Nba and pba stars team up

[onefrombills]

Winston-salem, NC - 9/20/2008


The NBA’s best paired up with the stars of the PBA all in the name of charity Saturday night at AMF Winston-Salem Lanes in the inaugural Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by the brands of Ebonite International.

The event was held in conjunction with the third annual Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend, the signature fundraising event of the CP3 Foundation. All of the proceeds from the Invitational and the weekend-long charity event benefit Paul’s foundation which supports a variety of charities and programs in Winston-Salem and New Orleans.

The Invitational was taped for broadcast by ESPN and it will air on Oct. 19 to kick off the 2008-09 50th anniversary PBA Tour season. It marks the first time professional athletes from other sports partnered with professional bowlers for a bowling event with a dedicated telecast.

The Invitational saw New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul paired up with 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes; Miami Heat guard Dywane Wade with 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Jason Couch; Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay and 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year Doug Kent; and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Durant and Mitch Beasley.

“I have the best partner (Barnes) out there and he’s given me great tips, so I was confident that we were going to do well,” Paul said.

The other NBA players and PBA bowlers were simply thrilled to be a part of this special charity event.

“Chris Paul is a great friend of mine and it’s always good to come out for a good cause and have fun,” James added.

“I was really pumped; it was great bowling with my partner (James),” Couch said. “I watched him play in high school and now in the NBA. I’m a huge NBA fan. It was an honor to be a part of this special event. It was huge for me to meet these guys, let alone bowl with them.”

Other activities during the weekend included a Ludacris concert, Banker’s Ball, Youth Basketball Clinic and Celebrity Pro-am bowling tournament featuring stars like singer Bryan McKnight, Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard and former NBA great Byron Scott.

“It was amazing to meet my all-time role model, Byron Scott,” Couch said. “He’s still got it (making five half-court shots during the basketball clinic).”

Be sure to tune in Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. EST for the telecast to see who wins!

[Baroncad]

Watching this was great, those NBA players (Paul, James, Gay, Durant) truly had a fun time bowling with the elite PBA players. It also could have opened a door for the PBA to attract more exposure and people who normally would not watch a bowling match on TV.

Granted you will never see Chris Barnes or Jason Couch talk to their opponent while they were on the approach. But the fun those "Pro's" had that day definitely made it enjoyable for the crowd in attendance and the fans watching it on TV.

I just hope that it will turn into a yearly event, Fun for the participants and a joy for the spectators.