Ashley Brooke Nevel

Hey you! Welcome to my page!! I'm a unique sports reporter who is head over heels for the game of basketball. I cover other sports but basketball has definitely taken a front seat.

I spend the majority of my time either watching sports, talking about sports or getting into arguments about why LeBron James is my GOAT. It's crazy that I even think this way given the fact that I was born and raised in Chicago. I explain more on my website so be sure to check it out at www.ashleynevel.com.

My grandma Pip is the main reason I got into sports. I used to miss school to go to Cubs games with her and my grandpa (I was at the Steve Bartman game...what a memory)! I'm a spitting image of her except I'm no where near as athletic as she was. She played basketball (I can't even dribble a ball under my legs). She played baseball, softball, volleyball and every other sport you can think of. She played and followed it all! She even officiated games for both men and women, which is pretty damn cool. I was a cheerleader back in the day and continue to stay in shape through lifting and running although I wish I could hoop!

I took my talents to the University of Arizona where I earned a degree in broadcast journalism and sports management. I covered the basketball and football teams for ESPNU Campus Connection, Bleacher Report and ESPN Tucson. I did a few internships and freelance work for other companies as well.

Sports were always there for me and taught me the true meaning of teamwork and hard work. It wasn't just the physical component that amazed me but also the mental. I hit a low point in my life during college as I feel most people do. You're unsure of the future and feel a bit lost. You have to grow up so fast!! I remember sitting in my room, lonely. All my friends transferred and I really didn't have anyone to hang out with. That's when NBA League Pass came into my life and the rest is history. I spent my days going to school and working out and my evenings cooking some bomb ass food and watching NBA League Pass all night. I even did this on the weekends. It was so much fun! I know I sound so weird but I genuinely enjoyed doing this day in and day out... March Madness was also a blast too. I had several TVs and computers set up in the living room. Sports kept me SANE especially basketball.

During that time I also become the president and founder of the Sports Journalism Club at the Arizona School of Journalism. I didn't see eye-to-eye with the director of this program. He still believed in newspaper writing and didn't consider sports important or news worthy... mind you, Arizona has one of the TOP basketball AND baseball programs in the nation not to mention football was pretty big at that time too and the director really didn't see a need to add any sports journalism classes. There were ZERO sports journalism classes during my time there and it pissed me off. I saw everything ASU had to offer and I was upset that U of A would sell itself short. I mean, ASU athletics are trash compared to Arizona. As a Wildcat, I like to one-up my opponent but I guess the director didn't see that as necessary. There is so much more wrong with this school that I won't go into now but I decided to start the sports journalism club to show this bozo how much sports journalism was valued at this school. It had a great turnout and success that the program now offers ONE sports journalism class a semester. ONE. I mean, it's a step in the right direction. Although I never got to experience this class because I graduated, I'm happy others did. Oh boy, if I was still there, A LOT more would change...

Fast-forward to now and I'm still in Arizona but in the Phoenix area. I got my first job covering junior college sports in Scottsdale and I've been out here ever since. I've been doing work for other companies as well such as the NBA Summer League, adidas Summer Championships, FanRag Sports, the Big 3 and so much more. I've been doing a lot of stuff even on my own including blogging and creating videos. I've also been blessed to help produce content for 2016 Ms. Bikini Olympia, Courtney King, who just so happens to also be my best friend!

I'm not sure what the future has in store for me but all I know is that I'm never going to give up my passion for sports reporting and producing. I love what I do and know that one day I'm going to be apart of something bigger than myself and truly make a impact on this industry. And who knows, I might end up involved in something totally different. All I know is I aspire to be around people who are smarter than I am so I can become the best version of myself and one day I hope to become an inspiration and leader to future generations.