Delaware scores big actor for celebrity basketball game

Hot young actor Michael Rainey Jr. has shown he’s a baby-faced assassin on TV, but how dangerous of a shooter will he be in a celebrity basketball game in Delaware? 

You’ll find out when Rainey — lead actor of the Starz crime drama “Power Book II: Ghost” — plays in the 20th annual Duffy’s Hope Celebrity Game at the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington on Saturday, Aug. 3.   

Tickets are available now. The fundraiser is intended to support free programming for youth and families. This includes helping youth receive free programming and assistance with college, career and other skills.   

In addition to a celebrity game, guests will experience Duffy’s Hope High School All Star Game, along with raffles, games, prizes, food and entertainment. 

Who is ‘Power’ star Michael Rainey? 

Rainey is a 23-year-old actor who has appeared in notable projects like “Orange is The New Black,” “The Butler” and Ice Cube’s “Barbershop: The Next Cut.”  

He’s best known for his role as Tariq St. Patrick in the “Power” universe, a character he’s played over the last decade, starting with the original series, “Power,” followed by the spinoff “Power Book II: Ghost.”  

His character Tariq is the son of Ghost, a kingpin and lead character in the original “Power” series. Tariq is a baby-faced young man who ends up following in his father’s footsteps.   

Season 4 of “Power Book II” will be the final season. The first part of the season premiered on June 7 and boasted 6.5 million multi-platform viewers in the first week, Deadline reported.  

Some “Power” fans got a chance to hang out with Ghost actor Omari Hardwick (Rainey’s on-camera dad) when he came to Wilmington Public Library’s free speaker series last fall.  

Michael Rainey was groped?   

In June, Rainey spoke out after a video appeared to show that he was sexually assaulted by a woman on a livestream. 

In an Instagram story on June 10, the “Power” star said he is “still in shock” and doesn’t “fully know how to process what happened last night.” The incident occurred on a stream broadcast by Tylil James, who hosts “The Tylil Show” on the live video platform Twitch and has more than 100,000 followers there. 

A video that circulated on social media showed Rainey standing in a room full of people during the stream when a woman appears to grab his crotch, making him visibly uncomfortable. The woman’s hand is obscured in the footage by two young children. 

“This is an unfortunate situation that I do not condone in any way,” the actor said. “I can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed.” 

In an Instagram story, James apologized to Rainey and said the woman who seemingly groped him is his sister. “My little sister was completely wrong and out of line,” he said. “What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions.” 

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Famous LeBron James meme stars Michael Rainey  

Lakers star LeBron James is often teased for his signature step-back shot, where he casually looks down before lifting his eyes and releasing the ball.  

A few years ago, LeBron James’ signature step-back shot was humorously turned into a meme featuring Rainey. The classic meme captures the essence of James’ move by showing two close-up photos of Rainey’s face: one where Rainey is looking straight ahead, and another where the actor is staring down.

The meme, featured on NBA Memes on X (formerly Twitter), is accompanied by the words: “LeBron before doing his step back.”

Duffy’s Hope hosted Lil Meech & Larenz Tate

Last year’s charity basketball game featured stars from the “BMF” crime drama (also on the Starz network) such as Lil Meech, Da’Vinchi, and actress Kash Doll. Other guests included “Loves Jones” actor Larenz Tate, and Delaware country star Jimmie Allen.  

What is Duffy’s Hope?  

Duffy’s Hope was founded in 1998 by Wilmington native Allen “Duffy” Samuels, who was a star basketball player at Glasgow High School. In his pro career, he played overseas in Spain, Poland and Ukraine.  

Duffy’s Hope is a nonprofit supporting Wilmington’s at-risk youth through 10 core components, including mentorship, financial literacy and educational enrichment trips, having served more than 6,500 youth in the area.   

How much are tickets for Duffy’s Hope?

Chase Fieldhouse (401 Garasches Lane, Wilmington) from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Tickets are $35-$120 (plus fees). Visit duffyshopeinc.org, the EventBrite page or (302) 652-3532.   

USA Today reporter Brendan Morrow contributed to this report.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.