Off the court: How one basketball star's death is saving lives

Research shows that investing in programs and places for youth to participate in sports can reduce gun violence. But what can the people most directly affected do in the wake of tragedy? In this episode, part two of a conversation, Brookings Senior Fellow Rashawn Ray speaks with Taren Weaver-Smith, mother of Darius Lee, a rising basketball star whose life ended by gun violence, and Ron Cottrell, Darius' coach at Houston Christian University. Show notes and transcript . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu .

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Off the court: How one basketball star's death is saving lives is an episode from The Current by The Brookings Institution.

This episode is 18:15 long.

This episode was published on Apr 2, 2026.

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