Former Flames basketball standout Scottie James carries lessons learned at Liberty into professional Israeli league

Former Liberty University men’s basketball power forward Scottie James (’20) may be nearly 6,000 miles away from his alma mater, but as he lives out his professional basketball dream for the Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, he continues to ponder lessons learned while under Flames Head Coach Ritchie McKay’s tutelage.

“The biggest thing that he taught me was that there is more to life than basketball,” said James, who graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. “I really appreciated how he cared about me as a basketball player, but he cared even more for me as a person — my spiritual growth and things of that nature.”

James said that McKay would regularly share Scripture with his team, reminding them of where their ultimate focus in life should rest.

“He would preach a sermon a couple times throughout the week,” he said. “He would see something that he thought he should share with us. Obviously, he could have spent those 30 minutes going over film or going out on the court or working out. But he definitely made it a point to pour into the lives of the young men that he had with him, which I thought was super special.”

After playing high school basketball near Tampa, Fla., James was recruited by many schools, but not Liberty. He played his freshman season of college basketball at Bradley University in 2015, then entered the transfer portal. He was offered a scholarship by the Flames, who had just hired McKay for a second stint as their bench boss.

“I really appreciated his honesty and everything,” James said. “Just seeing the Christian atmosphere of Liberty and everything was cool. I knew pretty much right away that that was where I wanted to go.”

Throughout the next three seasons, James would go on to become one of the most prolific basketball players in Flames history, finishing with 1,323 points and coming in fourth on the all-time rebounding list with 891. In 2019, he played a critical role in helping lead the Flames to their first-ever win in the NCAA Division I National Championship Tournament, an 80-76 upset of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Following another impressive season in 2020 and Liberty’s second consecutive ASUN regular-season and tournament titles, James’ career at Liberty ended when March Madness was canceled due to COVID-19.

Despite the disappointing ending, James said that he will always cherish his memories from Liberty, both on and off the court.

“I enjoyed going to Convocation, and I enjoyed being in that type of a worship setting,” he said. “The singing was really cool, and the messages were really good.”

Now, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and away from everything he has ever known, James said that there are two people who have encouraged him throughout this season of dramatic transition: his wife, Delaney, and their daughter, Mia.

“We actually met in eighth grade, then went to high school together,” James said.

The couple dated long distance for years before marrying prior to James’ senior season at Liberty. McKay officiated their wedding.

Soon after moving to Lynchburg, Delaney received her Master of Business Administration from Liberty. The newlyweds moved to Germany in 2020 when James signed his first professional basketball contract with the Gießen 46ers. This year, he has played for both the Riesen Ludwigsburg of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany and the Hapoel Haifa, his current team in Israel.

James said that he does not know what he would do without his family’s support every day.

“I don’t know what some of these guys do who don’t have someone as great as my wife, or my little daughter who is always smiling and who starts saying, ‘Dadda,’ when I come in the door,” he said. “Their support means so much to me, especially moving to another country, which is obviously a tough thing to do.”

Mia was born while the couple lived in Germany.

“That was obviously a huge sacrifice for (Delaney) to be in a situation that was not that normal or comfortable,” he said. “All of the sacrifices that she has made for our family and my career have been amazing.”

The family has been in Israel for a few months now, and James said they hope to become involved in a church near Israel while growing more accustomed to the area, which he said reminds him somewhat of California, with the beaches and mountains.

“It kind of gives off a California-type of feel because of the beaches and the mountains,” he said. “We’ve been here for a little bit and have gotten  into a routine and have figured out little things like what grocery store to go to and what restaurants we should go to and stuff like that.”

As James adjusts to a new country, he carries with him lessons learned from his time at Liberty.

“My time at Liberty helped me grow as a basketball player, but also as a man and person,” he said. “The lessons I learned from the basketball staff and other friends and teachers at Liberty really helped shape a strong foundation for me as a husband and now father.”