2018 Rebound December Edition

THE OFFICIAL MAGA ZINE OF THE NATIONAL BA SK E TBALL RE TIRED PL AY ERS A SSOCIATION

LIFELONG NBA LEGENDS STILL MAKING HISTORY

Year in Review | Legends of Basketball | “We Made This Game”

BY A PL AY ER , A BOUT THE PL AY ERS, F OR THE PL AY ERS A ND FA NS

CONTENT

NBRPA

Rebound Magazine PUBLISHER/CEO

Matthew Fish mattfish@reboundmagazine.com CONSULTANT

Mark Fish FishStix@hotmail.com WRITERS

Michael Vayan vayango@gmail.com Bob Huhn bobhuhn55@hotmail.com Dean Lampereur dean.lampereur@avnet.com Hemda Mizrahi hemda@lifeandcareerchoices.com SALES

sales@reboundmagazine.com

PG. 12

PG. 34

NOLA ARE YOU MOTORSPORTS CHECKED IN? 2 4

FROM the PUBLISHER

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54 SUN, SURF AND HOOPS 55 AFTER THE BALL STOPS BOUNCING 55 BROADCAST BOOTCAMP 56 WE'VE GOT HEART 57 HEALTHY HEARING 57 SERVANT LEADERSHIP 58 LEGENDS WELCOME RECEPTION 59 WOMEN WINING 60 MOVERS AND SHAKERS

22 FROM THE BOARD 24 KENNY GATTISON NAMED NBRPA VP 26 LEGENDS GALA

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8 THE 50 GREATEST 2 30 NBRPA SERVICE AWARD WINNER ERV INNIGER 32 GEOFF HUSTON BROOKLYN HALL OF FAME 34 DIKEMBE MUTOMBO - ARE YOU CHECKED IN?

LEGENDS WORLDS SPORTS CONFERENCE RECAP

NBRPA NEWS

LEGENDS of BASKETBALL

SPOLIGHTS 40 BARON DAVIS 42 KEVIN CARR 44 QUENTIN RICHARDSON 48 KENDALL GIL 50 MICHELLE BROOKE-MARCINIAK

NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP 6 LEGENDS WELCOME RECEPTION 8 ALL-STAR LEGENDS BREAKFAST 12 NBA PLAYERS AT NOLA MOTORSPORTS PARK 14 TREATED TO TRADITION 16 VIEWING PARTY AT THE LITTLE GEM 18 18TH ANNUAL LEGENDS BRUNCH

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FEATURES 1 NBRPA ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNER 6 61 JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS 62 REDEFINING YOUR MISSION 63 CHAPTER UPDATES 67 THE EVOLUTION OF THE 4 POINTER 69 LA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

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NBRPA STAFF

Scott Rochelle | President and CEO Erin Miller | Sr. Vice President of Operations & Events Kenny Gattison | Vice President of Membership & Player Programming Excell Hardy Jr. | Sr. Director of Membership Relations Cameron Ballard | Director of Advancement / Counsel Brittany Ray | Marketing and Communications Manager Mariam Kurdadze | Operations and Events Manager Max Gordon | Digital Content Coordinator NBRPA BOARD MEMBERS

Johnny Newman, Chairman Spencer Haywood, Vice Chairman Casey Shaw, Treasure Nancy Lieberman, Secretary Rick Barry, Director Dwight Davis, Director LaRue Martin, Director Eldridge Recasner, Director James Donaldson, Director Mike Glenn, Director SPORTS MEDIA MARKETING, LLC. 3317 S. Higley Rd., Ste. 114-224 Gilbert, AZ 85297 Phone: 480-586-6941 ReboundMagazine.com

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FROM the PUBLISHER

FISH TALK

CELEBRATING PLAYERS AND COACHES WHO ADVANCE BASKETBALL

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he 2017 Legends World Sports Conference takes us to Los Cabos! The NBRPA’s annual conference is in Los Cabos, Mexico at the Grand Fiesta Americana all-inclusive resort August 18-20. Each conference brings an abundance of entertainment and person and professional growth opportunities. Looking to improve your portfolio? Hoping to

learn more and help steer the organization? Maybe you are looking to continue to foster relationships with teammates, opponents, colleagues, partners and/or sponsors? Quite simply, the LWSC is constructed in ways that have your needs in mind first and foremost.

Allow me once again to share a little Fish-food story, a personal tidbit if you will.

My Tribute to “The CHAMP” It was early March 1994, O’Hare Airport, at the United Express commuter gate. I was playing with the CBA Quad City Thunder and we were returning to Moline, Illinois from a game against the Grand Rapids Hoops. As usual, we had a flight delay with time to kill, but this time the “extra time” left me with the memory of a lifetime. Just outside our gate we were blessed with the presence of The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, who was heading home to his then residence in Michigan after an appearance elsewhere. I was hanging with Casey Kahler, our radio personality, who recently told the story on Facebook.

Casey shared, “When I saw Ali, with God as my witness, the first and only word out of my mouth was ‘Champ.’” Ali asked who the biggest person was on the team which happened to be me. Ali, with that famous smirk on his face, got up out of his chair and assumed his boxing stance with his hands up, staring me down. I put up my dukes and we danced a bit around an imaginary ring after which he did the

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“rope a dope,” all to the amusement of those fortunate enough to be there with us. After our little pantomime was over, we hugged as if we were life-long friends, and then he repeated this act with Casey.

Ali sat down and we sat next to him. He was still able to talk and he told us it was his birthday. “Happy Birthday Champ” we offered, and he replied “Not bad for 65, huh?” His wife handed out preautographed commemorative Ali cards to us players and gave us a pep talk for us to remember and use for the balance of our season. We were getting ready to head to the playoffs, and The Champ’s message resonated with us as The Thunder won their first CBA title 6 weeks later. It was one of the highlights of my life to go toe to toe with The Greatest of All-Time!

Thank you Champ for being the people’s Champion! Ali’s love for people and his ability to make all those he met feel special left me feeling like I was his Champ.

Matt Fish Publisher, Rebound mattfish@reboundmagazine.com

GREETINGS

FROM THE NBRPA INTERIM CEO

NBRPA MEMBERS, PARTNERS, SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS: YEAR IN REVIEW

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he National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is wrapping up another successful year due in large part to our growing and engaged membership, committed staff, supportive partners and passionate leadership through our Founders, Board of Directors and Chapter Presidents. All-together, this collaborative effort has laid a strong foundation from which we have remained steadfast and focused in fulfilling our mission.

Reflecting on the year, I am tremendously proud of the goals we have accomplished, challenges we have overcome and the foundation laid for a productive and exciting future. When I became interim CEO, I was welcomed with open arms and accepted a challenge to do things differently. The organization’s resources are not infinite, but with the support of the Board of Directors, we are taking on the challenge to rejuvenate membership, galvanize member benefits and elevate the brand of the NBRPA. I’d like to express my sincere appreciation for each member of the NBRPA staff. This unit of professionals remained locked into their roles, and I recognize that we wouldn’t have continued such unprecedented success without their energy, unwavering focus and dedication.

The NBRPA Board of Directors must also be commended for their willingness to put the organization first and move our operation forward. This past year was marked by growth, self-evaluation and transition. I am privileged to work alongside a board comprised of diverse business minds and proven leaders who share a passion for serving the former player community.

Most importantly, the members, our lifeblood, have committed countless hours and resources, many serving in volunteer roles through our chapter program. Indeed, the chapter program has expanded as a result of member involvement; we expanded into Washington, D.C. and Cleveland in 2017 and will look to continue this growth into 2018.

Through our self-evaluation and transition, the greatest advancements were made in the areas of programming and member benefits. The Dave DeBusschere Scholarship Fund saw an unprecedented increase of 90 percent in scholarship awards as our total distribution reached $250,000. Strong fundraising and partnerships have allowed us to extend our Member Grant program for the next ten years after a 70 percent increase in funding.

This has been a remarkable year with several new and exciting developments, but we’re not done yet. Looking toward the future, the NBRPA will continue our strategic planning that will prioritize recruiting an active membership; creating and fostering the player community; restructuring operations, administration, and board governance; and ramping up advocacy. With an eye on advancement, I believe that we can achieve our goal to be the very best professional membership association. I have the benefit of working with outstanding colleagues to serve a worthy constituency at the NBRPA, and I thank you for the opportunity and honor of representing you. The NBRPA and its members should always enjoy its accomplishments, but I believe that the NBRPA’s brightest days are ahead of it. I look forward to playing a role in its continued success as a servant of this awesome organization.

Scott Rochelle Interim CEO National Basketball Retired Players Assoc

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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

SHOOTING FOR PEACE

Major Jones, Tom Hoover, Rick Darnell, Charles “Choo” Smith, Jr., Larry “Gator” Rivers, Bobby Hunter, Kevin Loder, Dale Ellis.

A LEGENDS OF BASKETBALL TAKE NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND BY STORM

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ardi Gras? Who noticed!

The NBA All-Star Weekend dominated New Orleans, after a last-minute reassignment to the Big Easy to promote equality for all Americans. Historic crowds made for some memorable impromptu street parties, but it only underscored the fact that the NBRPA was marking its 25th anniversary!

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ll-Star weekend got started before the big game on Thursday, February 16, when the Legends of Basketball participated in a number of events across the Greater New Orleans Area with a clear educational focus. One in particular, Shooting for Peace featured NBRPA Chapter Leaders whom visited Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School in New Orleans’ historic Treme neighborhood wherein keeping to the educational theme, the members talked about the importance of mentorship. The students competed in a poem contest where the six finalists won a Bolivar watch, two pairs of shoes, ten Shooting for Peace shirts all in a nice sports bag: with the top two winners securing a $20,000 scholarship to Alabama State University. The crowd was treated to the students reading their wonderful poems of encouragement, words of wisdom from the

Chapter Leaders, music and a basketball game of former NBA players battling local talent drawing attention to community relationships with police officers.

Jerome Williams (Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks), Major Jones, (Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons) Tom Hoover, (Knicks, Hawks, Nets) Choo Smith, Bobby Hunter, Larry Gator Rivers (Harlem Globetrotters) Kevin Loder, (Kansas City Kings, San Diego Clippers) Dale Ellis (Seattle Super Sonics, Bucks, Spurs, Nuggets, Hornets) Matt Fish (LA Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Nuggets, Bullets)

NBRPA Members interact with participants and guest at the Legends Shooting For Peace event during the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans

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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

LEGENDS WELCOME RECEPTION NBA ALL-STAR NEW ORLEANS Archie Clark, Dr. J, Dave Bing, Nancy Lieberman, Ocsar Robertson, Rick Barry, Spencer Haywood, Dave Cowens and Peter DeBusschere Dave's son

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riday, February 17th during NBA All-Star in New Orleans, Legends met NBRPA Board Members at the opening reception sponsored

by Harrah’s Casino, where they were officially welcomed to the city by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Councilwoman Susan Guidry, New Orleans Convention and Visitor Bureau Chief Steve Perry, local radio personalities and other dignitaries who thanked the NBRPA for investing in the city. Out-going Chair Thurl Bailey honored all Legends for making his years of service so meaningful on the Board. “NBRPA is at a terrific place— we’ve doubled our membership and are at nearly 900 members. With the new CBA the future is only going to get brighter for our organization. We are an integral part to the NBA family,” he said. Then, Dwight Davis recognized Thurl Bailey for his service.

One highlight of the evening was the announcement of the NBRPA’s Legends Empowerment Program

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with Minor League Baseball that will include internships and mentoring programs with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau presented a $10,000 check as seed funding to kick-start the Legends Empowerment Program.

The stage then welcomed remarks by many contributors: Kristin Beal and Brian Brown from Wintrust; NBPA Director of Player Programs Purvis Short, Hall of Famers Nancy Lieberman, Spencer Haywood, Rick Barry, and Julius Erving; and NBRPA founders Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens, Oscar Robertson, and Peter DeBusschere sitting in for his late father Dave. National Urban League President and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial underscored the achievement of these great men and women of sports by thanking them for being leaders in integration and equity for all Americans.

The Legends took over Harrah's Casino at the NBRPA All-Star Welcome Reception to celebrate 25 years of the association.

NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

ALL STAR LEGENDS BREAKFAST

A great breakfast honoring great players doing great things in our communities! Congratulations to Randy Pfund and Mike James.

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ll-Star Breakfast was on February 18 at the Westin Canal Place in New Orleans, LA. The star-studded breakfast was co-hosted by Athletes in Action, and honored former NBA Coach and GM Randy Pfund with the 2017 Jerry Colangelo Award, named in honor of the Basketball Hall of Famer and former CEO of the Phoenix Suns and current Chairman of USA Basketball. The award is given to someone who exemplifies

being a professional both on and off the court by showing strong character, integrity, and leadership. Also,12-year NBA veteran Mike James was honored with the 2017 Bobby Jones Award, named after former All-Star Bobby Jones, and is annually given to a current or former NBA player exhibiting exceptional integrity and service both on and off the court.

Jerry Colangelo gives an award named after himself. Jerry, a basketball Hall of Famer and former CEO of the Phoenix Suns is currently Chairman of USA Basketball. The award is given to someone who exemplifies being a professional both on and off the court by showing strong character, integrity, and leadership.

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RANDY PFUND

MIKE JAMES Despite earning first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors at Duquesne University, Mike James began his pro career with the Long Island Surf of the now-defunct United States Basketball League before playing in Europe.

Eventually, he clawed his way into the NBA after signing with the Miami Heat in 2001, at age 26. This led to a 12 year NBA career with a highlight coming in 2004, while James was with the Detroit Pistons, who won the NBA Title that year.

During that season, Rasheed Wallace gave James and his back court mate Lindsey Hunter the nickname "Pit Bulls" for their tenacious defense. James averaged 10ppg and 3.5 assists for his career with a high of 20ppg for the Toronto Raptors 2005-06 season. He persevered to get to the NBA and when there he flourished.

Randy Pfund played collegiately at Wheaton College, turning down interest from UCLA, Indiana and Illinois.

While at Wheaton, Phund finished his career as an All-American finishing 8th as their all-time leading scorer, 1st in assists and averaged 25ppg his senior year.

Playing for his dad was a real highlight for his college career.

During his time at college, Pfund had a job as a laundry boy for the Chicago Bulls and would drive to the stadium to wash the players' jerseys, laying them out before games. His first job out of college was an assistant coach of a high school freshman B team. From there Pfund went to Wesmont College as a volunteer coach and then to the Lakers as Pat Riley's assistant where they won two NBA Titles in 1997-98. Then he took the helm for 2 years from 1992-94. Pfund continued with Pat Riley for 13 years as the General Manager for the Miami Heat wining an NBA Title in 2006. Not bad for the assistant coach of a high school freshman B team!

Shaquille O'Neal showing some love to Chris Broussard, NBA analyst from Fox Sports 1. Shaq had an up close and personal interview.

Also pictured, emcee Kim Anthony, an AllAmerican Gymnast from UCLA. Bobby Jones, former North Carolina Tarheel and 1974 Houston Rockets' 5th overall NBA draft choice. Jones played 12 years in the NBA, earned eight All-Defensive team selections and four All-Star appearances.

Ollie Taylor looks on at the Legends Breakfast. Ollie boasted a 46 inch vertical and dazzled fans from Rucker Park to the ABA with spectacular dunks.

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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

NBA PLAYERS RACE AROUND NOLA MOTORSPORTS PARK

After being taught the basics of how to handle to the raw power of supercars, the NBRPA members and their families got to suite up and race around the track at speeds over 150 mph!

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hile in New Orleans for the NBA All-Star weekend, members of the NBRPA got a unique opportunity one afternoon for adrenaline and high speed fun at NOLA Motorsports Park. Located just 20 minutes from the French Quarter of New Orleans, the NOLA Motorsports Park venue is a full service special event and motor-tainment complex set on 750 acres. Home to the largest kart facility in America and yearround home to Xtreme Xperience, which paired with NOLA's 3200' front straight is the fastest driving

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experience in the country.

A short ride from our Double Tree hotel, the day included driving supercars such as the Ferrari 458 Italia and high speed ridealongs with pro drivers in real racecars.

Once the members completed a safety class, several former NBA players and their families enjoyed a day of high speed energy-packed racing. A special thank you goes out to Scott Touchton, Director of sales and marketing (and professional driver!) The members were excited to experience the faster side of the Big Easy.

Emmette Bryant, a long-time active member of the NBRPA and the 1969 Boston Celtic's championship team, is as classy as the Rolls Royce he stands beside.

President of the NBRPA Phoenix Chapter, Matt Fish, can't shake the law! Jack Marin, 11 year NBA veteran and lawyer, outside council to the NBRPA. NOLA Motorsports Park track aerial view with downtown New Orleans in the background.

Suiting up for the fast ride, safety first!

Lining up for the big race, former NBA players finding a way to fit in these room restricted cars for the thrill of it!

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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

TREATED TO TRADITION NBRPA Members Glenn McDonald, Tree Rollins , Geoff Huston and guest celebrate Mardi Gras on the balcony of Rubenstein’s during the2017 NBA All-Star Weekend�

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uring NBA All-Star weekend, NBRPA members were invited to Rubensteins' balcony! New Orleans' most famous vantage point to watch Mardi Gras parades. Although dampened by rain, spirits remained sky high as members were treated to the best spot to take in the colors, lights, floats, bands and beads that is Mardi

Gras. People watching times ten! Snacks and drinks were enjoyed and even a tour of the most famous men's store was on tap. The clothing store has withstood time since Morris, Elkin and Sam Rubenstein renamed their Haberdashery, Rubenstein Bros. in 1924. Beads were gathered and fun was shared by everyone in attendance.

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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP Members, sponsors and their families enjoying time together at The Little Gem Saloon taking in the All-Star festivities and great Cajun food done best in New Orleans.

VIEWING PARTY AT THE LITTLE GEM

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fter a hard day of networking, work, play, and Mardi Gras parades, the Legends of the NBRPA made their way to The Little Gem Saloon to enjoy a private viewing party among their peers and families. The Little Gem Saloon, located at 445 S. Rampart Street

in New Orleans, has refined creole fare plated in a circa-1903 tavern with live performances by local jazz artists. Everyone had a great time dancing and taking in the slam dunk and three point contests.

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Danielle Mcculley, Guest, Leslie Johnson

Enjoying time together!

Anthony Avent + Christy Calvin

Erin Miller | Sr. Vice President of Operations & Events & Jon Harris | Athlife

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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND RECAP

18TH ANNUAL LEGENDS BRUNCH Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens, Oscar Robertson, and the son of the late Dave DeBusschere, Peter were recognized at the 18th Annual Legends Brunch as part of the 25th Year Anniversary celebration of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA).

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he Legends Brunch at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Sunday morning was, as usual, the standout event of the weekend. Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized from the start of the program that the power of an idea can change the

world. In this case, it changed the way we honor and support the men and women who created today's game of basketball.

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Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens, Oscar Robertson, and the son of the late Dave DeBusschere, Peter were recognized for the 25th Anniversary founding of their game-changing organization, the National Basketball Retired Players Association.

Later, David Robinson accepted Humanitarian of the Year; Grant Hill was presented the Community Ambassador Award; and our own Dwight Davis presented the Legacy Award to Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor.

Guest, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Guest

Anthony Anderson | Actor/Comedian

Adam Silver | NBA Commissioner

Ernie Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Ervin “Magic� Johnson, Ruth Riley, David Robinson

Ernie Johnson | Sportscaster Dr. J

Alonzo Mourning presenting David Robinson with the Humanitarian of the Year Award

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NBRPA NEWS

NBRPA Board of Directors meets with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

FROM THE BOARD NBRPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED 16YEAR NBA VETERAN JOHNNY NEWMAN AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER SPENCER HAYWOOD AS VICE CHAIRMAN RECENTLY.

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he remaining officers include Nancy Lieberman, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and Assistant Coach for the Sacramento Kings, as Secretary; and Casey Shaw, NBA alum and Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach, as Treasurer. Other NBRPA Directors are Dwight Davis, Mike Glenn, Rick Barry, James Donaldson, La Rue Martin Jr., David Naves, and Eldridge Recasner.

The Board of Directors has also confirmed Scott Rochelle, formerly Senior Vice President and General Counsel as the Interim President & CEO to fill the vacancy left by former CEO.

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NBRPA NEWS

KENNY GATTISON NAMED NBRPA VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND PLAYER PROGRAMMING

Assistant Coach Kenny Gattison of the New Orleans Hornets calls a play from the sidelines during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at the New Orleans Arena on December 6, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

KENNY GATTISON, LONG-TIME NBA COACH AND PLAYER HAS BEEN SELECTED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND PLAYER PROGRAMMING FOR THE NBRPA. GATTISON WAS SELECTED AFTER A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH CONDUCTED BY AN NBRPA SEARCH COMMITTEE AND NBRPA PRESIDENT/CEO IN WHICH ALL NBRPA MEMBERS WERE INVITED TO APPLY.

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am excited to welcome Kenny onto the NBRPA staff family and look forward to closely working with him as we continue to grow NBRPA membership, increase beneficial programming for all NBRPA members, and strengthen our external relationships with all our partners, including the NBA, NBPA, WNBA, WNBPA, Harlem Globetrotters, D-League and others,” said former NBRPA President/ CEO. “We had many highly qualified applicants and I wish to thank each of them for their time, interest and ideas.”

Gattison, a long-time NBRPA member, has served as an NBA assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns. Gattison was also a former member

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of the NBPA’s Executive Committee, an assistant coach in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game and in 2009 was selected as a Team USA head coach for its summer developmental league.

Gattison enjoyed a 10-year NBA playing career having been selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 3rd round of the 1986 NBA draft and played for Phoenix, Charlotte, Vancouver, Orlando and Utah.

Gattison has also held several business positions during his professional career, including serving as President/Managing Partner of Bernard Sands Credit Services and President of Gattison Management. Gattison is a 1986 graduate of Old Dominion University, the Sun Belt Conference’s all-time rebound leader and an honorable mention

All-American by the Associated Press.

A native of Wilmington, NC, Gattison currently resides in Buckeye, AZ with his wife Harriet.

“The NBRPA Board of Directors is excited to have Kenny join our staff,” said at the time, Chairman of the Board Thurl Bailey. “We are appreciative of all those individuals that applied and are confident that Kenny will greatly add to what is already an outstanding NBRPA staff.”

“I want to thank NBRPA President/ CEO, the NBRPA Search Committee and Board of Directors for providing me with this great opportunity,” said Gattison. “I look forward to working closely with the NBRPA's talented staff in continuing the great success the NBRPA has realized the past 5 years and continuing to positively assist our entire membership.”

Kenny Gattison #44 of the Charlotte Hornets and Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics look at the ball during a game played at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts circa 1993.

Kenny Gattison, VP of Membership and Player Programming with Mariam Kurdadze, Operations and Events Manager and Brittany Ray, Marketing and Communications Manager of the NBRPA.

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NBRPA NEWS

LEGENDS GALA THE THIRD LEGENDS GALA AT MOHEGAN SUN RESORT & CASINO IN UNCASVILLE, CT TOOK PLACE ON JULY 22, 2017.

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his event is the only fundraiser for the organization’s Dave DeBusschere Scholarship Fund, which provides higher education dollars to former players and grants to help fund educational programs in underserved communities. This year’s Gala honored NBA greats Tiny Archibald, Bernard King and Dikembe Mutombo all in support of a great cause.

Rebound Magazine congratulates Nate Tiny Archibald for being honored at the Legends Fantasy Weekend for the Lifetime of Service Award!

TINY ARCHIBALD

NATHANIEL ARCHIBALD (NATE, TINY)

• Position: Guard • Height: 6-1 • Weight: 150 lbs • Born: September 2, 1948, New York, New York • High School: DeWitt Clinton in Bronx, New York, New York • College: University of Texas at El Paso • Draft: Cincinnati Royals, 2nd round, (2nd pick, 19th overall), 1970 NBA Draft • NBA Debut: October 14, 1970

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DIKEMBE MUTOMBO • Position: Center • Height: 7-2 • Weight: 245 • Born: June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo • High School: Institute Boboto in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo • College: Georgetown University • Draft: Denver Nuggets, 1st round (4th pick, 4th overall), 1991 NBA Draft • NBA Debut: November 1, 1991 Rebound Magazine congratulates Dikembe Mutombo for being honored at the Legends Gala for the Ambassador of the Game Award!

BERNARD KING • Position: Forward • Height: 6-7 • Weight: 205 • Born: December 4, 1956 • High School: Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York • College: University of Tennessee • Draft: New Jersey Nets, 1st round (7th pick, 7th overall), 1977 NBA Draft • NBA Debut: October 18, 1977 Rebound Magazine congratulates Bernard King for being honored at the Legends Gala for the Perseverance Award!

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Give voice to the mission that transcends your athletic career.

Professional player. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. Speaker.

Spouse. Partner. Parent. There’s so much more of your story to tell. The chance to elevate and inspire is constant.

If writing isn’t your forte, this opportunity may be worth exploring.

Enlist an expert collaborator on writing and content strategy for: •

Professional speeches

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What’s on your list?

My style of listening, asking questions and reflecting invites you into a deeper dive of your life experiences. We’ll find the words that cause you to laugh out loud and declare, “that’s it, that’s what I want to say.”

Hemda Mizrahi, Ed.M., M.A., BCC, LMHC Writer, Content Strategist, Consultant, & Media Host for Elite Performers

Feedback about Hemda: “After being featured on Hemda’s podcast, “Turn the Page,” and in her blogs, I asked her to collaborate with me on content strategy and writing for professional speeches, and on my upcoming book. If I had to choose one person to portray me in any writing endeavor, it would be Hemda. She’s the one who can help you to connect the dots, articulate thoughts you aren’t able to verbalize, and transcribe them into writing. She does this in such a thoughtful and elegant fashion. Hemda truly understands an athlete’s mindset, and has a special way of working with athletes, especially those in the professional realm. Daniel Hayes, Professional Athlete, Founder of BR Cryo “Hemda is a profoundly gifted listener, and her ability to connect with people from all walks of life and at all levels was something I came to rely on with great certainty. Everyone immediately feels that she is interested, committed, practical, and empathic.” David Rottman, Past President and Chairman of the Board, C.G. Young Foundation of New York, Former Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase, Author, “The Career as a Path to the Soul.”

“Hemda has the unique gift of being able to listen deeply and draw out the special qualities in her guests. Her mellifluous, beguiling voice sets the tone.

But beyond the soothing blanket she lays down, it is her quiet presence that enables clear thinking and mindfulness. The result is that guests and listeners are able to process life-changing ideas.” Joshua Ehrlich, Media Guest, Chairman, Global Leadership Council; Author “MindShifting: Focus for Performance”

I’d love to learn about you!

Hemda Mizrahi, Managing Director, Life & Career Choices

Hemda@lifeandcareerchoices.com

917.686.3757

LEGENDS of BASKETBALL

THE 50 GREATEST

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he 50 Greatest Players in the National Basketball Association’s History, also referred to as the NBA’s Top 50 were selected in 1996. 1996 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In honor of the NBA’s 50th anniversary, 50 players were selected through a vote by a blue–ribbon panel of media members, former players and coaches, and current and former general managers. The criteria in which the top 50 players were selected included having to have played at least a portion of their career in the NBA. During this process, players were selected irrespective of the position they played.

The final list of the NBA’s Top 50 was announced by former NBA Commissioner David Stern on October 29, 1996, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, the former site of the Commodore Hotel, where the original NBA charter was signed on June 6, 1946. The announcement marked the beginning of a yearlong celebration during the NBA’s 1996 – 1997 season. The highlight of the yearlong celebration took place during the 1997 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio where 47 of the 50 players selected were assembled during half-time.

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THE NBA’S TOP 50 SELECTED INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tiny Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, George Gervin, Hal Greer, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Magic Johnson, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Bob Petit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Schayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens and James Worthy.

SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE RECORDS HELD

BY MEMBERS OF THE TOP 50 GREATEST PLAYERS INCLUDE: •

Most NBA Championships (11) - Bill Russell

•

Most Points in NBA history (38,387) - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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Most NBA All-Star Game Appearances (18) - Kareem AbdulJabbar

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Most Rebounds in NBA History (23,924) - Wilt Chamberlain

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Most Assists in NBA History (15,806) - John Stockton

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Most Steals in NBA History (3,265) - John Stockton

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Most Blocks in NBA History (3,830) - Hakeem Olajuwon

Four out of five NBRPA founders (Dave Bing, Dave Cowens, Dave DeBusschere, & Oscar Robertson) were selected as members of the NBA’s 50th Greatest Players. Today 47 of the Top 50 Greatest Players of All-Time are active members of the NBRPA. All of which have joined the association to ensure that programs and benefits were established to support former NBA players in their transition to life after the game while also securing life-long benefits for the next generation of players.

It has now been 20 years since the announcement of the NBA’s Top 50. In the past two decades, NBA fans have witnessed the next generation of greats with the likes of players such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade and many more. Many NBA fans argue whether or not players from the more recent generations belong in the Top 50.

Regardless of how the list evolves, the original players honored as the Top 50 will remain a part of NBA and NBRPA history.

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LEGENDS of BASKETBALL

NBRPA SERVICE AWARD WINNER:

ERV INNIGER

Erv inniger was the former head coach at North Dakota State.

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ebound Magazine congratulates Erv Inniger, winner of the NBRPA Service Award! Mr. Inniger has been a member of the NBRPA for a decade, and recently became a Lifetime Member.

A native of Berne, Indiana, Inniger was a standout performer in high school, where his teams went 67-0 over three regular seasons, and for the Indiana University during the mid-1960s, where he was captain of the Hoosier team that won the 1967 Big Ten championship. Adding to his athletic resume', Inniger also played baseball in college and was a standout pitcher. He went on to play two years in the ABA with the Minnesota Muskies and the Miami Floridians.

Erv became the winningest men's basketball coach in North Dakota State history, he guided the Bison to a 244-150 record over 14 seasons including one North Central Conference title in 1981. He was inducted to the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

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ERV IS ALWAYS GIVING BACK ...

BEYOND THE GAME • Assisted Starkey Hearing Aids in Puerto Rico fitting children with their hearing aids.

• A heart attack survivor, Erv serves the American Heart Association, North Dakota Advocacy Committee. (Lobbied for research dollars for heart disease and child nutrition) 100% schools locally are now on a nutrition program for healthy eating.

• Spearheaded Hospice of the Red River Valley. Raised over $225,000 at an annual fundraising lunch called "Go Hawaiian for Hospice" assisting in supporting the end of life's journey.

• Erv has served on the Salvation Army board for more than 13 years.

• As coach and foundation leader of North Dakota State University, Erv made three goodwill trips to the Bahamas. He put on free basketball clinics, gave shoes, toothbrushes and toothpaste for the children there.

• Erv played a key role in getting a Gus Macker 3on3 tournament started in Fargo, ND. • Erv has been a motivational speaker for 30 plus years, many times without a fee when speaking to students, athletes or on the behalf of charitable organizations.

• Bestowed many service awards.

Examples: Service for Mankind Award and the Jefferson Award in Public Service.

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LEGENDS of BASKETBALL

GEOFF HUSTON INDUCTED INTO BROOKLYN / NEW YORK CITY HALL OF FAME

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ongratulations to Geoff Huston!

Geoff was inducted into the Brooklyn and New York City Hall of Fame.

Huston grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Canarsie High School. He was drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1979 NBA Draft. He played seven seasons in the NBA before returning to New York to play for the Long Island Knights and New York Whitecaps in the USBL. Included in the 2016 Brooklyn USA Hall of Fame class are Robert Murphy, Carlton Screen and George Thompson.

After retiring from basketball, Huston became the director of the St. Mary's Recreation Center in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx.

Recently, Huston was also inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame He attended Texas Tech University in the

1970s before being drafted by the Knicks.

"I grew up loving this game," Huston says. "For someone offering me money to play, it is a dream come true."

Huston left the NBA after eight seasons and hundreds of games. He then began working at the NYC Parks Department, where he worked for 20 years before recently retiring.

Huston's wife, Lucy, says that he has kept busy by helping the youth in the Brooklyn community."He does clinics for the kids, so the kids get to meet other NBA players that are his friends," she says.

Geoff and Lucy Huston in New Orleans at NBA All-Star weekend.

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WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN YOU CHECKED IN?

By Connie Wardman

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hen Dikembe Mutombo addressed the recent fourth annual Global Health and Humanitarian Summit as a keynote speaker, he began his remarks with the following: "We're all here for a short period of time. We check in and we check out.

What did you do when you checked in? Did you just fall asleep?"

This is a question that for Mutombo will be an easy answer when he checks out -- he definitely did not fall asleep while he was here.

Held at Emory University in Atlanta, this annual conference is just one more opportunity for a humanitarian like Mutombo to get out his message to all who will listen -- it is one of encouraging others to donate their time and resources to helping people whether it's on a local, national or global basis.

An NBRPA Legend, Mutombo is also a legend for his own charitable good works through his namesake organization, the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, Inc. where he serves as its chairman and president.

A man who has never gotten too big to remember his roots, clearly he practices what he preaches. But it doesn't take much to bring out his fun-loving nature as is evidenced by his recent commercials for GEICO where his well-known shot blocking abilities are displayed in several everyday situations along with his big smile, laughter and his signature finger-waving that NBA fans know and love so well.

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo

Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo from Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of the Congo is considered to be one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players of all time. At 7-foot-2, he was the fourth overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft and went on to an 18-year career in the NBA, also playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets along the way. His career statistics as

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well as his highlights and awards are what you would expect to see from a Legend.

But make no mistake -- for all his basketball skills and good natured fooling around, Mutombo's life calling is to make things better for his fellow man. His original goal of bettering living conditions in his home country led him to Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship to become a doctor. But is didn't take long for the legendary Hoyas' basketball coach John Thomson to recruit him as a center. Nutombo didn't disappoint. Setting a ream record of 12 blocked shots in a single tame, his abilities along with those of teammate Alonzo Mourning prompted Georgetown fans to create "Rejection Row," a section under the basket. And as his basketball prowess grew, his original goal of becoming a doctor was replaced with a career in the NBA. Graduating in 1991 with dual degrees in linguistics (he is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Tshiluba, Swahili,

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LEGENDS of BASKETBALL

Lingala as well as two additional Central African languages) and diplomacy, his original goal of helping his people by giving one-on-one aid as a doctor turned instead to creating his foundation in 1997 through which he could use his resources to help on a larger scale. Located in Atlanta, the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation's mission is to improve the health, education and quality of life for the people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of his personal highlights as well as an important step for the foundation was the opening in December 2007 of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, named in memory of his beloved mother. Built in the DR Congo's capital city of Kinshasa at a cost of $29 million, this general hospital has now treated over 100,000 men, women and children. And thanks to the foundation's continued support, the hospital's ability to serve its population continues to grow.

While his primary interest has always been the Congolese people, Mutombo hasn't focused on them exclusively. As a former spokesperson for the international relief agency CARE, in 1993 he traveled to the Somali refugee camps in Norther Kentucky and, with his Georgetown colleagues Mourning and Patrick Ewing along with NBA Commissioner

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David Stern, he went to Cape Town and Johannesburg.

He is the first Youth Emissary for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and has also served on the advisory board for the Fogarty International Center at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and currently is serving on the boards of UNICEF, the National Constitution Center and Opportunity International. If that weren't enough, Mutombo is also a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.

In 2009 Stern appointed him to the newly created position of Global Ambassador for the NBA, giving Mutombo the opportunity to grow and celebrate the game of basketball through any number of international NBA events, including Basketball Without Borders.

He works on the NBA Cares outreach program with Hall of Famer Bob Lanier who serves as special assistant to Commissioner Stern. Beyond Mutombos work with the NBA, he has been named ABC's "Person of the Week," Essence Magazine's 2001 Achiever and Sporting News' No. 1 Good Guy. He has also been featured in Europe's TIME Magazine, Sports Illustrated for Kids, the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Houston Chronicle to name just a few.

Yes, when Dikembe Mutombo checks out at the end of his life, he will be able to say the he didn't fall asleep. What about you?

NBA CAREER STATISTICS WHEN YOU READ THE LIST OF MUTOMBO'S HONORS AND AWARDS BEYOND HIS NBA PLAYING STATISTICS, YOU NOW BEGIN TO SEE THE IMPACT THIS ONE MAN FROM THE DR CONGO HAS MADE ON THE WORLD: • World Economic Forum -- Young Global Leader • Wilt Chamberlain Award -- Operation Smile • Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from SUNY / Cortland • Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Georgetown University • Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Haverford College • NAACP Phoenix Award • The Henry Iba Citizen Athlete Award • 2000 -- The President's Service Award given by President Bill Clinton • J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA • Ernie Davis Humanitarian Award • The Samuel J. Halsey Award -- Georgetown University • Constituency for Africa's Trailblazer Award • 2007 -- Mutombo was recognized by President George W. Bush during the State of the Union address • 2010 -- Laureus World Sports Award • 2010 B.C. Forbes Peopling of America Award • 2010 Miracle Corners of the World Award • January 2010, President Barack Obama served as a surprise guest at the eighth annual "Let Freedom Ring!" event celebrating of the life and legacy of the late Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr., honoring NBA great and philanthropist Dikembe Mutombo, who received the John Thompson, Jr. Legacy of a Dream award.

•2010 Humanitarian in Sport Award during the Beyond Sport Summit, which was attended by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair •2010 Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy awarded to the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

• 2011 Goodernote Humanitarian Award by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Points 11,729 (9.8ppg) Rebounds 12,359 (10.3 rpg) Blocks 3,289 (2.8 bpg)

NBA HIGHLIGHTS AND AWARDS

• Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year • Eight-time NBA All-Star • Two-time NBA rebounding leader • All-NBA Second Team • Two-time All-NBA Third Team • Three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team • Three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team • NBA All-Rookie First Team • Two-time J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award recipient

Words to accompany the article, in bold letters inlayed within the article: But make no mistake -- for all his basketball skills and good natured fooling around, Mutombo's life calling is to MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR HIS FELLOW MAN.

Eight-time World Economic Forum Young Global Leader

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NBA All-Star

Ernie Davis Humanitarian Award ReboundMagazine.com

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SPOTLIGHTS

SPOTLIGHT ON BARON DAVIS: EXPANDING INTO CREATIVE BUSINESS VENTURES THAT CELEBRATE DIVERSITY AND THE VERSATILITY OF PRO ATHLETES

Steve Nudelberg, Baron Davis & Kevin Carr pictured on the panel of the 2017 LWSC Entrepreneurial Summit

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s a two-time NBA AllStar and player for over 13 years, Baron Davis had a vision that went well beyond his athletic career. Recognizing both his creative and business talents early on as a pro, he launched a marketing company at the age of 23. At 24, he ventured into film production. Laying the groundwork for these startups by using his free time to meet with entrepreneurs whose work interested him, Davis took copious notes, learning about their business models and inviting suggestions. Through this exploration, he began to view companies as investment

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opportunities rather than endorsement prospects.

Davis elaborates, “When I was in the NBA, I always believed that I could expand my brand. I started to look at myself as my own private entity as opposed to an endorsee. It was a bumpy road, because people were saying, ‘How can you be an athlete and do other things?’

Entertainment and marketing were areas in which others doubted my ability to succeed.

I wanted to demonstrate that athletes are well versed in disciplines outside of sports. I learned a lot about who I was through the NBA and received

mentorship from executives, coaches and former players who were smart about their choices.”

He adds, “Sometimes it’s about survival and being willing to learn. You can practice for a long time and take care of your body, but there is space to carve out for other things. My vision is to bring athletes together to collaborate the same way as on the court, through a company that allows them to be managed and branded from both the creative and business sides.”

This vision has materialized in his founding of businesses that seek to increase social and educational awareness globally, such as “No Label Productions,”

and “The Black Santa Company.”

Davis has partnered with a host of Hollywood veterans to produce documentaries, movies, music, and videos. He is one of the producers of the Emmy and NAACP Image-nominated documentary “Crips and Bloods: Made in America,” an official selection of both the Sundance and Los Angeles film festivals.

Through The Black Santa Company, he has built a brand that “celebrates diversity, fun, and positivity in storytelling by way of engaging content and high quality products” that are relatable to a broader audience, and which fill a void for African Americans. His initial product line features Christmas-themed clothing and ornaments that depict his first “colorful character,” Black Santa, and includes a coloring book that tells “inspiring stories of unsung, black historical figures.” Davis collaborates with other socially conscious, innovative organizations on events such as toy drives and holiday gift giving.

An active mentor and coach for young, emerging basketball players whose training and development he also supports through his nonprofit, “Rising Stars of America,” Davis encourages pros to engage the services of the NBA and Players Association to grow their brands.

He emphasizes, “A lot of it will come from research and finding people [who are doing things that appeal to you] before you spend money. Listen and take notes. Investing in research and development can save you from bigger problems later on and help you to scale your business.”

He reflects that a lot of pros are entrepreneurial, and good ideas come from the discussions they have during off-the-court moments with their peers.

Such conversations created

Baron Davis

a springboard for his goal of maintaining community for athletes in the form of telling stories of past and present players. He shares, “It’s great to get to know someone you’ve never played with and have always wanted to know. In striving to be the best storyteller, I want to keep alive the spirits of those who pay so many dues to the game. There is important education in these stories. You don’t know where you are going if you don’t know your history.”

Davis continues to practice the strategies that enabled him to advance into the simultaneous roles of NBA player and

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entrepreneur. He describes his recent participation in NBRPA’s Entrepreneurial Summit at the 2017 Legends World Sports Conference, as “a good opportunity to get together and talk about business opportunities with other athletes who are receptive to building relationships and coalitions.”

Davis’s careers in basketball and business are intertwined through the values, role models and heroes he portrays.

Whether real or fictional, they tell creative, fun and inspiring tales that honor community, diversity, history, and the joy of giving.

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SPOTLIGHTS

SPOTLIGHT ON KEVIN CARR: THE DNA OF AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER THAT REINVENTS SUCCESS

Kevin Carr | Pro2CEO and Kristin Beal | Wintrust pictured on the panel of the 2017 LWSC Entrepreneurial Summit

K

evin Carr’s tenure with the NBA extended for over 11 years past his pro career, including seven years with the NBA Development League, first as the Director of Community Relations and next as the Senior Director of Player Development. Carr then served as the NBA’s Vice President of Social Responsibility and Player Programs. In his subsequent and present role as the CEO and Principal of PRO2CEO, a strategic career transition and business development consulting firm serving elite performers like current and former athletes, Carr continues to facilitate the high level contributions of players both within and outside of the NBA. His business acumen comes as no surprise to those who are aware that his passion for entrepreneurship preceded his NBA aspirations. He credits his

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mother with cultivating within him a mindset that values education and the belief that people can create their own realities by putting forth their best. Carr recalls, “I could hear [my mother’s] keys in the morning at 5 am [as she left for work]. I watched her reinvent herself out of poverty through training and retooling. She was in business construction maintenance at Disney World, and she showed at her own initiative that getting into the door of Disney was possible at a time when it wasn’t as open to minorities and women of color.”

With this outlook, and by actively assessing his strengths, Carr became aware of his natural ability to coach and advise others who share a similar drive to excel. He states, “I’m big into modeling and being a mentor.

One of my roles in sports was to help players find their passions.”

He acknowledges though, that even having a solid sense of other talents does not prevent the tug of war that often ensues as athletes come face-to-face with their pivot away from the game. “When you work with a brand like the NBA, you feel like you’ve arrived and people remind you of that. You want to do it longer than you can.

Many see you as just as a player and you have to work even harder now because others will keep pulling you back there. You might hear, ‘you can’t do this,’ ‘what you do isn’t good enough,’ or ‘I don’t know if you should have left.’ [In the path of these] perceptions, you must be more focused and intentional [to establish] your own realities and develop an expanded perspective of yourself. Do your research, set goals and give it time so that you don’t fall into questioning yourself and allowing others to take you off track.”

On the other side of the pain that change can bring, Carr speaks to the benefits for which players can prepare, even before a new opportunity begins. “To be the best means that you have to sacrifice a lot of time with family and friends.

It entails being on a treadmill that you can’t get off of when you want to. The business of sports is always moving. It took me close to five years to say that was ready to leave [my role as a player]. I planned for my transition, putting relationships and finances in order. I’ve always had a desire to do new things. I’ve been really blessed to take what I thought wanted to do and bring it to fruition, to have full control of life as my own CEO, to become a better husband and dad with a more balanced approach. I can pick

and choose, spread my wings and surprise people. I feel confident that what I do now can serve industries even beyond sports.”

Through PRO2CEO, Carr aims to reconstruct the narrative that trails those coming out of high performance professions. For example, he partners with former athletes to find new arenas in which they can compete to emerge just as, or even more fulfilled as they were as players. This includes being a trusted resource to ensure that his clients’ time is well spent, that they obtain necessary development, and evaluate the potential of investments to be optimized and monetized.

Carr explains, “We assist by being the group that has their best interests in mind and can get them going quicker, better, faster. Whether they want to establish a franchise model, do a joint venture, or operate their own business, we collaborate to create a solid plan. We use technology to support [our clients] in entering a new competitive world, creating websites, social media content, and campaigns that declare who they are and what they are doing.”

This includes coaching current players who want to start to reidentify and rebrand themselves.

Carr emphasizes, “Athletes are used to converting quickly [to results], whereas entrepreneurship takes trial, error, and time.”

Noting that many former players “are seeking answers and don’t always know who to turn to,” his motivation is to guide others in replicating some of the outcomes of his own transition. “We want our clients to be the CEOs of their lives, to build control of the life they want to have, to think with strategy and balance, to lead themselves and others with values and self-appraisal. We help our clients to gage where they are, to be introspective in examining their trajectories, to [reality check] whether or not their careers are

Kevin Carr | Pro2Ceo talks career transition with a representative from the NBRPA’s PR firm Kemper Lesnik” ascending.”

Carr’s reach includes youth. “We identify problems that players have by talking to younger athletes, educating the next generation.

We teach that you can use the platform of sports as a means to a greater end. You can leave a high profile career and leverage what you have to create an even bigger impact on you communities. Magic Johnson is an ultimate example.

We suggest to young people that they can be their own version of Magic Johnson.”

He anticipates that the NBA will eventually push for players to be more well-rounded. Carr is an advocate of the Association fostering lifetime relationships with athletes and offering opportunities to connect back to the game both locally and internationally, suggesting, “Every player will say that the NBA was a special relationship, and that being a player will have value your entire life. There is synergy and a lot more can be done with this relationship to strengthen the NBA as a global leader. Former athletes can model post NBA life to demonstrate that their careers are just beginning, and when you exit one career you don’t need to fall off the map. Everyone can find his or her “it,” [their next “arrival”]. It’s a

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mix of coming to it yourself and through others, and [just like your time in sports], if you don’t grab it and it may not come back around.”

In considering his learning curve as an entrepreneur, Carr talks about the importance of aligning your thinking to envision positive outcomes. “Believe more in the side of you that wants to succeed than in the fearful side of you. Entrepreneurs do a lot of talking in the ‘what if it doesn’t work’ space, focusing on deficits.

Switch your mindset to “what if I find great people with whom I can partner,’ ‘what if I use this money and it enables me to get my business off the ground.’ Spend more time believing in your vision than in clinging to “what if my vision doesn’t work.’ Break out of the grind of fear. Confidence is one of the nine medallions that we teach [in our leadership training at PRO2CEO], the ability to go into the unknown with the selfassurance that it will be okay, ‘I’m a lot more [than what I or others can see.]’ Give to a higher power what you can’t totally understand.

Prayer and faith are a part of my success DNA. You are constantly in a position as an athlete in which you don’t know if you’ll get there [and you can draw on the wisdom of where you’ve been].”

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SPOTLIGHTS

SPOTLIGHT ON KENDALL GILL: HIS BIG RETURN ON COURT AND REALIZING HIS PRE-BASKETBALL SPORTS AMBITION

Pictured: Kendall Gill

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fter 15 years in the NBA, Kendall Gill is fulfilling a dream that is coveted by former pro athletes across any sport, the opportunity to play again at an elevated level.

Having participated in the inaugural (2017) season of the BIG3, a 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube and entertainment exec Jeff Kwatinetz, he affirms that next year will be his final year of competing. “I’ll be 50 and the grind of training is hard.

[Although] I have a supportive wife who understands that athletes only have a short amount of time to do what they do as professionals, the time

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has come to devote energy to my family. I tapped into the place I was in high school and college, when I was trying to prove myself, and came full circle to how I became successful. The formula has always been hard work and focus. In the NBA I was mostly a starter, [whereas] in the BIG3 I played as a reserve.

I wasn’t used to it, but I came in late, after the rotation was already established.”

Gill is referring to his disappointment at not being selected in the draft, followed by elation after Corey Maggette and Coach Drexler asked him to join Team Power three weeks into the season. In true pro form, he transmuted the highs and lows

of the pick into being thankful to have his shot, upping his performance goals. “Getting selected later made me hungrier for the next season. As a reserve, you can watch and see what’s going on before you get on the court, but you have to be ready right away. You don’t get to [ready yourself] by running up and down the court. Hopefully next year I’ll be drafted and be there from beginning so that I can get a starting position. I didn’t feel satisfied with the way I played. I want to be one of the best players in league, so I’ll put work into changing my game.”

Gill’s fulfillment of his first pro sport ambition, that of becoming a boxer, might offer him the firmest footing for his jump at being one of the BIG3’s best in 2018. As a child in urban Chicago, he was fascinated with boxing. “I studied martial arts six years before basketball but my passion was fighting.

I wanted to be Sugar Ray Leonard or Mohammad Ali. When I moved to the suburbs with my family, [my exposure changed]. Suburban kids played basketball.” Preserving the vision of his younger years, Gill geared up to try his hand at pro boxing during his transition from the NBA. “I would pop tapes while on flights [to and from games] to get ready. I studied Muay Thai boxing and Mixed Martial Arts during the summer, and already had a network of trainers, promoters, and other people [whom I had come to know] from going to fights.”

While Gill loved his time in

the pro ring, he says that it was “hard and painful,’ sharing, “The guys didn’t take it easy on me at the gym. They had the perspective, ‘We’re going to show you that you don’t play basketball, you box.’ This is how they eat and feed their families. They take it like war, and have the instinct to hurt you before you hurt them. As a fighter, you really need to know how to win. You can’t have off days, mentally or physically.

You have only one night to prove yourself; otherwise you’ll lose and might get hurt.

As a player, I wasn’t on point during every game. Getting hurt wasn’t in my thought process. Now I understand the mindset of a Kobe Bryant and a Jordan. Pro basketball was like kindergarten compared to the physical toll of being a fighter.

I’m done fighting professionally.

I had four fights and was aiming for a fifth to test my skills, but the person I wanted to fight passed away. I decided to focus on sparring. I landed in the right long-term career as basketball player.”

Even with a shift away from the pro boxing arena, Gill is known for his exacting workouts, which include runs followed by two hours of continuous movement at the boxing gym. He’s found a sweet spot in assigning space for both the sport that became a career and the one that he practices as a lifestyle. “I box in the morning and play basketball at night. The [boxing] trainers are good to me and I get tough love from my sparring partners.

I’m friends with all of them. They knew I was serious when I would get beat up in the ring and come back.”

Gill’s diet serves his goal of contributing his all both in the ring and on court. It’s another example of how boxing training strengthens his performance

in basketball. “Even as a pro player, I didn’t know how to eat for maximum potential. I ate a lot of fast foods and didn’t drink enough water. I had no idea that I was dehydrated and how that affected me. With boxing, I [learned to] eat clean, oatmeal with egg whites for breakfast, a gallon of water a day, a protein shake with seaweed that includes 92 minerals and vitamins. I have beans with broccoli or a salad for lunch, and fish or another protein with rice and vegetables for dinner. I snack on fruit and limit my meat intake to about once a day.”

Both these training and nutrition regimens are reasons that Gill states he was “irritated” when he didn’t initially get drafted for the BIG3. “I did both boxing and basketball training camps beforehand and performed better than some of the other players. It’s not anyone’s fault because they didn’t know what I had done to prepare.” Based on the results of the inaugural season, he suggests that assigning a general manager rather than a team captain to select players would make for more equitable and competitive picks. “The top two teams drafted players with an intent to win and stuck with them. The teams that didn’t do that and gave preferential treatment to their buddies were not as successful.”

Gill names “Joe Smith, a former Number 1 pick in the real NBA draft,” Etan Thomas, Earl Boykins, and Smush Parker as players he was impressed with who did not make the draft.

He’d also like to see Stephon Marbury, Lamar Odom, Gilbert Arenas, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett back on court. “It will be great for fans if they join. They are such a supportive fraternity.”

When asked about the experience of playing in front

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of his hometown crowd and teaming up with Chicagoland pros like Corey Maggette and Paul McPherson, Gill replies, “It was great. When your name is announced and fans still remember you and take pictures, and you replicate a move you used to do in the NBA…it was just like being back again, like getting a chance to relive my childhood. At the start of the season, lots of guys were in shape, but not in pro shape. As the season progressed, players got better and better, getting their timing back. I learned that guys at this stage can still play high-level basketball. I didn’t think they were going to be as physically gifted as they are.

Some were in their early to mid 30s; many were in their late 30s and could get it done. I was the oldest player in the league, a special accomplishment at 49.”

Gill’s sons, Kota and especially Phoenix, gained a new level of regard for their dad. “Phoenix lives, breathes and eats basketball. He appreciated that Dad was with other pros. I play in the over 40 league and with college players, but it’s the first time that he saw me in uniform in a professional setting. He understood that what Dad is talking about really works.”

Gill is also glad to pass on the wisdom of his experiences to the next generation of NBA players.

“The difference between being in the NBA and being retired is like leaving your parents’ house for first time. You need to grow up because the NBA takes care of you. You’re riding on private planes and are told where to be.

There’s no reason not to save a ton of money. When you are secure after you retire, you can pursue what you want without worrying about bills. But when you’re in the NBA, be a ball player. You’ll have plenty of time to do whatever you want to do

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outside of basketball. Sometimes you can get into trouble when you distribute your attention to different things. It will take you a year or two to get used to being out of the NBA. Don’t do anything the first year or two out if you don’t know what you want to do. Take time to travel and research. You’ll need structure, something that can hold your interest. For some guys that can be golf and seeing things they’ve never seen, being exposed to other cultures.”

Gill has been a member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) for over four years.

“I still wanted to belong to a fraternity through which we could share information and help one another in different circumstances. It’s good to have a network of guys and resources and that’s what the union provides, like health insurance and career transition services.

Sometimes you feel isolated in retirement and don’t know where to go. You might think, ‘I’m done, no one is thinking about me anymore.’ Being a part of the Association is like still being in the NBA family.”

Portioning his time between competitive athletics and other pursuits, Gill has also served as a TV analyst for the Big Ten Network, NBA TV, and Chicago Sports Network. In this role, he applies the same success mantra of hard work and focus.

“I review websites and watch ESPN and NBA TV everyday to see what’s going on so that I can reference it in my shows. I’m not physically with the game but am using my eyes and mind.”

It’s this versatility that we’ll be observing as we follow Gill’s next shot at the BIG3. Maybe we’ll see moves that are new to his basketball repertoire. As he attests, “I’m tired but still have enough in the tank to go all out.”

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Pictured: Kendall Gill

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SPOTLIGHTS

SPOLIGHT ON QUENTIN RICHARDSON: HOW HIS BASKETBALL LEGACY LIVES ON IN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS

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igh School State Champion and McDonalds All-American, 1998. Conference USA Player and Freshman of the Year, 1999. NBA All-Star Weekend 3-Point Shootout Champion, 2005. These are some of the milestones of distinction that marked the consistent highs of Quentin Richardson’s basketball career.

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When asked if there are markers that he regrets passing by, he identifies one that he intends to rectify: “I’m going to complete my college degree [in broadcast journalism]. That’s part of the deal that I made with my Dad, and I want to set an example for my kids. My father’s biggest thing was being true to his word.

When I start something, I like to finish it.”

With this same forward moving stance, three quarters into his 13-year NBA career, Richardson began to seriously think about his next aspiration.

He notes, “I acknowledged that I was closer to end of my career than the beginning. Maybe it was because I turned 30. I noticed a gradual progression in which I was maturing and paid attention when my peers

were going out. I was also aware of the resources that were available to me through the NBA. I participated in a broadcasting program provided by the Players Association, and an entrepreneurship program, which led me to consider owning a business.”

Within a year of his retirement, Richardson landed a position as the Director of Player Development for the Detroit Pistons. He shares, “Even as I worked to be the best player I could be, I knew that I was capable of doing much more than basketball. I recognized that I was articulate and smart, that I could give back to community and connect with youth. The year in between [my departure from the game and this new role] was tough at first. I had been on a team since the age of six or seven. [That transitional year] was a time during which I still had basketball left in me. If you’re a pro athlete who leaves a game you’ve played since childhood, there will be a missing part that you’re not used to. You are missing the routine [that has been a lifestyle] for 10 to 15 years.”

Past the courts, Richardson found his reentry into the sport.

“I went through the ups and downs of continuing to work out, preparing to be ready. In the end I didn’t get the call but I had also reached a point at which it became less difficult. I learned to adjust and roll with things because it wasn’t under my control. My retirement also came at a perfect time because I received the blessing of having my first daughter. It could have been worse if I didn’t have my wife and newborn to console me. Before I had a chance to get frustrated about not being a part of basketball, I received a call from coach about [contributing to] the Pistons and got right back

into it.”

His new focus on ensuring that players were finding their way synched well with his love of interacting and connecting with people. With his home life in Orlando, Richardson’s operations responsibilities required him to be in Detroit and to travel with the team.

In his second year with Player Development, it became important for him to be with family. He was candid about this need. “I told coach that I had to go back to Orlando, although I still wanted to contribute to the team. There were no other positions available at the time.

Coach called me when a spot opened up in pro scouting that would offer me a chance to work remotely. I think that I received that call because coach knew my character. Whatever talents you have, you always want to be an honorable person because your skill runs out. Coach would not have had a need for me if I didn’t have good character. When I speak with kids, I advise them to do their job to the best of their ability and to treat someone like they’d want their mom, sister or daughter to be treated. If you try to do that all the time, positive things will happen. Who doesn’t want to be in the company of someone who’s a straight shooter?”

Now in his fourth year with the Pistons, two as the Director of Player Development and over one as a scout, Richardson is glad to remain a player in the space where his passions and priorities intersect. At the core of what matters to him is this: “The scout role is less hands on but it’s still about connecting with people, from the janitor to the owner. Everyone feels the same genuine level of respect no matter what they do. I don’t treat you differently because of your title. People say they

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feel comfortable with me, that I lighten the mood with jokes.

Money and material things don’t drive and impress me. I like to deal with real stuff. I have four kids and no longer feel the need to be around a team all the time. I’m now part of team Richardson.”

Richardson has also stepped in another direction that became known to him as a player. In 2012, he signed a 10-eatery deal with the North Carolina-based franchise “East Coast Wings + Grill.” Like his other pursuits, his decisions were centered in both his self-awareness and love of people. “I was at a point where I wanted to own something. I sat with a financial adviser and compiled a list of possibilities, from restaurants to bowling alleys. I looked at pros and cons, eliminated options and saw what I was interested in. One of the most important outcomes for me was for my best friend to serve as an operations manager in my business. I am the way I am because of the people around me, those who have not put me on a pedestal. I’ve see people be glorified and change.”

While his career interval as a player pivoted in 2013, basketball and providing an infrastructure for others to be on course are lifetime achievements for Richardson.

In 2017, he launched the Quentin Richardson Basketball Academy, through which he provides basketball and life skills development throughout Orlando, Florida and in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

A couple of pictures of Quentin Richardson during his playing days from Getty Images with his name and the team he played on, maybe a couple stats like this: Quintin “Q” Richardson was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 18th pick of the 2000 NBA Draft.

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SPOTLIGHTS

SPOTLIGHT ON MICHELLE BROOKE-MARCINIAK: HOW HER COMPETITIVE EDGE CAME TO PASS AS A STAR PLAYER, COACH, ENTREPRENEUR, AND PHILANTHROPIST

Michelle Brooke – Marciniak pictured on the Women of Influence Summit at the 2017 LWSC”

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nown as one of the most outstanding point guards and leaders to ever play women’s basketball, Michelle BrookeMarciniak’s competitive roots originated in the backyard of her family’s home in Macungie, Pennsylvania. It was there that she played basketball and other sports with her brother until she attended college, first at the University of Notre Dame and a year later as a transfer student at the University of Tennessee.

Her talents readily appeared and ripened at a young age.

“I was probably born with a

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basketball in my hands. From day one, I was much more coordinated than my peers.

My brother was my greatest competitor up through college.

We were so close in age and competed at everything. I think about how much that shaped and formed me in my earlier years. What if I didn’t have a brother? What if he didn’t play sports? He knew how to beat me and that was motivating to me.

Then I got smart and made up a game that was a combination of jump shots, 3 point shots, one on one, and free throws.

I realized I couldn’t beat him

muscle for muscle. I had to change the game in order to win.”

Through these formative experiences, she became her own fiercest competitor, and an advocate of taking ownership of one’s career. “I hold myself to a pretty high bar. Both women and men at every stage of my life, from high school to my pro career, have pushed me as competitors. There are too many to list, but if you don’t push yourself and if you don’t have others pushing you as well, you don’t get ahead in basketball.”

Thinking back on the mentors who have been instrumental to her success, she identifies several whose character traits are expressed in the balance of power and grace that differentiate her as player, coach, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. “My mother has been my stability. She pushed me gently and helped me with my confidence, reinforcing positive behaviors rather than pulling out the negative.”

In contrast, her tutelage under the late legendary coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee was fraught with a fiery seesaw of painful lessons and inspiration. She describes Summitt as “a force who is ingrained in my mind and soul, reminding me that she is always there,” adding, “Pat

was an incredibly influential role model in the way that she carried herself, dressed, and spoke. She made me believe that there was a greater purpose to playing basketball, that I had to learn how to win and lose with class. She made me compete harder, bringing me to another whole gear that I didn’t know I had. There are intangibles that I learned from her that have carried over to my life as an entrepreneur. Pat would play a film for us over and over, [an example] of her attention to detail and perfectionism. She tried to keep all of us humble and hungry, wanting us to believe that we would never arrive. Like a sergeant in the military, sometimes her bark was loud and her bite hurt, and it wasn’t fun. There were parts of her that I love, and parts that I choose not to take forward with me.”

Brooke-Marciniak recounts the particularly excruciating experience of a regular season loss at Ole Miss during her senior year. “We ended up losing the game and I fouled out for the first time. I was not on.

Everything went wrong for me.

Pat let me have it in the locker room, in front of the media, in front of everyone. She wanted to hammer in the message that I let the team down by not bringing my best self. She sat next to me on the bus and lit into me again.

It was awful to the point where I was crying, which Pat saw as a selfish act, asserting ‘It’s your fault that we lost.’ I’m hard enough on myself and was under a lot of pressure. We had lost the national championship the year before, which Pat held me accountable for since I was the point guard.

I called Pat at 5:30 am the next morning and told her that I couldn’t handle the way she was yelling at me in the presence of

Michelle Brook-Marciniak picture at the Pat Summit Statue before staring the “Pedal for Pat” ride on the morning of October 17, 2017.

the team. While she got bitterly sarcastic, and retorted, “You’re not tough enough to be my point guard. I’ll handle you with kid gloves and see what happens,” I think that deep down she appreciated the call. It was a rough couple of months but we ended up winning the National Championship. Was that Pat’s intent? Is that why she was so good? She was the toughest on her point guards because she saw them as extensions of herself on court. This strategy may have worked, but I know there is another way to reach that place without it being as painful. Although I loved my teammates and the university, and came through this more resilient and focused, I learned that I don’t want to ever break anyone’s spirit as Pat broke mine.”

After six years as a pro, Brooke-Marciniak served as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina on the staff of head coach Susan Walvius, from 2003 to 2008. Her self-described “complex” relationship with Summitt continued to evolve. “I had to recruit and coach against Pat, which was not fun, but our relationship strengthened

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over time. Then I became an entrepreneur [partnering with Susan Walvius in 2008 to cofound SHEEX®, a performance bedding and sleepwear company], and that’s when my relationship with Pat took a turn for the better. She was so proud of me. All of the sudden this woman who was sometimes the bully figure in my life became my strongest ally. Pat started buying and gifting our products, putting our sheets on her beds when she had guests. I had to get out of her basketball space for her to appreciate me as being different than who she thought I was.” This change in demeanor coincided with BrookeMarciniak’s own shifts. “It took me five or six years to gain perspective about playing for Pat. As distance takes over, time creeps in, and cuts go away, you try to learn the life lessons. Over time, I learned that I’m better off because of her.”

A harmony developed between the superstars as their paths converged into a higher purpose outside of basketball.

Brooke-Marciniak serves on the advisory board of the Pat Summitt Foundation, a role that emerged from the speaking

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SPOTLIGHTS engagements the two partnered on prior to Summitt’s decline from early onset Alzheimer’s.

Before the Summitt’s death at the age of 64, just five years after her diagnosis, BrookeMarciniak began speaking on her behalf and raising funds for her foundation.

Her most recent fundraising efforts include “Pedal for Pat,” a 1,098-mile bike ride signifying the number of career wins the coach amassed. BrookeMarciniak seeks to create a platform that illuminates the gut wrenching impact of Alzheimer’s on caregivers and patients alike.

“What I experienced which catches all who go through this by surprise is, at some point when the loss of awareness and memory occurs, you realize that this person that you love so dearly is not talking back.

It’s like having a one-sided conversation. There is no way you can understand the disease unless you’ve been through it.

Beth, my wife, lost her father to Alzheimer’s and she coached me through a lot of emotional ups and downs. I want to be there for others so that they don’t feel alone. I want to get to those whom this has touched and while doing that raise enough money for a cure.” BrookeMarciniak dedicated each day of the 12-day bike ride to a different person who has been impacted by the disease.

Her competitive drive, which she defines as “that spirit that I know is within me that has always been there,” is also expressed in the growth of SHEEX®. The company’s conception began with a gift from Brooke-Marciniak to Walvius. “I was wearing a pair of shorts that I love to train in.

I bought similar gear for Susan, who liked the fabric so much that she remarked, ‘I love the drape and the feel of this fabric

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against my skin. I’d love to have bed sheets made out of these fabrics. I’d love to sleep in it.’ The infamous response to begin their SHEEX journey, “Let’s Do It.” As they forged through their final year of coaching at USC from 2007 until 2008, they did just that. Although neither she nor Walvius had a business background, they “knew from sports how to put together a great team.” They also recognized that the performance fabric trend in athletic wear could translate to create not just a product, but a lifestyle when applied to bedding and sleepwear. “We started from scratch, figuring out ways to convert our ideas into a product.

We did a lot of research and consistently got smarter on the business and the product, surrounding ourselves with experienced people who knew the things that we didn’t know.

The best advice we got was from someone who was going to offer financial help. He said, “I slept on your performance sheets last night and I love them. He then asked, what’s next? What other products do you have?

Think about who you want to be 10 years down the line. Do you want to build a product or a brand? Start with one product and make it the best in marketplace, but think about how to expand your presence.”

In collaboration with the Darla Moore School of Business International MBA program at the University of South Carolina, they established a business plan that presented a compelling case for performance fabrics. Now, a decade after its conception, SHEEX® has expanded its collections from bedding to sleepwear to mattresses, and is carried by Bed Bath & Beyond and other major retailers across the country. With globally patented technology secured

for its products, the company is poised for international sales.

Brooke-Marciniak offers this advice to athletes who are transitioning into their next career: “There is an inherent risk with anything that you do, but becoming an entrepreneur is scary. How you define failure really matters. You can see failure as an end or a bridge. I had so many failures as a basketball player, but I saw them as bridges.

I think people view some of the things that we’re doing as impossible. We have given our time, blood, sweat and tears to make it successful. It’s not impossible if you are handling your failures. People can usually handle success, but handling failure is my best advice.”

In light of the credit that she gives to the powerful women in her life, and her far-reaching leadership, it seems fitting that Brooke-Marciniak was a guest panelist for the Women of Influence Summit at the NBRPA annual Legends World Sports Conference in August 2017.

She imparts, “There was player representation [on the panel] spanning over 40 years and dramatically different eras in the progression of the women’s game. But the thread running through our collective message was the same: the key to a great leader is self-examination and self-investment to find your niche. Leadership can come in all forms, there’s not a one size fits all style. As Pat Summitt constantly reminded her players, you win in life when you surround yourself by great people. Relationships form over time and they form with trust. I get joy from sharing my passion with others and being a conduit to a greater purpose. I always want life to be exciting and very purpose driven.” It’s all in the secret sauce of her competitive edge.

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LEGENDS WORLD SPORTS CONFERENCE RECAP

SUN, SURF, AND HOOPS: OUTTAKES FROM THE 2017 LEGENDS WORLD SPORTS CONFERENCE

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he NBRPA hosted the annual Legends World Sports Conference event to celebrate the year’s accomplishments, set the agenda for the following year and to network and commune with friends and colleagues. Service and leadership are a huge part of the mission, and thus, the long weekend’s activities in beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Kenny Gattison pictured poolside at the 2017 Legends World Sports Conference

Pictured: Len Elmore, James Donaldson, Willie Davis

Pictured: Photo of Jim Grandholm and Guest hanging out on the beach in Cabo San Lucas at the 2017 Legends World Sports Conference

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AFTER THE BALL STOPS BOUNCING

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thLife Founder and President Jon Harris taught the fundamentals of the career game in Cabo. With the mission to “educate, develop and inspire,” attendees learned how to build the skills and confidence needed to assume control over their ongoing career development.

Jon Harris, founder of AthLife, addresses the members including career development needs.

BROADCAST BOOTCAMP

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n this three-part workshop, attendees learned firsthand what it takes to excel in the broadcast booth and studio. Reel Media Group, Big Ten Network and sportscaster Len Elmore taught attendess the basics of broadcasting, playby-play and color commentary. “You have to be yourself and you certainly have to be prepared,” says Elmore in his advice to future broadcasters.

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LEGENDS WORLD SPORTS CONFERENCE RECAP NBRPA members Rick Barry, Willie Davis, Ollie Taylor and Otis Birdsong stand with heart specialist in all white, and NBPA�s Director of Sports Medicine and Research, Joe Rogowski (far right)

WE’VE GOT HEART

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he National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) hosted cardiac screenings for all former players that attended the Legends World Sports Conference in Los Cabos, Mexico. The screenings, which the NBPA provide annually to former players, are vital in early detection of heart issues before they can become major problems.

The cardiologusts used a cloud-based electronic medical record (EMR), making preliminary diagnoses to be made promptly.

NBPA Cardiac Screening

Medica l Hi story, 1 2 Lea d EKG , Echoca rdi og ram C arotid Scan , Bl ood Pa n el (C holesterol & Di abetes), Orthopedi c, Cardiolog ist C on sul tation All Former players welcomed!

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THE COMPREHENSIVE SCREENING INCLUDES: 1. A medical history evaluation checking for heart disease risk factors 2. Full echocardiogram checking for problems with heart muscles and valves 3. Carotid ultrasound checking for thickness of the carotid wall as an indication of atherosclerosis 4. Blood pressure and a resting 12-lead EKG checking for arrhythmias and heart muscle damage 5. LabCorp-performed blood work and a complete lipid panel checking for cholesterol and triglyceride levels 6. A consultation with a group of cardiologists to discuss the test results and recommendations for further testing and treatment, if indicated

HEALTHY HEARING

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s the official provider for the NBRPA EarQ focused on hearing health for the legends of basketball.

At the event, EarQ representatives from DC Audiology, Medpark Hearing Center, and Love to Hear Again provided hearing screenings, video otoscope exams, and hearing health education to former players and their family members.

Former NBA players Michael Harper getting his hearing checked by EarQ personnel Krystyna Graham.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Ball handling with Harlem Globetrotter Choo Smith.

All of the campers of El Camino School had a great day of learning about basketball and life skills.

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ithin its mission the NBRPA is focused on servant leadership and continued support of the community.

During the Conference, WNBA legend Tamika Catchings, NBA standout Michael Harper, and Choo Smith of the Harlem Globetrotters visited El Camino School in Cabo to coach young hoopsters. “As leaders of the sport, it is our responsibility to be ambassadors for the game, during and after our playing careers,� said Kenny Gattison, NBRPA Vice President of Membership and Player Programming.

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WNBA Legend Tamika Catching sharing her secrets on shooting.

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LEGENDS WORLD SPORTS CONFERENCE RECAP

LEGENDS WELCOME RECEPTION Steffond Johnson and Eldridge Recasner (Board of Director) Interim NBRPA CEO Scott Rochelle working hard for the membership.

Dave Bing (Founder) and Spencer Haywood (Board of Director) pictured with guests at the 2017 Legends World Sports Conference Welcome Reception Cori Chambers and Barbara Farris enjoy a night out with guests at the 2017 Legends World Sports Conference Welcome Reception

Otis Thorpe and Guest

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WINNING WOMEN Michelle BrookeMarciniak, Tamika Catchings, Nancy Lieberman and Kristin Beal sharing their leadership expertise.

Tamika Catchings, WNBA superstar and daughter of long-time NBRPA member Harvey Catchings, sharing key insight on how to be a successful entrepreneur.

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uring the Women of Influence Summit, power players Tamika Catchings, Nancy Lieberman, Michelle Brooke-Marciniak and Kristin Beal took the stage and discussed their experiences, achievements and strategies in leadership. “The key to leadership is to empower those around you,” said Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman. “If I’m a better me, then we are a better we.”

Catchings, a WNBA legend, and Brooke-Marciniak, who both lettered at University of Tennessee, attribute their leadership skills to the legendary Pat Summit.

“Some people you lead by talking, some by showing and some by a little bit of both,” said Catchings.

In all, the women agreed that leadership and rising to the top, essentially comes from believing in yourself first, and going after what you want. Wintrust’s Beal puts it simply: “Find your voice, and use your voice."

Featured Speakers

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LEGENDS WORLD SPORTS CONFERENCE RECAP

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

“I

f your brand was a car, what would it be?”

Entrepreneur and selfproclaimed serial sales representative Steve Nudelberg posed this question during the Entrepreneurial Summit. “The most important part of a brand is not what you think, it’s what consumers think.” Nudelberg, along with two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis, Pro2CEO founder Kevin Carr and Wintrust’s Kristin Beal highlighted the Entrepreneurial Summit presented by Wintrust in Cabo.

The panel sparked much debate, though the business leaders did agree that the key to entrepreneurship begins with investing in yourself. “The quintessential element to the entrepreneurial mindset is to spend more time believing, rather than defeating,” said Carr.

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Entrepreneurial Summit presenters, Len Elmore, Steve Nudelberg, Baron Davis, Kevin Carr and Kristin Beal shared fantastic insight on steps to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SUMMIT

NBRPA ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ASSOCIATION FOR APPLIED SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

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he NBRPA, announced a partnership with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), a leading organization for sports psychology consultants and professionals who work with athletes, coaches, non-sport performers, business professionals, and tactical occupations.

The two-year partnership is the first of its kind for the NBRPA and aims to offer members counseling services through a national network of AASP consultants. AASP and its network of 2,400 affiliates around the country will assist NBRPA members in their mental health needs through an affordable and NBRPA subsidized- program.

Through the partnership, AASP consultants will now be able to assist NBRPA members who are: • Struggling with transitioning out of basketball, including their emotional attachment to the game and coping with the change in their identity • Retiring “young” and having concerns about the challenges of starting a second career or the next phase in life • Needing a confidential resource to discuss financial, marital or personal issues • Experiencing mental health issues The NBRPA will support its members who participate in this program through the NBA Players Legacy Fund and/or the NBRPA Member Grant.

JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS

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anssen Pharmaceuticals is a leading brand within the Johnson & Johnson family, and the NBRPA announced a partnership at AllStar weekend that made Janssen the exclusive pharmaceutical partner of the association.

Janssen brands such as Xarelto is integrated into marketing and program initiatives across the NBRPA throughout its 25th Year Anniversary Celebration.

The NBRPA provides a strategic platform for Janssen to create initiatives and programming that communicate the importance of physical health and wellness. Specifically, Janssen aims to transform individual lives and fundamentally change the way diseases are managed, interpreted and prevented.

Janssen’s Xarelto brand has an

"We are excited to partner with Association for Applied Sport Psychology,” said former NBRPA President & CEO Arnie Fielkow. “Our partnership with AASP will provide our members the wonderful opportunity to receive high quality consultation that we believe will be truly invaluable.”

AASP will host several webinars each year for members, take part in the Legends World Sports Conference, have a presence on the NBRPA website educating members about mental health awareness and treatment, and distribute several emails per year to the membership regarding mental health issues.

If you would like to be connected to an AASP consultant near you, please contact AASP Liaison Dr. Brent Walker at 646-581-8007 or brent. walker@columbia.edu. established presence within the basketball community through its ad campaign featuring the legendary Jerry West.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals strives to provide access to effective and affordable medicines and related healthcare services to the people who need them. The NBRPA is excited to partner with Janssen and work collaboratively for the benefit of all former players.

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REDEFINING YOUR MISSION AFTER AN ATHLETIC CAREER

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linical psychologist Stanley Teitelbaum, who has spoken and written extensively on the realities of being a celebrity athlete, identifies crucial issues related to finding meaning and relevance after sports. Based on over thirty years of clinical experience, he suggests that a key element in depression has to do with loss.

Dr. Teitelbaum comments, “When retired athletes parlay their fame into a niche that enables them to do something for the community, they maintain [and when necessary rebuild] their self-esteem.” He adds, “When you are on the courts and successful, people [spectators and fans] feel better about themselves because they are associating with a person who is a winner. This unique positioning offers former pros an opportunity to use their skills in a new way to have a positive impact, especially on youth.”

Dr. Teitelbaum urges retired sports heroes to extend their legacies by embracing the chance to serve as role models. The appeal that philanthropy and motivational speaking have in post-pro circles makes sense given that former athletes don’t just lose the structure and support of their teams, coaching staff, practices,

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and game time. Many lose their footing on the public stage, the connection this fosters with people around the world, and their visibility in striving for and exemplifying ideals in teamwork, personal growth, and performance.

In complement to Dr. Teitelbaum’s recommendation of reinvesting your talents in active community involvement, an article entitled “Life After Sport: Athletic Career Transition and Transferable Skills” (McKight, Bernes et al 2009) gives weight to both defining and appreciating the worth of your transferable skills in order to develop a solid perspective of your competence outside of professional play.

Take the example of retired NBA player Matt Fish, NBPRA Phoenix Chapter President, and the Founder and CEO of Rebound Network, a multimedia platform that includes TV, radio and Rebound Magazine both online and in print. Matt identifies community responsibility as a primary focus of his work, with Rebound Network covering “current and former pro athlete stories on their rise to the top” and providing mentorship to “future legends.” Having simultaneously earned Masters degrees in secondary education and business (MBA), Matt continues to repurpose his skills as innovator, communicator, educator, connector, and motivator within sports and in the broader public sphere.

How can you reconstruct your identity and life vision after an athletic career? Since you can use your skills in many different ways, crafting a personal mission statement offers the fertile ground

from which new structure and support systems can emerge.

In Chapter Two (“Begin With The End In Mind”) of his bestselling book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey provides a framework for creating a mission statement.

His website, https://msb. franklincovey.com offers a “mission statement builder” that you can access free of charge by creating a login. The tool guides you in writing personal, family, and team mission statements that reflect your “core values and highest goals.”

This story offers food for thought: “The Old Mill,” located on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts is the oldest functioning windmill in the U.S. It was built in 1746 by a local sailor who constructed it mostly from [repurposed] oak beams that washed ashore from wrecked ships. In 1828, the Old Mill was sold to a carpenter, who restored it for the new purpose of grinding corn. It still stands today, owned and operated by the Nantucket Historical Association as a museum. In its lifetime, it has provided passage, transport, nourishment, and education.

(Source: Wikipedia) The natural course of life transitions requires you to redirect again and again, bringing you back to the reasons that you worked relentlessly to become a pro athlete in the first place.

These are the same reasons that can guide you further along the map of your career today.

Hemda Mizrahi is a transition specialist, coach and consultant to elite performers like professional athletes who seek to transfer their peak performance skills to entrepreneurship.

Learn more about her at http:// lifeandcareerchoices.com.

HOUSTON CHAPTER UPDATE

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he Houston Chapter hosted the first annual golf tournament. Everyone who attended had a great time. There were sports legends from the NBA, NFL as well as WWE.

HOUSTON CHAPTER GIVING BACK AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY

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arvey Catchings and Howard Smith with Houston Independent School District (HISD) assisting two foundations, Samaritan's Feet & We See Abilities, with their distribution of 5,000 pairs of shoes to students & families affected by Hurricane Harvey. To date, Chapter members have performed various humanitarian efforts following the storm.

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HOUSTON CHAPTER UPDATE

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he Houston Legends at Texas Southern University. Assisting NBA Legend, Keyon Dooling, who so diligently donated hundreds of needful items for families affected by Harvey, through is non-profit foundation, G.A.M.E. Also there to assist was current NBA Houston Rockets, Trevor Ariza & Tarik Black. NBA Legend, Maurice Evans was there to lend a helping hand too! It was a great turn out, and a pleasant surprise for the displaced families, who were able to take advantage of photo opportunities with both players and Legends.

HOUSTON AND L.A. CHAPTER UPDATE

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embers of Houston Chapter (Terry Teagle Alex Sanders and Major Jones) during hurricane Harvey Relief efforts at New Mt. Calvary MB Church distribution center. Supplies courtesy of Rick Darnell L.A. Chapter president and Giving Children Hope.

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For 25 y ears, Givin g C h ildren Hope h as been servin g our n eigh bors across t h e st reet an d aroun d t h e world t h rough food, m edical supplies an d basic n eeds. To don at e or learn m ore about Givin g C h ildren Hope, visit www.givin gch ildren h ope.org.

Givin g C h ildren Hope would lik e t o t h an k t h e N at ion al B ask et ball Ret ired Play ers A ssociat ion for t h eir con t in ued support wit h our disast er relief effort s.

FEATURES

LAS VEGAS CHAPTER UPDATE

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as Vegas Chapter President Jerome “JYD” Williams partnered with the Houston Chapter to bring Shooting for Peace to Alief Taylor High School in Houston Texas on March 23, 2017. There was a poetry contest with the winner earning a scholarship from Alabama State and a celebrity basketball game that included the NBA Legends vs. Taylor High. A close game, the Legends came out on top as experience was the determining factor in the exhibition game. The Houston Chapter came out in large numbers to support this great cause. Among the players were DeWayne Rogers, Andre Branch, Moochie Morris, Mike James, Mike St. Julien, Janell Burse (former WNBA) and Jerome ‘JYD’ Williams. The police and fire department was well represented and Houston Chapter President Major Jones coached the team to victory while Steve Hayes, George “Stretch” Campbell, and Ollie Taylor cheered them on.

L.A. CHAPTER ASSISTING WITH THE HURRICANE DISASTERS In the pictures is Michael cage, Rick Darnell, and Giving Children Hope staff.

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os Angeles Chapter with the assistance of Giving Children Hope, Aqua Pacifica Water and Athletes’ N Education sent off a 53 foot truckload of water food and supplies to help the Houston area people and the Houston Chapter. Another truckload went to Florida as well.

Vicki Brenner-Darnell, Rick Darnell and Michael Cage sending a truckload of water, food and supplies to help Houston and South Florida through the hurricane disasters.

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THE EVOLUTION OF THE 4-POINTER

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t’s early January on the renowned hardtops of Venice Beach, California, and the Harlem Globetrotters are putting their 2017 World Tour on display for a national television audience.

Four minutes into the game Firefly Fisher hits two straight 4-point shots to give the Globetrotters an early lead.

With the Globetrotters clinging to a two-point lead in the second quarter, Cheese Chisholm drills a 4-pointer on three consecutive possessions. The lead quickly balloons to double digits, and the crowd is going wild.

A 4-pointer? Don’t you mean a three-pointer? Nope, it’s a 4-pointer, another ground-breaking innovation from the team that continues to revolutionize the game of basketball.

For their 2017 tour, the Globetrotters unveiled basketball’s first ever 4-point line, 30 feet away from the basket… over six feet beyond the NBA’s current three-point line.

The 4-point shot has come has come a long way (no pun intended… okay, intended) since it’s inception.

When it was introduced to the world on Dec. 5, 2010, the 4-point shot took the form of four spots on the floor, two on each half of the court, 35 feet away from the basket… and the shot was only “active” the last few minutes of each quarter.

Eventually, the shot was available throughout the game, but a player still had to be shooting from one of those four 4-point spots to convert the shot.

The Globetrotters feel the new 4-point line, an arc that stretches from sideline to sideline on each half of the court, improves the game.

“I love the 4-point line, because it has more of a basketball feel,” says Firefly, who once drained a Globetrotters-record 10 straight 4-point shots in a

game. “I can come down and shoot a 4-pointer from anywhere beyond the line instead of having to run to a specific spot. It gives us a lot more freedom to be players while still displaying our great shooting ability.”

Showman and Atkinson, whose holds Globetrotters single-game records with 22 4-pointers and 93 points, agrees.

“Having it as a line on the floor and not spots gives the game a much better flow,” says Ant. The Globetrotters feel the excitement of the fans when they start filling it up from the 4-point line.

“You can actually feel the anticipation before you launch it, and it gets your heart racing, because the fans love it!” exclaims Cheese.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” says 5-foot-2 Too Tall Hall, the shortest player in Globetrotters history.

“Fans are amazed a guy of my size can make that shot, and it sends a message to kids that you can accomplish whatever you want with hard work and determination.”

It certainly does take a ton of work and practice to consistently hit the 4-point shots that the Globetrotters make look so easy.

“I usually shoot 100 before a game and 300 to 500 on non-game days,” says Cheese.

“Some players might have to alter their form to take a 4-point shot, but as Globetrotters, we practice the shot so often that we keep the form of a normal jump shot,” says Firefly.

There has been talk the last few years about the NBA possibly adopting a 4-point line in the future.

These Globetrotters all agree they would love to see the shot in the NBA – and at all levels of basketball, for that matter – because of how it can quickly change the complexion of the game and gets the fans pumped up.

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25TH ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT:

ABA/HGT INCLUSION

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he Globetrotters originated on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois in the 1920s. The original members of the Globetrotters were raised in Chicago and began as the Savoy Big Five, a basketball team comprised of AfricanAmerican players that played exhibitions before dances at the Savoy Ballroom. In 1928, many of the team’s players left due to an internal dispute and went on to form a team called the “Globetrotters.”

The Globetrotters were later named the “New York Harlem Globetrotters” by Abe Saperstein, the team’s manager and promoter. Saperstein later selected Harlem New York as the team’s home city prior to ever playing their first game in the city due to its relevance as the epicenter for African American Culture.

The Globetrotters won 101 out of 117 games in their inaugural season while introducing many Midwestern audiences to the game of basketball. By 1936, the team had played more than 1,000 games. In 1939, the Globetrotters appeared in their first national championship game against the New York Renaissance. The year 1939 was the first year the Globetrotters inserted silly antics including ball handling tricks and on the court comedic routines into their game play. This in addition to their style of play won fans over all across the U.S. In 1948, the Globetrotters earned a new level of respect by beating the Minneapolis

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Lakers of the then newly established National Basketball Association (NBA). Two years later the NBA lifted its “whites only” ban and began to draft black players. Abe Saperstein began to tour the Globetrotters on the international circuit since he faced competition from upstart leagues in the United States, such as the NBA, to recruit and maintain talent.

Some of the most notable Globetrotters that went on to become NBA Legends include Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins and “Wee” Willie Gardner.

The United States witnessed the start of yet another basketball league with the emergence of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967. The emergence of the ABA came at a time when numerous upstart leagues were challenging many of the already established professional basketball leagues in the United States. The ABA distinguished itself from its older counterparts such as the NBA by implementing a more wideopen, flashy style of play. The ABA used a colorful red, white and blue ball, similar to that of the Harlem Globetrotters, instead of the traditional orange basketball.

The ABA remained competitive for years to come by offering players and officials from the NBA far more money to participate in their rival league. The league eventually caught on with fans and became known for introducing the slam dunk contest, which has now become one of the marquee events during the NBA All-Star weekend. This event showcased the talents of basketball legends like Rick Barry, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, George “Ice Man” Gervin and Spencer Haywood. The lack of a national television contract and significant financial loss forced the ABA to cease as an independently operated league, but not before successfully completing a merger with the NBA in 1976.

L.A. ALL-STAR WEEKEND

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he NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, California will take place on Friday, February 16-18, 2018 at the Staples Center, home of the L.A. Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. Many great traditions continue and new exciting events are planned for the star-studded and action packed showcase weekend.

The Welcome Party, the Legends Brunch the SlamDunk and 3-Point Contest, the All-Star game to name just a few. This will mark the record sixth NBA All-Star

game in Los Angeles and third in the Staples Center. The NBRPA’s host hotel is the L.A. Hotel Downtown, in the heart of all of the All-Star events.

Participation brings us all back to that euphoria known as V.I.P. Come and enjoy the fantastic festivities and comradery!

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