College basketball is the breeding ground for future NBA Legends, where raw talent is honed, and dreams take root. That’s why the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is running it back and putting on its second consecutive Legends of Basketball Showcase.
In an event that was incredibly successful last year in Chicago at the United Center, the 2023 Showcase will feature a tripleheader on December 30 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The tripleheader will be headlined by the Ohio State Buckeyes and the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The two games leading off the tripleheader will be the Ohio Bobcats taking on the Davidson Wildcats, followed by the Akron Zips facing off against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.
The Legends of Basketball Showcase serves as a vital stepping stone for these young athletes on their journey to hopefully becoming Legends themselves, reminding us that the future of the game is in great hands.
There are also a few coaches steering the ship at this upcoming showcase. Two of West Virginia’s assistant coaches, DerMarr Johnson and Da’Sean Butler were both drafted in the NBA. Johnson was the sixth overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks. Throughout his seven-year career, Johnson played 344 games for four NBA teams. Butler was a second-round pick (42nd overall) selected by the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA Draft. Alex Ruoff, another assistant coach for the Mountaineers played for the Washington Wizards Summer League team in 2009 and the New Jersey Nets 2010 Summer League team.
Coming off such a riveting event last year, it’s no wonder NBRPA President & CEO Scott Rochelle was amped up to bring back the Legends of Basketball Showcase.
Along with an action-packed day of college hoops, the event will feature membership initiatives, scholarship programs, and all the charitable work the NBRPA has to offer. We are once again eager to put on this event and looking forward to another great day in Cleveland, Ohio.
Learn more at www.legendsofbasketball.com/showcase.
