The Mahershala Ali Basketball Story is Remarkable

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Today, The Washington Post published an article in their sports section about actor Mahershala Ali and his little-known basketball career at St. Mary’s. That sparked an internet deep-dive on the matter which you can read below.

The Mahershala Ali basketball story is mind-blowing; Ali, then Mahershala Gilmore, played for one of the best mid-major programs in the country, doing so for four years between 1992 and 1996. Not only did he play, but the star of True Detective and Green Book frequently started for the Gaels.

Below, you can watch a St. Mary’s-Gonzaga conference tournament game from Ali’s career. Right off the bat, after he’s introduced with the starting five, Ali makes an impact, picking the pocket of Gonzaga’s point guard and taking it coast-to-coast for an easy bucket. The video picks up right before the aforementioned play…

In total, Mahershala Ali played 97 games for St. Mary’s, highlighted by an impressive senior season that saw Ali shoot 39.8 percent from three-point land. That same season, he also averaged a career-high seven points per game.

For his career, Ali made 63 of 180 shots from downtown (35 percent).

Judging from the video and the Post article, Ali was a pesky defender with a motor that never ended. It’s that workmanlike attitude that has vaulted him to succeed in everything he’s done post-St. Mary’s.

After his D-1 basketball career ended — something only a minute amount of people can put on their resume — Ali turned towards entertainment. We know him now as one of the best living actors in the world but he also made waves as rapper Prince Ali before narrowing his pursuits.

Mahershala Ali is one immensely talented dude; since 1995, he’s been a starter on a legit D-1 college basketball team, signed a record deal, released a full-length rap album, rose to the A-list as an actor, and won an Oscar — maybe two Oscars after tonight’s ceremony.

*Ali is nominated for his role in “Green Book” (Best Supporting Actor)

All we can hope for now is a memoir when he slows down.