NBA Retired Players Association to Mentor Youth at Rucker Park on August 15

The NBRPA and NBA Cares are hosting a youth basketball event at the famed Rucker Park in Harlem (featured in the latest issue of SLAM) on August 15 from 9-11 a.m. Former NBA players Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Albert King, Sleepy Floyd and more will be in attendance to impart some wisdom on the young ballers. Read more below from our friends at the Retired Players Association:

CHICAGO, ILL. – – The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the only alumni association comprised of former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters and WNBA players, will bring its successful Full Court Press: Prep for Success youth basketball and mentoring program to New York City’s iconic Rucker Park in Harlem from 9-11 a.m.Saturday, August 15, alongside its partners from the National Basketball Association (NBA), Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL), Leadership Foundations and Jobsy Wobsy.  As part of this very special collaboration with the NBA and its NBA Cares Initiative, several former NBA standouts will be working with local youth, including:

 

Nate “Tiny” Archibald: New York City native, starred at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, 6-time NBA All-Star, NBA Champion and member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame

Albert King: New York City native, starred at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, first-team All-American at Maryland before starring with the New Jersey Nets in the 1980s.

Eric “Sleepy” Floyd: Former NBA All-Star. As a member of the Golden State Warriors, set and still holds the NBA playoff record for points scored in a quarter (29) and in a half (39), in game 4 of the 1987 Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tony Campbell: Teaneck, NJ native starred at Ohio State and spent 11 seasons in the NBA, including two with the New York Knicks.  Won an NBA Championship with the Lakers in 1988.

 

Full Court Press: Prep for Success is a single-day  youth basketball and mentoring clinic for underserved boys and girls, ages 10-16, held in cities across the United States and abroad. The program is designed to introduce participating youth to positive role models in both basketball and life, with equal time spent on the basketball court, in the classroom and at a mentoring roundtable as part of a robust curriculum. Full Court Press: Prep for Success is a joint initiative of the NBRPA, NBA, PAL, Leadership Foundations and Jobsy Wobsy.

 

This touring program visits 10-15 cities annually and includes former professional basketball players as coaches and mentors in each session. Mentoring classroom periods address topics relevant to each community and are taught by community leaders from Leadership Foundations and PAL. The mentoring roundtable in each session follows an NBA Cares template and falls in line with the White House’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative.

 

This very special event at New York City’s iconic Rucker Park is part of RUCKER 50 – a three-day event series celebrating the legacy of the Rucker League and to commemorate 50 years since the start of the Rucker Professional (Basketball) Tournament. The Rucker Professional Tournament is a Harlem summer professional basketball tournament that was founded by Bob McCullough, Sr. and Fred Crawford, Sr. during the summer of 1965 to honor the passing of their mentor, Holcombe Rucker.