Cory Blackwell (born March 27, 1963) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who was selected by the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly shortened to Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Division (1967–1970), and ...

in the second round (28th pick overall) of the

1984 NBA draft The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally ...

. A 6'6" forward from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

. Blackwell appeared in only one

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season, playing for the Sonics during the 1984–85 season, appearing in 60 games and scoring a total of 202 points. He has been a minister for the

International Churches of Christ The International Churches of Christ (ICOC) is a body of decentralized, co-operating, religiously conservative and racially integrated Christian congregations. Originating from the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, the ICOC emerged from th ...

and is a Middle East World Sector Leader (overseeing minister) for the International Christian Churches. He will also begin serving as an Evangelist for their Chicago congregation.

Personal life

Blackwell was born in Chicago. He was raised Sunni Muslim by his mother, Wazirah. After attending Crane Technical High School, located in the westside of Chicago, he was accepted into the University of Wisconsin. He played on the school's basketball team and was later drafted into the NBA. After his time in the NBA, Blackwell lived in Chicago. Later on he and his then wife, Megan, were baptized there in 1990 into the Chicago

International Church of Christ International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

. In 1991, he was asked by Kip McKean to move to LA. In 1994, he and his then wife were selected to be the Middle East World Sector Leaders (WSL) since Cory's mother, Wazirah, was a

muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

. In 2000, he and Megan stepped down from the ministry and later they divorced in 2002. In 2010, Cory Blackwell joined the ICC and after remarrying, he was appointed Middle East WSL. He currently lives in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. This summer he and his current wife, Jeraldine, are moving to Chicago to lead the Chicago ICC and oversee the Midwest and Middle East from there.

References

1963 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Finland American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American men's basketball players Basketball players from Chicago Fenerbahçe men's basketball players Great Taste Coffee Makers players La Crosse Catbirds players Philippine Basketball Association imports Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Seattle SuperSonics players Small forwards Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball players Crane High School (Chicago) alumni 20th-century American sportsmen NMKY Helsinki players {{1960s-US-basketball-bio-stub