Malik Cooke '07 has played professional basketball in seven foreign countries since graduating from Christ School a decade ago (Photo: BK Klosterneuburg Dukes).
Malik Cooke '07 Still Going Strong in Pro Basketball
Greenie grad has played in seven different countries
Chances are, Malik Cooke '07 has a more interesting passport than anyone you know. Cooke, 27, has played professional basketball in seven foreign countries since graduating from Christ School a decade ago. He is currently a forward for Israel's Ironi Kiryat-Ata, and Cooke has also suited up for teams in Austria, Chile, Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland. Cooke was originally drafted out of the University of South Carolina by the National Basketball Development League's Erie BayHawks in 2012. He will always be remembered fondly at Christ School for guiding the Greenies to state championships in 2005 and 2007. Cooke was named the Asheville Citizen-Times All-Western North Carolina Player of the Year as a senior and scored 1,375 career points. He reflected on his basketball career and travels during a recent interview.
Question: Has it sunk in that you're a veteran now, with this being your sixth year of pro basketball?
Answer: It's weird that you call me a veteran because it really doesn't seem like I've been playing that long. I have no complaints. I've gotten to see a lot of the world and play the game I love. It's really been a blessing, for sure.
Question: Tell me about your current team, and what do you envision your role being?
Answer: I've been in Israel for about two weeks. This is a new team for me. It's in a city about an hour away from Tel Aviv. I'm one of only two Americans on the team and I do a little bit of everything. I think I'll mostly be playing (small forward or power forward). I'll be all over the place.
Question: What do you remember most about your time at Christ School?
Answer: Just the people I met. The friends I made. It was definitely a growing experience for me, and helps me now with my travels and with adulthood. It's a good feeling when I do come back to see my alma mater doing good and on an upward trend. It definitely gives me some bragging rights when I tell people I played basketball for Christ School. It feels good.
