What if the world's greatest basketball player was a 19 year old serving 54 years for a murder he didn't commit?

THE PHENOM

E World Times reporter Dan Stevens goes inside of Angola prison to bring you this exclusive story on the inmate many are saying could the greatest basketball player the world has ever seen.

By: Dan Stevens

Every now and then life drops something at your door so incredible that it must be filed in the folder of “We Have Never Seen Anything Like This, and Will Probably never See This Again”. In all my years of reporting, this has to be the most fascinating story I've ever encountered.

18-year-old Terrance Alexander was raised by his aunt in extreme poverty after his mother, grandparents and 2 sisters were killed in a car accident. The 7-year-old Alexander lived a normal life, well as normal a life as a poor kid could live, and after losing his entire family in one day. Then 2 days after his 14^tH birthday, Alexander was accused of robbing and brutally murdering his 69-year-old neighbor, Loretta Henson Clark! Clark had helped raise Alexander, buying him school clothes and supplies and paying him to do odd jobs around her house, ever since the death of his parents. So, his arrest for her murder left the entire community in shock.

Though Terrance vehemently proclaimed his innocence amidst some controversial behavior by first responding detectives. he was ultimately entenced to 54 years in Louisiana's Angola State Prison. The 160 lb. Alexander was sexually assaulted the first week in Angola and then stabbed during the second week. Then between the age of 16 and 18 young Alexander grew a whopping 11 inches and gained 80lbs. Having found refuge in the fitness room, every pound fell into the right place.

A series of bright spots began to emerge out of this very dark situation. Terrance Alexander developed a love for basketball that was shared by the prison warden Andre Teague, who was a standout college basketball player himself that led his team to two NCAA Championships. Ironically, in that same prison with Warden Teague is one inmate Mike Milichich, who many of you may reacall was the Coach of the very same team Warden Teague was on that won the two national titles. As fate would have it, Coach Millichich is 13 years into a 15-year prison term for intoxication manslaughter due to an alcohol problem that he hid for decades.

Milichich took an interest in Alexander after he heard the story of how he'd grown up and the tragic circumstances surrounding his incarceration. And who can overlook the recent growth spurt that had left young Alexander a body that looked like it was special delivered by the God of Basketball himself! Milichich then began putting Alexander through training drills during recreational time! Warden Teague and Mike Milichich were very quickly convinced that there was something special about Alexander and Milichich continued to train him in the recreation yard daily.

Milichich who proclaims he has went through a spiritual conversion during his time of his incarceration, has also taken on a role as a spiritual mentor to Alexander! I went down to Angola Prison to meet with Mr. Milichich. It turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my lifetime! Here is some record of that experience.

“As it pertains to his talent, 12 years in the NBA, a 5 time All Star. I played against the best players in the world. I keep up with the top recruits in the high school and college. I have never, never, played with or seen anyone, with the athletic ability and raw talent that this kid has. It is nothing short of phenomenal, miraculous, abnormal, freakish in the truest since of the word! It’s unbelievable some of the things he can do with a basketball.” (Milichich)

“He still has a lot of developing to do as far as his knowledge of the game and he will have a huge learning curve adjusting to game situations, but I have never seen anybody pick up the game as fast as he has. He has only been playing for two years” (Milichich)

I asked Milichich, who was once considered to be one of the finest basketball minds in the country, if he was in any way attempting to imply or suggest that Alexander, in his opinion might have the potential to be better than Michael Jordan or Lebron James. I couldn't believe that I had even asked the question, and very quickly began to feel a bit stupid for asking it. Then he looked me in the eye with extreme intensity, and said to me, YES SIR, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING.

I paused for a moment to take is response in, and then I began thinking to myself, I really feel stupid. I was stunned, and very quickly became angry with myself for wasting my time to come and talk about the game I’ve loved since I was three years old with a crazy man. Milichich may have been a great coach at one time in his life, but he is obviously lost his grip on reality at this stage of his life!

I turned the recorder off, grabbed my bag and began to thank him for his time. He called for the guard who walked in and took out his cell phone. He pulled up a video, pushed play and handed it to me. It was video of Alexander playing a pickup game in the recreation yard.

To say I was speechless was an understatement. The first thing I saw was this huge kid scrape a rebound off the rim, race to the other end of the court weaving through 5 defenders and leap over a guy almost from the free-throw line, stepping in the guys face, and two hand gorilla dunk the ball. In 5 minutes, I watched Alexander get every rebound on every missed shot and make 5 straight 3 pointers deep outside of NBA range.

Before I saw the video, I thought to myself, Milichich has definitely drank the kool-aid. After I saw the video, I wanted a glass full too. This kid is definitely the real deal. I felt like I had stumbled upon a literal gold mine. Here is this phenomenal kid that no one knows about in the penitentiary.

Then, just as quickly as these joyful feelings of discovering this goldmine rushed through me, they drained right back out. It doesn't matter how good this kid is, he's a convicted murderer with a 54-year prison sentence. By the time he gets out of here he'll be an old man, and not to mention he's a murderer. All I could do was shake my head and thought of what could have been. It bothered me every day for the next 4 months. I couldn’t stop thinking about this kid. From the sad story of his childhood, to the murder of his neighbor, to the video I saw on that cell phone.

Then one Monday morning in our weekly staff meeting Juan Cardenas starts talking about a situation moving through the court system. He went on to say that there are rumblings about a kid in Angola State Prison that was wrongly convicted of murdering his neighbor. Cardenas went on to say that it looks like there was some scandal with some detectives and the D.A. and that they may be close to overturning his conviction.

Now I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, No it can't be, He's not talking about... Then he said it, Terrance Alexander. I jumped up and screamed like I had just won the lottery, and in a way I had. The goldmine I'd found was real. All I could think about was where is that Kool-Aid. Without even thinking I jumped up, told my boss I was on it, and I headed back to Angola!

I went back to the prison that day and met “T AL” for the first time. His personality was just as incredible as his story. I left from there that day, called some NBA scouts that I had pretty good relationships with and told them what was going on. They went nuts over Terrance's story and drove down to Angola to see my goldmine for themselves.

Now California isn't the only place with a GOLDRUSH. We now have one right here in southern Louisiana. Scouts are showing up at Angola like it was the NCAA final Four! I don't expect this story to do anything but continue to grow as they are scheduled to have a decision on overturning “T Al's” conviction in the next 2 weeks!

Dan Stevens
E World Times

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“PHENOM”

The Terrance Alexander Story - The Movie

My name is Terrance Levi, I am a film maker and what you just read was the summary for a fictional gritty, inspirational story for a film I just finished writing that I am working to bring to life. “Phenom, The Terrance Alexander Story” is not just a good idea for an entertaining film but is also a visual life lesson that very candidly exposes what life can be like in prison for young men. I would simply describe it as “The Shawshank Redemption” meets “The Longest Yard” meets the never-before-seen world of prison basketball.

I have given most of my life to reaching out to young men in at-risk communities and mentoring young male athletes. Through the years I have seen the combination of the two produce some very driven and talented ball players, but because of their families’ economic struggles and the overall struggles of being raised in a hood environment, many of them have been swallowed up by dumb mistakes that cost them very bright futures. From petty theft to drug dealing, to rape, I've seen too many cases where student athletes have lost great opportunities to live better lives after being arrested and sent to prison for these types of crimes.

Now I know athletes aren't the only ones who commit these types of crimes, but bringing awareness to the young athlete is a great part of the focus of this project. This story will also appeal to anyone that has gone through devastating losses in their life and has had struggled to make sense of it all. The main character in this story goes through tremendous loss in his life, and the viewing audience will be able to relate to his pain and share in the peace of the answers he finds that bring inner healing and enable him to go on.

This film is also entertaining. We have done months of research to provide information about things that go on in prison that are fascinating to say the least. The characters in the film each bring colorful and powerful insight to the project as well. We have plans to assemble an all-star cast that will without a doubt, bring these colorful characters to life. There are 3 things necessary in successfully producing a theatrically released film with a descent budget: NO.1. A KILLER STORY, NO.2. A KILLER CAST, NO. 3. A DISTRIBUTOR THAT WILL PRODUCE IT AND PUT IT OUT ON “BOX OFFICE” LEVEL. If you have any two of those, you can pull the third. I don't have the tens of millions necessary to pay for the project, but if I can deliver 1 and 2, with the help of some influential people, then I can pull no. 3. Whether that be finding an investor(s) or making a deal with a studio.

The Phenom film has the potential to generate tremendous revenue and impact. I'm proposing to deliver am unprecedented cinematic experience to sports fans, action film fans, and the faith-based world, not by accident, but by a well thought out plan. Forging a partnership with the likes of the NCAA, NBA, ESPN or FOX, the social justice and faith communities, athletic apparel and shoe companies, sports drinks, and the hip hop music industry will ensure the necessary exposure to produce a box office hit. I believe our goal to bring awareness to the pitfalls that some high school, college and even pro athletes fall victim to that have caused them to forfeit their careers due to arrest and subsequent incarceration will bring the aforementioned parties on board. The film is also going to need some buy in from some NBA Players.

• We would like to partner with a team of athletes that have established or growing brands to produce The Phenom
• Their role would be associate producers who use their brands and influence to "champion" the film and help us attach actors and producers and distribution to the film. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR THEM TO FUND THE FILM. It is our strong belief that The Phenom film has the potential to be the greatest, most critically acclaimed, and highest grossing sports films ever done. Combined with the proper brands, influencers and industries as our partners, we can, with a phone call, pitch it to a distributor who will fund the project 100% and distribute it!
• We are not looking for this to be a one-time thing either. I have other stories with scripts and plans that are as good or better than The Phenom film, and if this venture goes well for all parties, this will just be the beginning of a very lucrative and exciting partnership.

The Phenom Film is a great idea, but the project becomes a GREATER PROJECT and a MOVEMENT when it’s not just our project, but our project along with a group of athletes and organizations to represent it like it needs to be represented. THE PROJECT becomes bigger as we bring other helpful pieces along into the mix. I love the game of basketball, and I love good movies and I think The Phenom film can bring them together to make great entertainment and impact many lives in the process.

There have been films made by ball players, but none with the serious potential this one has. I think other professional players will support their own leading a project like this; and not only will fellow players support, but also those in influential positions that love the players and the game. I have shared with you the basic information about the project.

Thank you for your time. I will be looking to hear back from you soon with your thoughts. God bless and good day!