Long before he became an Oscar-winning actor, Mahershala Ali was actually a college basketball player.
Ali, 45, grew up in Hayward, Calif. and attended Saint Mary’s College, where he played basketball for four seasons. Take a look at this clip of some of his highlights while playing for the Gaels. Back then, Ali was known as Mahershala Gilmore.
Good luck to former @saintmaryshoops guard Mahershala Ali, who's up for his 2nd Best Supporting Actor at tonight's #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5Xi73DD8SJ
— TheW.tv (@TheWtv) February 24, 2019
Ali played in 97 games for Saint Mary’s, averaging 3.6 points per game during his career. He averaged 7.0 points per game as a senior.
In recent years, Ali has become a star in the acting world thanks to his performances in movies such as “Moonlight,” “Green Book,” and TV shows like “House of Cards,” “True Detective” and “Luke Cage.”
