Oakland, Calif. (AP) — Oakland, originally from Damien Lillard, barely resembles the prosperous sports city he has cherished so much since his youth.
All three major professional sports franchises have disappeared in recent years.
So when the Milwaukee Bucks star came home for the All-Star Game, he must have wanted East Bay to have a big presence.
The former Golden State Warriors home arena hosted not only All Star Practice on Saturday, but also the NBA HBCU Classic featuring Morehouse College and Tuskegee University.
“It was crazy. The NBA gave us the opportunity to come on a big stage and play Morehouse,” says Trey Crawford, a graduate student at Tuskegee. “It was exhilarating to be in front of all this black culture around us, all of these fans.”
Playing a game in his hometown meant so much for Lillard, who was saddened to see the Warriors, track and field and assailants leaving town.
And while it wasn’t important to Lillard, it was standing there to honor all the black greats coming out of Auckland, from Gary Payton and Jason Kidd to the late Bill Russell and Ricky Henderson.
“I grew up close here, I drove and watched the Coliseum, watched the Oracle, how dead it was, I was a kid with the Raiders, A, Warriors here, so much energy there. When there was, we see how dead it was and1 mixtape tour, here, Globetrotter. I remember a lot about this parking lot,” Lillard practiced with Shaq’s OGS team. I said it later.
“One of the first things I asked when I got here is that they’re doing it on an Oracle on Saturday night? The professional sports teams are being taken away, so that energy is here. Because I wanted to see something, so I can now come here and practice to be here… how rich is it, especially with African American athletes. As for whether there is, I’m happy they’ve taken this stance and this direction comes because I think cities need this type of energy.”
This is the fourth time that incorporates the game between the two schools representing HBCU (historically black universities and universities) over the All-Star weekend to raise awareness among these student-athletes and increase the likelihood of the program and school. It was a mark.
“It’s always good for the HBCU program to create opportunities to feel sparkle and gain love,” Curry said. “It’s a great stage and I love the fact that the NBA is invested in it. That’s part of what this weekend is.”
Curry is still connected to Auckland, and he and his wife Aisha do so much work through their eat.learn.play. School and community foundations.
Former Warriors and Kings coach Keith Smart took over the high school program at Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah, last month, and his team joined the game on Friday. However, Smart confirmed that everyone was stuck on Saturday as the HBCU games followed by All-Star Practice.
“When you look at the demographics of your team, all of these people, you give them hope. That’s what the NBA is doing gives them hope,” Smart said. “Players who may or may not have a chance. But now they have a brother who will support them in the NBA. So they just have this event and now they have a brother behind you. Not that, it only helps.”
Veteran NBA writer and reporter David Aldridge is grateful for his efforts to put the HBCU program on a big stage over the All-Star weekend.
“It was amazing,” Aldridge said. “It’s so positive and it’s positive for the NBA to deliberately lean on the HBCU and provide a platform where the rest of this weekend is very equal, and it’s positive for kids. I’ve had a few over the years They’ve played games and feel they’re really empowering. And their leagues attract this kind of attention, and this kind of platform will bring about the skill level and talent level and unity of the child. It gives you the incredible confidence to actually introduce it.”
Former Warriors forward Purvis Short traveled from Houston and proudly represented HBCUS (who attended Jackson State) along with a group of NBA legends in Saturday’s game.
“In many cases, HBCUs are often overlooked, so whenever these kids or colleges have the opportunity to stand on this type of stage, they change the whole outlook when they come back,” Short said. “And it’s really great to see something like this happen because if it were to expand their dreams. I’m so happy to be in attendance. This is amazing.”
___
Get polling alerts and updates for the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/nba and AP College Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com /Hub/College Basketball
Brought by www.srnnews.com
