Ken Carter

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Kenny Ray Carter is an American business owner, education activist and former high school basketball coach. Carter attended college at San Francisco State, then Contra Costa College, and finally George Fox University, where he played basketball.^[1]

Carter gained notoriety in 1999 when coaching the Richmond High School Oilers. He canceled all of his undefeated basketball team's games and practices for eight days -- forfeiting two games (one non-conference game and one alumni game) -- because fifteen team members had unacceptably poor academic performance. This event was known as "the lockout", and his actions were criticized by the school, players' parents, the community, the schools where his team was scheduled to play, and media commentators. Carter maintained that his athletes must take their studies seriously as good academic performance would give them access to college and other opportunities in life. Public opinion eventually changed, and he was praised for his determined emphasis on encouraging proper life priorities for his team.

The story of the 1999 season is in the 2005 film Coach Carter, with Carter played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Carter continues to coach sports teams, except basketball. Currently, he is the coach of the Slamball team 'Rumble'. He led Rumble to their first-ever Slamball Cup victory in 2001/2002. Carter has said that the greatest moment in his life was when he carried the Olympic Torch for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]} He has a son named Damien (who played for his father at Richmond, and was portrayed by Robert Ri'chard in the movie) and currently resides in Northern California.