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Andscape at the Olympics

Andscape at the Olympics: Talking USA Basketball, opening ceremony

William C. Rhoden and Marc J. Spears discuss what they’re looking forward to in Paris and more

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    By William C. Rhoden Marc J. Spears

    Andscape at the Olympics is an ongoing series exploring the Black athletes and culture around the 2024 Paris Games.

    PARIS – Welcome to Andscape at the Olympics, a video series in which Andscape columnist William C. Rhoden, senior NBA writer Marc J. Spears and Andscape/ESPN commentator Ari Chambers will discuss the key topics about Black athletes and culture at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    In Episode 1, Rhoden and Spears talk about arriving in Paris for the start of the Games and beginning the series at Cafe Tournon, where Black American writers and artists such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and cartoonist Ollie Harrington came to converse and find community in the 1950s.

    The two discuss why Black American artists and writers flocked to France and the welcoming feeling of Paris to Black people (1:01), the chances of the USA Basketball men’s and women’s teams losing in Paris (5:30) and what they’re looking forward to and writing about in Paris, including the opening ceremony, Black gymnasts, breaking, 3×3 basketball (10:10).

    William C. Rhoden is a columnist for Andscape and the author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs the Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists from HBCUs.

    Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in years and his knees still hurt.

    This Story Tagged: Paris Olympics 2024 Andscape at the Olympics