NBA Players With Gang Ties

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
For many, basketball was a way out of a dangerous and poverty-stricken environment, and before some stars made it into the league, they were faced with serious adversity they had to overcome, including ties to gang culture. The former MVP has always been known for his sensational performances day in and day out, mostly known for his coveted step back three. Harden has been lighting up the scoreboard for years. Now, a lot of people don't remember this, but just a few years back, Harden was seen throwing up gang signs during an NBA game. Years back, when James Harden was playing against the San Antonio Spurs, Harden was running up and down the court, throwing up hand signs that made a lot of people think he was claiming to be a blood. During the early part of his career, James Harden grew up and played basketball in Lakewood, California. The Bloods were founded in the early 1960s, located in Los Angeles, California. The Bloods are infamously known for trying to recruit young African Americans to the gang whenever they get a chance. The street gang was known for making a prom on the streets and making money by whatever means necessary, from selling guns to drugs. Blood members identify themselves through various gang indicators, such as colors, clothing, symbols, tattoos, jewelry, graffiti, language, and hand signs. James Harden is befriended various rappers that have ties associated with the Bloods. The most well-known would be Lil Wayne. James Harden would send out a tweet that said, come to the next game, we got seats for you, five. Apparently, the most commonly used Blood symbol includes the number five, the five-pointed star, and the five-pointed crown. These symbols are meant to show the Bloods' affiliation with the people's nation, a large coalition of affiliates created to protect Alliance members within the federal and state prison systems. These symbols may have been seen in tattoos, jewelry, and clothing that gang members wear, as well as in gang graffiti, which is used by the Bloods to mark territory. A couple of rappers would go on to criticize Harden for the gang behavior. Slim Thug and Lil DeVa would give their opinion on the situation, saying, he's not about that life. And as of now, James Harden isn't thought to have any serious connection to any gang, but let's hope this doesn't cause any problems in the future. Demarda Rosen has been getting used to his new NBA team these past couple of seasons, but the Spurs knew they added a franchise player. Demarda Rosen plays with raw emotion and passion every time he's out there on the court. He's had to overcome obstacles and bad habits early in his life, but thanks to determination, hard work, discipline, talent, and of course a bit of luck, Demarda Rosen went from the streets of California to an NBA superstar. Demar won't ever forget where he came from. That's why at the start of his NBA career, Demarda Rosen would throw up gang signs, showing he was affiliated with the Crips. Born and raised in Compton, California, Demarda Rosen had to overcome one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the entire United States. Compton was known for its roots bringing up hip hop, but has some of the worst gangs and criminal activities ever. Basketball is what saved Demarda Rosen. At an early age, Demar was already an impressive young talent with his ability to attack the rim, quickly becoming one of the most desired assets in California basketball. Ranked top 5 in the nation while attending Compton High School. Rosen grew up in a hostile environment, with several members of his family shot dead in the proximities of his own house. Although it was his known talent that made all the thugs in the neighborhood protect the talented athlete and his remaining family members, constantly cheering and encouraging him to get better and better. And Demar became the ultimate pride of Compton. Back in 2010, Demar Rosen went to Twitter and tweeted out, hashtag in high school, I wore blue every day. The Crips are a gang based in the coastal regions of Southern California. They were founded in Los Angeles, California in 1969 And his members traditionally wear blue. The Crips are one of the largest and most violent associations of street gangs in the United States. With an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 members in 2008, they've been involved in murders, robberies, and drug dealing, among other crimes. The Crips would have to have strength in numbers, because just around the block was the other gang they hated, which happened to be the Bloods. The biggest obstacle Demar had to overcome was when his best friend was shot and killed during a dice game at the age of 17