NBA and WNBA alums Shemeka Christon, Kevin Loder, John Egan, Ollie Taylor, and Robert Reid to participate
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the only alumni association comprised of former NBA, WNBA, ABA and Harlem Globetrotter players, will bring its successful Full Court Press: Prep for Success youth basketball and mentoring program to the Revention Music Center, 520 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002 from 8:00am to 10:30am. This clinic will immediately precede the Mountain Dew NBA 3X Tournament. The NBRPA will present the clinic alongside its partners from the Jr. NBA, Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) and Leadership Foundations. As part of this very special collaboration with the NBA and its Jr. NBA program, former NBA/WNBA standouts will be working with local youth, including:
Shemeka Christon: Played in the WNBA for 11 seasons with the Liberty, Sky, Stars, and Mercury. She was named to the All-Star team in 2009.
Kevin Loder: Current Vice President of NBRPA Houston Chapter. Played for Kansas City Kings and San Diego Clippers. Currently serves as the Managing Principal of the BTBB Consulting Group in Houston.
John Egan: Played 11 seasons in the NBA with the Pistons, Knicks, Bullets, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Rockets. Served as a coach for the Rockets for four seasons from 1973-1976.
Ollie Taylor: University of Houston alum. Led Cougars to Sweet Sixteen in 1970. Played in the ABA for 4 seasons with the New York Nets, San Diego Conquistadors, and Carolina Cougars.
Robert Reid: Selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1977 NBA draft. Played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Rockets, Hornets, Blazers, and 76ers. Helped lead Rockets to NBA Finals in 1981. St. Mary’s University alum.
All participating youth will be pre-registered by the NBRPA, PAL and Leadership Foundations – the event is not open to the general public.
The Full Court Press: Prep for Success is a single-day youth basketball and mentoring clinic for underserved boys and girls, ages 8-18, held in cities across the United States and abroad. The program is designed to introduce participating youth to positive role models in both basketball and life, with equal time spent on the basketball court, in the classroom and at a mentoring roundtable as part of a robust curriculum. Full Court Press: Prep for Success is a joint initiative of the NBRPA, NBA, PAL and Leadership Foundations as part of the Jr. NBA program.
This touring program visits more than 10 cities annually and includes former professional basketball players as coaches and mentors in each session. Mentoring classroom periods address topics relevant to each community and are taught by community leaders from Leadership Foundations and PAL. The mentoring roundtable in each session falls in line with the White House’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. In order to expand the impact of the Full Court Press program, parties from the NBRPA, Jr. NBA, PAL and Leadership Foundations are also working to expand the clinics to more American cities and programs in Israel, Cuba and Haiti.
Media wishing to cover the upcoming Full Court Press: Prep for Success event in Houston may do so by contacting Jonathan Barnes or Devin Johnson for the NBRPA, at 504-897-6110 orjbarnes@legendsofbasketball.
Details of the Houston Full Court Press: Prep for Success sessions are as follows:
WHO:
NBRPA/Jr. NBA, National PAL, Leadership Foundation
WHAT:
Full Court Press: Prep for Success youth basketball and mentoring clinic, a joint initiative of the NBRPA, NBA, PAL
and Leadership Foundations. All participating youth will be pre-registered by the NBRPA, PAL and Leadership
Foundations – the event is not open to the general public.
WHEN:
September 24, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Revention Music Center
520 Texas Ave
Houston, TX 77002
On- Site Contact
Scott Rochelle
Senior Vice President/General Counsel
(847) 736-1328 / srochelle@legendsofbasketball.
About the National Basketball Retired Players Association
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, WNBA and Harlem Globetrotters. It is a 501(c) 3 organization with a mission to develop, implement and advocate a wide array of programs to benefit its members, supporters and the community. The NBRPA was founded in 1992 by basketball legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson. The NBRPA works in direct partnerships with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Arnie D. Fielkow is the President and CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Thurl Bailey, Vice Chairman Dwight Davis, Treasurer Eldridge Recasner, Secretary Nancy Lieberman, Rick Barry, James Donaldson, Mike Glenn, Spencer Haywood, LaRue Martin Jr., David Naves, Johnny Newman and Casey Shaw.
About the Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour
The Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour is the league’s youth basketball participation program that teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Through a network of affiliated youth basketball organizations, live events and interactive experiences, the Jr. NBA will reach five million youth ages 6-14 in the U.S. and Canada over a two-year period as part of its expanded efforts launched in October 2015. The Jr. NBA partnership network is comprised of youth basketball programs of all NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League teams as well as elementary and middle schools, military installations and longstanding community partners, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Jewish Community Centers of North America, National Association of Police Athletic Leagues, National Recreation and Park Association, National Wheelchair Basketball Association, Special Olympics, and YMCA of the USA.
About PAL
The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Incorporated (National PAL) is a national youth crime prevention program that brings youth and law enforcement together in a positive environment that promotes trust and respect for each other. The "Mission" of National PAL and its member chapters work to prevent juvenile crime and violence by building the bond between cops and kids. National PAL exists to prevent juvenile crime and violence by providing civic, athletic, recreational and educational opportunities and resources to PAL Chapters. The PAL concept was developed in New York City, NY in 1914. From those successful origins the PAL concept spread, PAL programs developed in other communities. Today, there are over 400 PAL Chapters partnering with law enforcement agencies servicing over 700 cities and 1,700 facilities throughout the United States, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Nigeria, serving more than one million youth, ages 5 to 18.
About Leadership Foundations
Leadership Foundations is a global network of organizations working to transform the cities in which they exist and serve. These local leadership foundations (LLFs) work to make their cities better by convening people and organizations from all of its sectors, building the capacity of others and creating joint initiatives that address their community’s greatest needs. Every LLF approaches this mission in a unique way according to their abilities and their city’s needs. At Leadership Foundations, we connect our global network of LLFs, develop their ability to accomplish more with others and equip them with tools to make change happen more effectively, more collaboratively and with greater permanence and impact on their cities.
