Beginning August 12, Nike, Inc., in conjunction with USA Basketball, are bringing the world’s best basketball teams and top musical performers to New York City for the inaugural World Basketball Festival, a four-day celebration of the performance and culture of the game.
The Festival, an event Nike has committed to reprising every two years, will officially begin Thursday evening at Radio City Music Hall with the Nike World Basketball Festival Tip-Off, featuring finalists for the 2010 USA Men’s Basketball World Championship Team and culminating in a surprise musical performance.
The finalists for the USA World Championship Team are: Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets), Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers), Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers), Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder), Andre Igoudala (Philadelphia 76ers), Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves), JaVale McGee (Washington Wizards), Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers), Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
The coaching staff will be led by University of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will be assisted by New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, University of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan and Toronto Raptors head mentor Jay Triano.
The team hopefuls will be assembling in New York for training sessions at John Jay College, the Knicks Training Center in Tarrytown and Madison Square Garden from August 10-14.
On August 15, as part of the Global Community Cup, Team USA will take on the national team from France in the first game of an international doubleheader at the Garden to conclude the Festival. The second game will feature China taking on Puerto Rico.
The Festival is also scheduled to make a stop at Harlem’s famed Rucker Park on August 13 and 14 for training and scrimmages by some of the national teams, including Brazil, China, France, Puerto Rico and the United States, as well as fan activities and grassroots basketball.
Tickets, which start at $15, for the August 15 international basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden, featuring the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and three of the world’s best national teams, are available via Ticketmaster.com and thegarden.com, by phone at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX, and at the box office at Madison Square Garden.
Join Nike and USA Basketball in celebrating the best in basketball, and the inspiration, attitude and athleticism that define the game; and there will be no better locale to experience pageantry of the first-ever World Basketball Festival than in the heart of New York City.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation about the World Basketball Festival.
Nike & USA Basketball Bring Inaugural World Basketball Festival to NYC
