. Wheatley hired Educator/Actor Lamman Rucker as Inner City Industry’s Program Director and discovered he would have a bit more time on his hands. When Lamman joined ICI’s staff Bruce felt the program was in extremely capable hands.  Soon Mr. Wheatley found himself negotiating with three of the four local ABA teams for a spot on their rosters.

“I worked out with the LA Stars, Ontario Wizards and the league’s returning Champion, Long Beach Jam, to get a feel for the coaches and players. In the minor leagues your goal is to get a call up to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Personally, that would be fantastic however it’s not my priority. I really want to play to inspire my students to see that no matter how old you are it’s never too late to make a comeback.”

Bruce’s  decision to play for the Long Beach Jam  was in part due to the team’s great coach, Nate “Tiny” Archibald.  He and the rest of  the Jam are devoted to the mission of Inner City Industry.

Coach Archibald was voted as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and is an NBA Hall of Fame Inductee, Bruce felt that he would bring out the best in his game. Bruce believes his ability to stay mentally and physically prepared has enabled him to have this rare opportunity.  “I’m in great shape considering I’m 12 years older then the average age of players in this league,” he says, “This will be great challenge for me and I look forward to facing the competition and fundraising for Inner City Industry.”