LOS ANGELES — After spending more than two decades behind bars, 55 year old Aaron Taylor still can’t get used to the view outside his South Los Angeles transitional home.
What You Need To Know
- Taylor served 26 years in prison for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon
- Taylor started doing play-by-play calling of basketball games in San Quentin
- Taylor is currently living in a halfway house in South LA
- Taylor will be a guest public announcer at the April 10 Warriors vs. Houston Rockets game
“I was in prison for 26 years, for a robbery and assault with a deadly weapon that I committed. [It’s] definitely different than looking out the window at San Quentin,” he said.
Taylor was released just a few months ago, but owning up to his crimes is only the first part of the beginning of his rebirth.
“To my survivors, I apologize from the bottom of my heart, for what took place that day,” he said.
The second part is doing something good with his new opportunity at life.
“There was only two [sic] constants in my life in prison, God, and basketball,” said Taylor.
While at San Quentin, he started doing play-by-play calling of basketball games; some were improvised, others more formal.
“I worked hard for it. At one point I was doing three games a day five days a week, just to hone my skills,” said Taylor.
When the Warriors would visit, he would call those games, too.
Then, a few weeks ago, after his release, the Warriors called to offer Taylor a chance to be a guest public announcer at their April 10 game against the Houston Rockets.
“It took me a minute for it to sink in and then all of the hard work just came out in tears. For about 20 minutes, I just sat there. I could not even catch my breath. I’m like man I made it to the NBA,” he said.
In doing so, he is restarting, an underdog rising.
“This is a story that is completely unbelievable, but that’s my life right now. I’m an ex-con on parole, living in a transitional home, and I’m also the best play by play announcer in the country who is about to get his opportunity in the Chase Center,” said Taylor.
His life after prison has become an opportunity to not only call games, but to change his life.
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