Title
To Recognize Edward “Skip” Young AKA Ahmad Aliyy and Celebrate His Legacy and Contributions to the City of Columbus
Body
WHEREAS, Edward “Skip” Young, later known as Ahmad Aliyy, was born on the eastside of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, despite being cut from his middle school team, Skip’s love of basketball continued and he developed into one of the top high school players in the State of Ohio, receiving national recognition; and
WHEREAS, Skip led the Linden McKinley High School Panthers to their first state championship in 1967, for which he was named tournament MVP, 1st team All-State, All-American, and inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Skip played collegiately at Florida State University from 1968-1971 as one of the school’s first Black scholarship recipients and was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame in 2006 after finishing his career as the school’s leader in assists and among the top scorers; and
WHEREAS, after FSU, Skip had a professional career with the Boston Celtics of the NBA and the New Jersey Nets of the ABA before becoming a prominent high school coach in Florida; and
WHEREAS, Skip co-founded and served as president of the Greater Columbus Basketball Legend Association (GCBLA), helping recognize the history of basketball in Columbus and offering resources, coaching, and support to young players; and
WHEREAS, Skip left an impact on the City of Columbus and the game of basketball both on and off the court; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council recognizes Edward “Skip” Young AKA Ahmad Aliyy and celebrates his legacy and contributions to the City of Columbus