After one season with the Mavericks, Jeelani accepted a four-year contract worth $750,000 with Liberto Livorno, a pro team in Italy.

Jeelani fell on hard times after his playing days. According to the 2013 story, Jeelani became addicted to drugs and alcohol in the mid 1990s following a combination of life events including a divorce and his mother’s illness. He was homeless in Racine for a time in 2010 before pulling himself back up with the help of friends.

Ghuari said Jeelani first experienced drugs well before that time.

"We all came up during the time when drug use was going on," Ghuaru said. "He wasn't by himself. We all experimented. The difference with him was he got hooked and it was a tough battle for him."

Jeelani later pursued a degree in counseling and worked with Ghuari, the executive director of the George Bray Community Center.

How will Ghuari remember his friend and former teammate?

"He was my brother," Ghuari said. "At the end of the day, we all have to go through this. We all have to leave here. None of us come here to stay and that's what my mom always taught me.

"We come here to experience something spiritual and then it's time to go. I think Jeelani left a mark and he also developed himself spiritually. Now, we can say he could have been more successful in his career, but, to me, he was as good of a basketball player that ever came from Racine."

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