Basketball
Favorite athletes: Derrick Rose & Dion Waiters
Favorite team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Making my teammate wear a durag after a game.
Music on mobile device: Hip Hop and R&B
Future plans: Plan on playing basketball in college
Words to live by: “Bet on yourself then double down”
One goal before turning 30: To see more money than I ever saw
One thing people don’t know about me: I’m altruistic
By Ed Morrone
When Tali McIver takes the court for North Penn’s opening round district playoff game at Cheltenham, he will be bringing his sixth man and guardian angel out there with him.
The fact that McIver even made it to this point is a testament to his determination and fierce love for his family.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride just to get here. When McIver was a sophomore, his older brother, Timothy, was killed in a car accident four days after he was released from a two-year prison stint. Just like that, Tali’s mentor was gone, but he knows Timothy will be with him, just like he always is.
“He was my mentor, so when he died everything went downhill,” the North Penn senior point guard said. “I looked up to him, and he wanted me to be better than him. He bought me clothes, made sure I ate, did my schoolwork and took me to practice, just helping me out with things like a big brother does.
“I was just broken. He was the piece of our family who kept everything together, even when he was incarcerated. He was so loving and cared for everyone. He didn’t get to see me play the way I am now, but I have a chain that I wear with his face on it. I always look at it and kiss it when I pray before every game, and it feels like he’s still with me every day. It calms me down a bit.”
When Timothy died, the man-of-the-house responsibilities shifted to a teenage Tali. His father, who he speaks to every day, lives in North Carolina taking care of Tali’s grandmother, who is battling cancer; not only that, but Tali, who lives with his mom, has three older sisters in their 20s (with four nieces and two nephews between them), as well as a 17-year-old younger brother to look out for.
Tali had to grow up fast, but he didn’t handle it well straight out of the gate. His grades slipped so far his sophomore year after Timothy died that he was academically ineligible to play basketball, and he almost ended up failing tenth grade entirely. He played as a junior, but persistent academic issues cost him three weeks during the season, according to North Penn head coach John Conrad.
“Back then, I was in the moment and I just didn’t care about anything,” McIver said. “I had just lost my brother and I didn’t know what to do. So I just said, ‘Forget it.’ But then I realized, people were watching me and depending on me. I’ve got nieces and nephews and a little brother who look up to me. They saw and felt the pain I was going through, and they didn’t want to see me fail.
“When I was failing tenth grade, my mom sat me down and she told me she knew what I was going through, and she felt bad. She saw the ambition I have with this game, and she told me I needed to get back up. I want to thank her for that, because if not for that talk I wouldn’t have done anything. But I started working out every day and got my grades back up. I was focused.”
That renewed focus was rewarded with a postseason berth for McIver and the Knights this year. Although it’s been a bit of an uneven season — North Penn had losing streaks of six and four games and were the 24th and final team into the field — that hasn’t stopped McIver from working his heart out every single time he steps on the court.
McIver’s role on North Penn is that of the point guard and floor general. Conrad said McIver averages 29 minutes per game, so he’s almost always on the court and the team’s offense runs entirely through him. McIver’s had a few 20-point outbursts throughout the season, but he thrives more on being a facilitator and distributor, preferring to make the extra pass to shooting guard AJ Mitchell for an open three, or dumping it into the post for a layup for center Matthew Swanson.
Not only that, but McIver, at 5-foot-8, is North Penn’s leading defensive rebounder, which should be a strong indication of the effort level he puts in every game.
“My job is to push the tempo,” McIver said. “I know where everybody likes to shoot, and I know once I get it rolling, the team is going to go with me. Once that happens, we can be unstoppable. I don’t care about how many points I score. I love dishing the ball, getting assists and helping my team win. There are a lot of point guards in the SOL averaging 20 points and one assist per game; to me, that’s not a point guard. I want everyone on my team to score and get involved. That’s my main focus.”
And the rebounding prowess?
“There’s a lot of big guys out there, so I just want to stay aggressive,” he said. “The number one thing our coach tells us is we have to rebound. No second shots — you get one chance, and that’s it. I love the action, the rush of chasing a rebound. As small as I am, I don’t really have a choice, I have to be aggressive all the time. You have to pass and you have to rebound. Once I get it, to me that’s a fast break opportunity every time. Me rebounding opens up more shots and layups for my team.”
Conrad admitted that coaching McIver has not been without its ups and downs, and it’s been as much of a learning experience for the coach as it has the player. That said, Conrad gushed about McIver’s perseverance, his character and his ability to not let adversity break him. All of those traits are hallmarks of a truly solid point guard and human being.
“He’s had to juggle a lot of things and has worked his way back from multiple academic eligibility issues to become a low-B student,” Conrad said. “At first, he kind of had a woe-is-me attitude, but he’s progressed to the point where he battles and overcomes. It’s been a learning curve for us both, but he’s turned into an incredibly reliable young man. It’s a happy story from my end, too.
“He embraces his teammates’ success, which is the very nature of being a point guard. More than anything, coaching Tali has taught me that this is about a heck of a lot more than just wins and losses. At the end of the day, here is a young man we’ve helped mature and put in a position to be successful in life, and because of what he’s overcome to still play and start for us, he has a lot of confidence. It’s been fun to watch.”
Now that he’s put himself in a position to do so, McIver has his eye on college or a trade school in the fall. He would love to play basketball — Conrad mentioned Gwynedd Mercy University as a possibility — and also said he would be interested in a career in construction or carpentry, mainly because his dad and uncles specialize and are passionate about those trades.
“I’d love to play basketball in college,” he said. “It’s always been my dream as a kid. It was my brother’s dream for me, too, and my mom also wants it for me. I want to play for as long as I can. Basketball gets my mind off of other things and keeps me focused to the point where I don’t think about much else.”
Heading into districts, McIver understands the odds stacked against North Penn. After all, the Knights are 9-13 and have lost 10 of their last 11 games heading into the postseason; that being said, McIver also said not to expect his team to go out there and just roll over. He’s been an underdog his whole life, so he and his teammates will take no umbrage in embracing that role.
“Man, I’m excited,” he said. “Number one, we made it to the playoffs; number two, I love the chemistry and confidence we have in one another. Even when we had our losing streaks, we never put our heads down. Even if we do lose the game, we’ll still all have the same love for each other. Just having this opportunity, it means everything to me.
“We’re underdogs. Everyone is sleeping on us and doesn’t believe in us because we’re the 24 seed and don’t have Division-I players. But we beat a couple of those top-10 seeds this season. I love trying to prove people wrong. I’m going to play hard. My teammates are going to play hard, and whether we win or lose, I know it’s going to be a tough game.”
If nothing else, this entire odyssey has taught McIver to always maintain a positive attitude, even when life hits and hits hard. Conrad said one of the things he’ll miss most is the perpetual smile McIver always has on his face. After what he has overcome, how can he not smile?
McIver has turned his life around. He’s happy, and he knows Timothy would be smiling from cheek to cheek if he could see the man Tali has become.
“I had to grow up and become a mature man at an early age,” he said. “When I was down and doing badly, I felt as though I didn’t want people to look at me that way. I try to keep a smile on my face and keep things positive because I don’t ever want to be down like that again, the way I was when my brother died.
“He always told me, ‘When you’re down, don’t let anybody see it. Just smile, keep it cordial and be positive about everything.’ That’s just me. Since then, I haven’t gotten down on myself. I’m focused and prepared, and this smile on my face isn’t going anywhere.”
