LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

By Michael A. Wattkis, Public Information Officer

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ — “Tonight, we celebrate not just a great basketball player, but a true piece of Linden High School history -- Jamaal Tate, Class of 2000.”

With that declaration, Linden Athletics Director Michael Firestone framed what the night would become: not simply a ceremony, but a reckoning with legacy.

The Linden High School gymnasium filled with generations of Tiger pride — civic leaders, educators, former coaches, teammates, and longtime supporters — all gathered to witness the permanent retirement of Tate’s No. 21 jersey. Among those in attendance were Derek Armstead Mayor of Linden, Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y Perkins, Malaysia Thomas, Board of Education members Brianna Armstead, Antionette Pino, Craig Halloran, Kimberly Ulisse, Phil Campo, community leaders, former coaches, and longtime supporters of Linden basketball.

On the basketball court for the jersey retirement ceremony stood Tate, not alone, but surrounded by the stewards of the community that helped shape him. His family watched from the stands, having traveled from State College, Pennsylvania, where Tate now lives with his wife Ashlee and four children, Syrah, Lydia, Rebekah, and DJ.

𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦

Jamaal Tate’s name is etched permanently into the Linden record books.

He remains the all-time leading scorer in Linden boys’ basketball history, finishing his career with 1,975 points, and still holds the program’s single-game scoring record of 46 points, a performance that remains one of the most unforgettable nights the gym has ever seen.

Tate earned First Team All-County and First Team All-State honors, played in the New Jersey North/South All-Star Game, and was nominated for both the McDonald’s All-American Team and the Street & Smith’s All-American Team, reflecting national recognition during one of the most competitive eras in New Jersey high school basketball.

But Firestone made clear that the numbers alone could never define Tate’s impact.

“Jamaal competed with heart, toughness, and a relentless drive to be great,” he said. “He wasn’t just a scorer. He was a leader, a teammate, and someone who represented Linden with pride every time he stepped on the court. His work ethic and passion set the standard for those who came after him.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫

Before Tate’s jersey was unveiled, Firestone invited the crowd to recognize the 2000 Linden High School Boys Basketball Team -- the group that captured the first boys basketball state championship in program history.

That team won the Watchung Conference Championship, the North Jersey Section 2 Group 4 State Championship, advanced to become North Jersey Group 4 State Champions, and ultimately claimed the New Jersey Group 4 State Championship, finishing with an appearance in the Tournament of Champions.

“What made this team special wasn’t just the titles,” Firestone said. “It was the way they competed — with toughness, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to one another.”

Those traits, speakers noted throughout the evening, remain foundational to Linden basketball today.

‘𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝’

No assessment carried more weight than that of Tate’s former head coach, Phil Colicchio, who offered perhaps the most definitive statement of the night. Colicchio, now the head coach at Elizabeth High School, called Tate “the best player I ever coached.”

Considering Linden’s proud basketball history, it was praise that resonated deeply, not merely as a comment on talent, but on leadership, competitiveness, and character.

Tate’s journey extended beyond Linden, as he went on to play at Penn State University, where his career was sidetracked by injuries. In 2010, he was inducted into the Linden High School Athletic Hall of Fame, cementing his place among the school’s all-time greats.

𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

From the stands, Tate’s wife watched the ceremony unfold -- seeing in real time a chapter of her husband’s life she had only known through stories.

“We weren’t involved in this part of his life,” she said. “So it’s really special to see him recognized and to finally experience it.”

Their four children, who made the trip from central Pennsylvania, were still processing what it all meant.

“Our kids are kind of like, ‘Who’s that? Dad wasn’t good,’” she said with a laugh. “So, to see him surrounded by his teammates, his friends — this is something we’ve never gotten to experience before. It’s exciting for all of us.”

She reflected on how Tate’s Linden years shaped who he became, even when life didn’t follow the plan he once imagined.

“When he went to college, things didn’t always turn out the way he planned,” she said, referencing the injury that altered his Penn State career. “But that’s when we came into his life. And we tell our kids all the time: things work out the way they’re supposed to. It may not be the way you plan — but it works out.”

𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲

𝐀 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

As Tate scanned the gymnasium, he locked eyes with faces from the grind — teammates who trained beside him, pushed him, and believed together.

“A lot of these guys put in the work with me,” Tate said. “Time in the gym, in the weight room, conditioning. We were locked into a vision. We wanted to win the first Group 4 state championship, and we were committed to each other.”

One of those faces stood out — former teammate Sharif Abuhamoud, who arrived wearing his championship jacket, a visible link between past and present.

“We had a lot of fun,” Abuhamoud said. “But once we stepped on the court, it was about business. That’s why we became the first state champions in Linden history.”

Now a coach with Linden PAL, Abuhamoud sees the ripple effect daily.

“A lot of good memories,” he said. “And the legacy is still here.”

𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲

When Tate finally stepped to the microphone, he was flanked by Linden’s leadership — not his family — as the moment took on a gravity no one could script.

Then his voice broke.

As Tate paused, fighting back tears, his young son DJ rushed from the stands and wrapped himself around his father’s leg, holding on tightly. The gym fell silent.

Steadying himself with one hand resting on his son, Tate began to speak — thanking Linden Athletics, his former teammates, his parents and siblings, his AAU coaches, trainers, mentors, and the Linden basketball coaches who shaped him long before banners and record books. It was raw. Unfiltered. Human.

And it captured the essence of the night better than any statistic ever could.

𝘼 𝙅𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙖 𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙

As No. 21 was unveiled and lifted into the rafters, it took its place among the rarest company in Linden basketball history — alongside Tamecka Dixon and Desmond Wade.

Mayor Armstead called the honor “well-earned,” noting that Linden does not retire jerseys lightly. Superintendent Perkins spoke to the message the moment sends to every student-athlete who walks into the gym — that excellence, commitment, and community endure. Board President Thomas described the jersey as “a symbol of the standard Linden celebrates and expects.”

Firestone closed the ceremony with words that echoed long after the applause.

“Tonight, we honor Jamaal Tate not just for the records and awards,” he said, “but for the legacy — one of excellence, pride, and Tiger tradition.”

As the crowd stood and DJ continued to hold his father’s leg, No. 21 became more than a jersey.

It became a story — one that will speak to every Linden athlete who looks up and understands what it truly means to wear Linden across their chest.