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Friday, December 13, 2013

Shabazz Napier has Always Been Clutch, Jim Calhoun is Philanthropic, Otis Birdsong Gets Top Billin'

Yeah, another Shabazz Napier story. This one looks at how his ability to raise his level of play in the clutch actually predates his days at UConn, with some examples from his time at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass.

*** Elsewhere, the NCAA notes that, while fouls and free throw attempts are up, so is scoring and field-goal percentage. Meanwhile, turnovers are down. Guess they feel their new rules are working well.

*** Then there's this interesting event being held at Mohegan Sun in April. It looks like a great event, though I love this lead sentence: The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) and former NBA greats such as Bill Russell, Rick Barry, Otis Birdsong, Dave Cowens ...

Someone's name seems like it's in the wrong neighborhood, and it's not Russell, Barry or Cowens. Seriously, no disrespect to Birdsong, but it doesn't belong before Cowens. Maybe down a little lower by Robert Horry and Michael Ray Richardson.

Anyway, here's the entire press release. Note the April 26 event where Russell and Jim Calhoun will be honored for their philanthropy. Should be a fun night, and I'm sure it will be a thrill for Calhoun to be honored alongside Russell:

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) and former NBA greats such as Bill Russell, Rick Barry, Otis Birdsong, Dave Cowens, Darryl Dawkins, Alex English, Spencer Haywood, Robert Horry, Micheal Ray Richardson and many more are set to converge on Mohegan Sun for a weekend of exciting events Friday, April 25th through Sunday, April 27th as part of the Legends of Basketball Fantasy Weekend.

Three days of basketball action begins Thursday, April 24th with the start of the Legends of Basketball Fantasy Camp. From Friday through Sunday, fantasy campers have a chance to rub shoulders with the greatest players of all-time and compete on-the-court by participating in an all-inclusive fantasy camp in Mohegan Sun Arena with basketball legends Barry, Cowens, English, Dawkins, Birdsong and Richardson.

Opening night of Legends of Basketball Fantasy Weekend will see the Legends step off of the court and into the casino to compete with guests for a $50,000 prize pool during the Mohegan Sun Blackjack Tournament. On the evening of Saturday, April 26th Mohegan Sun will host the Legends of Basketball Philanthropy Awards Gala honoring 11-time NBA Champion Russell, 3-time NCAA men’s basketball champion Jim Calhoun and other basketball luminaries for their legacies on and off the court.

Legends of Basketball Fantasy Weekend is a charitable event to raise funds for the National Basketball Retired Players Association’s (NBRPA) Dave DeBusschere Scholarship Fund and other charitable partners. As part of the philanthropic weekend, the NBRPA’s Legends of Basketball will also conduct a free youth basketball and life skills clinic for the local community.

All-inclusive fantasy camp spots are just $2500 and include a ticket to the black-tie Gala honoring Bill Russell. For non-campers, tournament slots for the Mohegan Sun Blackjack Tournament start at $100 and tickets for the black-tie Gala are available starting at $300 with VIP packages and sponsorships also available. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

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