Photo from Pexels by Tima Miroshnichenko

To play in the NBA takes courage, determination, and hard work. The league is highly competitive even for those living in the U.S, and imagine the difficulty for the players from different backgrounds.

However, many foreign players have played in the league and impressed fans with their performances. They have also played a vital role in the team’s winnings and the progress of the NBA.

Globalization nowadays plays a huge part in the growth of any industry, and gradually the NBA has started to embrace the fact. It celebrates “Noches Enebea” in March to honor Latin fans and players who have been and are part of the league. In this tradition, all teams wear special jerseys.

Several Latin American players have impacted fans and the sport massively, and we will take a look at the journey of some players.

Carlos Delfino

Delfino has represented many teams in the NBA, the Pistons, Raptors, and Bucks, to name a few. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury and left the NBA to play in Argentina. He had some successful outings and a decent career averaging 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per match in the NBA.

Eduardo Najera

Not many players came from Mexico and have impacted the NBA as much as Najera. He played for over a decade and represented several teams, including Mavericks and Nuggets. He had a successful career, averaging 9.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Najera was known for his aggressive defense throughout his career.

Andres Nocioni

Nocioni’s work ethic, willingness, and skill created an immediate impact when he first stepped on the floor. He played multiple seasons, but his career highlight was with the Chicago Bulls, where he played five seasons and averaged 11.7 points and five rebounds per game. Whenever he was on the court, he gave everything and showcased his all-out style.

J.J. Barea

Barea was one of the prominent names in the NBA. He proved everyone wrong and emerged as one of the most reliable point guards. Barea witnessed much success, but the most memorable would be Dallas Mavericks’ championship run in his career. He played a critical role in winning the title, where he averaged 17.3 points and 6.6 assists in the playoffs.

Anderson Varejao

It speaks volumes about a player’s skill when they serve for such a long time in the NBA. Varejao was part of the league for fifteen years, and the last team he represented was the Cleveland Cavaliers. He served with sheer determination and skillful gameplay. His sharp rebound skills on both sides allowed him to stretch his run in the NBA. Varejao was known for rebounding and averaged 17.4 – only if it were not for his knee injury, he would have achieved much more.

Nene Hilario

During a lengthy eighteen years of a career in the NBA, Nene underachieved with his structure. He had such a strong physique and a dominant presence on the court that everyone expected him to do great. He was known for his offensive play, but he had a firm defense as well. 

Manu Ginobili

Ginobili had a fulfilling career in the NBA. He has won four NBA Championships, two All-Star, and two Sixth Man of the Year. He would probably go down as the greatest Latin American NBA player in history. He was a team player who proved himself on both sides of the court. Whenever he was playing, the NBA betting charts would keep on fluctuating as Ginobili had resistance and a spirit of fighting against all odds.

Publisher/Editor-in-chief

Suzanna Bowling, co-owns and publishes the newspaper the Times Square Chronicles or T2Conline.com. She is also the creative director for the New York Theatre Festival and the head panelist for The InternationalTheatre Festival. She works with playwrights to get their work to the next level.At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She also has a book on Child Abuse and Loss and Grief coming out this year. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

Cabaret/Music/Co-Theatre Editor

Stephen is Honorary Advisory Board Member of The Society For The Preservation Of The Great American Songbook. He studied at the Manhattan School of Music. Besides being a pianist, Stephen’s business career was in the Fashion Industry. He was CEO of a textile manufacturing facility and President of an international textile machinery company. Stephen was on the Board of Directors of the “First All Children’s Theatre” which brought the Stephen Schwartz musical The Trip and Captain Louie to the Kennedy Center in Wash DC. His wife Eda, an interior space designer, was on the Board of Barrington Stage Company and is still active at BSC as a Voting Member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association. Stephen’s photographs, videos and articles appear on Broadwayworld.com, T2Conline.com and The New York Observer. He is active in the entertainment events at the Friars Club, where he is a member. Stephen is thrilled to be the cabaret/ music and co-theatre editor. email: stephen@t2conline.com

Publicist

The Judy Jacksina Company, Inc. is a publicity, public relations and marketing company whose expertise is concentrated in the entertainment field, with specific attention to the promoting, publicizing and marketing of theatre and films. The company also works in the music industry with occasional forays into the art and publishing worlds. The subject of stories in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and The New York Times, the firm has also garnered its share of marketing industry accolades. Whether it be a stadium concert, a Broadway event or a gallery opening, the Jacksina Entourage believes in the now highly regarded adage, “If you publicize it, they will come.”

Columnists

Ken Fallin began his career creating caricature drawings for the long-running satirical revue, “Forbidden Broadway”.

Ken’s illustrations have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, In Style Magazine, The New Yorker , The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Politico, and PLAYBILL

Ken has produced illustrations for HBO, Showtime, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Opera, American Express,  Belvedere Vodka, CBS News, Walt Disney Productions, The Peter Norton Foundation, and Microsoft.

An Emmy nomination was received for Ken’s work on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” TV ad . Ken has several posters  in the permanent poster collection of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Original pen and ink drawings now hang in the venerable Players Club, as well as a permanent exhibit at New World Stages. Ken has chronicled the New York Theatre scene for over ten years in various publications and websites

Private collectors of Ken’s work include Angela Lansbury, Harold Prince, Darren Criss,  Matthew Broderick, Bradley Cooper, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Paulson, Frank Langella, Sir Patrick Stewart, Warren Buffett, and Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

G. H. Harding is a four decades insider to the entertainment world. He’s worked for record companies; movie companies; video-production companies and several cable outlets.

Magda Katz has been in the entertainment world for most of her life as a child actress, assistant to the head publicist of Avco Embassy Pictures, theatrical print agent. She went on to manage the show business career of her 2 children for over 15 years. For the last five years Magda has been filming and editing video trailers of live performances as well as celebrity interviews. Broadway After Dark was the first website to feature her video trailers. She contributed in creating a star studded 90th birthday party for Mickey Rooney at Feinstein’s at the Regency Hotel. Her video trailers have a large international following. Videos are featured on www.t2conline.com. All of Magda’s videos can be viewed at   http://www.youtube.com/user/MagdaCorrespondent

Eli Marcus is the Executive Director of NYC’s largest circulation Visitor Magazine, City Guide, where he holds the distinction of affectionately being known as “The Mayor of Times Square” for his tenure as the longest serving hospitality professional in all of NYC.  Eli is also the inspirational host of The Motivation Show podcast (ranked in the top 1% of podcasts in the world by Listen Notes) where he interviews famous Motivational Speakers, Celebrities, NY Times Best Selling Authors, Health Experts, Mega-Successful Entrepreneurs  & more! Listeners can hear Eli on Apple Podcasts, IHeart Radio, Spotify, Google Podcasts or any podcast listing app or just click here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NVmTDAvGbzooN8TCW7tuN   

As the former CEO of The Seminar Center in NYC, he has produced events for a Who’s Who of Celebs, best-selling book authors, experts, etc.  They included: Michael Jackson at Carnegie Hall, Mark Victor Hansen, Iyanla Vanzant, Davy Jones, Les Brown, Don Miguel Ruiz, Judy Collins & hundreds

Here is a video of Eli speaking https://youtu.be/6xtVGmb0Pf8. 

My love for theater started when I first got involved in high school plays and children’s theatre in London, Ontario, which led me—much to my mother’s chagrin—to study set design, directing, and arts administration at York University in Toronto. But rather than pursuing theater as a career (I did produce and design a wee bit), I became a self-proclaimed theater junkie and life-long supporter. I am not a writer by trade, but I hope to share my views and feelings about this amazing experience we are so lucky to be able to see here in NYC, and in my many trips to London, Enlgand, Chicago, Toronto, Washington, and beyond.

Living in London, England from 1985 to 1986, NYC since 1994, and on my numerous theatrical obsessive trips to England, I’ve seen as much theater as I can possibly afford. I love seeing plays. I love seeing musicals. If I had to choose between a song or a dance, I’d always pick the song. Dance—especially ballet—is pretty and all, but it doesn’t excite me as, say, Sondheim lyrics. But that being said, the dancing in West Side Story is incredible!

As it seems you all love a good list, here’s two.

FAVORITE MUSICALS (in no particular order):

• Sweeney Todd with Patti Lupone and Michael Cerveris in 2005.  By far, my most favorite theatrical experience to date.
• Sunday in the Park with George with Jenna Russell (who made me sob hysterically each and every one of the three times I saw that production in England and here in NYC) in 2008
• Spring Awakening with Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele in 2007
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (both off-Boadway in 1998 and on Broadway in 2014, with Neal Patrick Harris, but also with Michael C. Hall and John Cameron Mitchell, my first Hedwig and my last…so far),
• Next To Normal with Alice Ripley (who I wish I had seen in Side Show) in 2009

FAVORITE PLAYS (that’s more difficult—there have been so many and they are all so different):

• Angels in American, both on Broadway and off
• Lettice and Lovage with Dame Maggie Smith and Margaret Tyzack in 1987
• Who’s Afraid of Virginai Woolf with Tracy Letts and Amy Morton in 2012
• Almost everything by Alan Ayckbourn, but especially Woman in Mind with Julia McKenzie in 1986
• And to round out the five, maybe Proof with Mary Louise Parker in 2000. But ask me on a different day, and I might give you a different list.

These are only ten theatre moments that I will remember for years to come, until I don’t have a memory anymore. There are many more that I didn’t or couldn’t remember, and I hope a tremendous number more to come.  Thanks for reading.

And remember: read, like, share, retweet, enjoy.

ElizaBeth Taylor is a journalist for Times Square Chronicles and is a frequent guest at film, fashion and art events throughout New York City and Los Angeles due to her stature as The Sensible Socialite.Passionate about people ElizaBeth spent many years working as a travel reporter and television producer after graduating with high honors from University of Southern California. The work has afforded her the opportunity to explore Europe, Russia, South America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. It has greatly influenced the way in which ElizaBeth sees a story and has created a heightened awareness for the way people around the world live today.

Writers

Brad Belfour

Starting as a teen rock critic, Brad Balfour has interviewed, reviewed and commented on pop culture and films for over the last 15 years and has spoken to everyone from Jennifer Lawrence to John Cena in settings ranging from press conference to one-on-ones. He’s also Filmfestivaltraveler.com Editor-In-Chief, popentertainment.comsenior editor, a blackfilm.com writer, a fearsmag.com interviewer and now Times Square Chronicle’s newest writer. Film, arts, and pop culture creators have been his subjects for years; he has been AM-New York’s regular film interviewer, a Huffingtonpost.com contributor, timessquare.com‘s Editor-In-Chief,  a columnist for fashion mag Lincoln Road; Irish Connections’ founding editor; In-Fashion contributing editor; Creem Magazine’s senior editor; Reflex Magazine’s features editor and an editor at Heavy Metal and Circus Magazine, among others.

Stephen S. Best is currently a freelance writer for the Times Square Chronicles, covering the performing arts scene in the greater Chicagoland area. He has been a theater aficionado for years, attending his first live production, Annie, at the tender age of six. After graduating from Purdue University, Stephen honed his skills attending live theater, concerts and art installations in New York and Chicago.  Stephen’s keen eye and thorough appreciation for both theater patrons’ time and entertainment dollar makes him a valuable asset and his recommendations key. Stephen currently lives in downtown Chicago.

For over thirty years, Lawrence Harbison was in charge of new play acquisition for Samuel French, Inc., during which time he was responsible for the publication of hundreds of plays, by new playwrights such as Jane Martin, Don Nigro, Tina Howe, Theresa Rebeck, William Mastrosimone, Charles Fuller and Ken Ludwig among many others; and the acquisition of musicals such as Smoke on the Mountain, A…My Name Is Alice and Little Shop of Horrors. 

He has edited over 100 anthologies for Smith and Kraus, Inc., for whom he edited annual anthologies of ten-minute plays and monologues for men and for women, and for several years edited their annual New Playwrights and Women Playwrights anthologies; and for Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, for whom he has edited several monologue, full length, 10-minute and 5-minute play anthologies. Currently, he is editing books solely for Applause, for whom he is editing annual anthologies of 10-minute plays and monologues and two anthologies of monologues and 10-minute plays by members of the Honor Roll, an advocacy group for women playwrights over 40. He has set up a new division for Applause to publish and license individual full length plays, as well as the World Premiere Club, which will include terrific plays he has helped playwrights develop which have not yet been produced. His column, “On the Aisle with Larry,” was appeared in the Chelsea Clinton News and the Westsider for several years and then moved to www.smithandkraus.com, where also ran for many years. In the late December of 2019, it will begin running on the Applause website, www.applausebooks.com. It also appears on his blog at www.playfixer.com and on www.doollee.com, the international playwrights database. He also writes occasional columns for Theatre Record, a London-based magazine. He was a member for many years of two NYC press organizations, the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama Desk, and served on the Drama Desk Awards Nominating Committee for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons. 

He works with individual playwrights to help them develop their plays (see his website, www.playfixer.com). He has also served as literary manager or literary consultant for several theatres, such as Urban Stages and American Jewish Theatre. He has served many times over the years as a commentator for various M.F.A. programs and as a judge for play contests, and lectures occasionally at colleges and universities. He taught playwriting in the Theatre Dept. of the University of Michigan in the winter semester of 2016. He holds a B.A. from Kenyon College and an M.A. from the University of Michigan. 

His book, How I Did It: Establishing a Playwriting Career, a collection of interviews with playwrights, was published by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books in March, 2015. His latest anthologies of monologues and 10-minute plays were published in December, 2019 by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books.

His anonymity is essential in bringing an unbiased view to his writings on pop culture. He is based in NYC. 

Claudia Perry is an Actress, Singer, Composer/Lyricist, Playwright & Director who has worked on stage and in film with Peter Falk, Fred Gwynne, Tony Musante, Jay Arnold, Paxton Whitehead & William Friedkin. She wrote and recorded Title Songs for the Indie Film, “Variety” and for TV Pilots, “Dearly Beloved” & “Town Trekkers”. Her play, “Vienna, My City of Dreams”, was given a reading by the Dramatists Guild’s Philly Footlights at Adrienne Theatre.  She wrote the newly adapted book for the musical, “Jamaica” for Prince Music Theater and was Composer/Lyricist for “Queen of Hearts”, Off-Broadway at Harold Clurman Theatre.  “Hard Luck Dame” – AFilm Noir Musical, was a semi-finalist at the Samuel French Festival, NYC in which she also appeared. With a Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation she was engaged to write, direct and act in, “Putting Out the Fire” – Help For Victims of Abuse.  Society Hill Sheraton debuted three of her musicals, “Hard Luck Dame”,

“Ai, Caramba!”– A Latin Dance Musical & “Doctors & Nurses” – A Medical Spoof.  Songs from her “A Loss of Roses” were presented at BMI Musical Theatre Workshop run by Tony Award-winning Maury Yeston. She was composer for “The Body Shop” which ran at West Side Arts Repertory Theatre, NYC & Artists-in-Residence Concert Series, Kingston, NY. At the Kelsey Theatre she has directed the world premieres of, “Snow White” – The Musical,“Hansel & Gretel” – The Musical & “Alice in Wonderland”– The Musical (with costumes by Broadway’s David Toser).  As Vocalist with Jazz Celebration Big Band she recorded the CD, “Little Girl with a Big Band” andappears at Café Lava in Philadelphia, monthly. See Video, Film & Music clips at  www.claudiaperry.com. Actor’s Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, Dramatists Guild Inc., BMI-Musical Theatre Workshop (Alumna).

Jeffery Lyle Segal is a multifaceted theater and film artist, who has worked professionally as an actor, singer, director, songwriter, casting director, and special effects makeup artist.  He is  proud to have been the first Executive Director of Chicago’s acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company.  He is a triple threat musical theater composer, book writer, and lyricist, who also consults as a musical theater dramaturg.  His own musicals can be heard at www.JefferyLyleSegal.com.  Most recently, he has added hypnosis to his skill set,  performing nationally as stage hypnotist “Jeffrey Powers”.   See www.TheHypnoParty.com. 

Stephen Sorokoff (See Cabaret/Music/Co-Theatre Editor)

Samantha von Sperling is a lifestyle guru who has spent her entire career going above and beyond to help her clients achieve their goals. “When asked what I do, I will tell you that I “Spit shine” people and things for a living. My arsenal of expertise helps smooth out the rough spots, whether it’s your look, the space you inhabit, or how you interact with the world around you. Our goal is to help you feel more comfortable in your skin and confident in your ability to handle any social situation with panache! Keen insight and fresh perspective is the first step to attaining your goal. Everything in life at some level is a matter of packaging and a game of seduction, a new job, a step up a ladder, the winning over of clients and friends or the conquest of your desire. Tell me what you want, what you need, even if it seems trivial, personal or impossible. If I can’t help you, I’ll tell you. If I can, it shall be done.” Samantha was raised in a sophisticated family where entertaining international guests was de rigueur; refined manners, elegant dress, proper posture, the art of conversation, and ballroom dancing are second nature to her. Her education is a continuation of a lifelong passion for the arts and a foundation for her business. Armed with a degree from New York University in Educational Theatre with a concentration in Speech Communications – also a classically trained ballroom dancer and actress – von Sperling set out the offer the world a new approach to the old concept of finishing. She uses her diverse talents through innovative group seminars or with one-on-one consultations. By utilizing all her skills and training, von Sperling has fulfilled requests from royal families, diplomats, politicians, celebrities, CEOs, companies big and small, regular joes, and soccer moms. Ms. von Sperling has appeared in print publications such as The New York Times, TIME Magazine, O The Oprah Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The Wall Street Journal, to name a few. She appears as a guest expert on numerous television programs, and currently contributes as ImageGal for DivaGalsDaily.com and writes her own column, “Ask Sam” for Time Square Chronicles which she counts amongst her great joys in life. Samantha von Sperling from POLISHED Social Image Consultants has been on the forefront of the image consulting industry for a decade, helping to bring out the best in you – from the boardroom to the ballroom.

George Tower grew up in New York City. His extensive travels around the world have enabled him to approach life in Gotham from a holistic point of view. His degrees in psychology inform much of his work written from a psychospiritual perspective. His is a background rich with creativity in both artistic mediums and the environments that showcase them and as a result his work has garnered positive media attention. He is an enthusiastic resident of Manhattan who prides himself on having a New York sense of humor.

Photographers/Videographers

Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Because we cover theatre, we use a lot of Joan Marcus’s photographs. We wanted to honor her because she is considered to be “one of the preeminent Broadway photographers,” and we love her work.

Stephen Sorokoff (See Cabaret/Music/Co-Theatre Editor)

It is with a broken heart that Brian passed away in July 2020. 

Co-Owner

David is an active private investor with interests in media, technology and real estate. David studied film at the School of Visual Arts and produced the 2006 motion picture “My Brother”, starring Vanessa Williams and Tatum O’Neal. The movie won the Grand Jury Prize at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, in July 2006. It received 26 other nominations and awards, including Christopher Scott’s Founder’s Award at the American Black Film Festival. David was among the first real estate agents to discover and promote residences and retail spaces in Tribeca/NoHo/SoHo. David has successfully managed real estate throughout 30 years of Manhattan’s “boom and bust” cycles for Dynamic Worldwide Group. David led a successful turnaround strategy of the property when he signed the first Starbuck’s and one of the first Kinko’s in New York City as anchor tenants in the building.