And1 Names Slate of World-Class Dunkers for Summer Remix

Terry Lyons Sports Marketing is proud to be working with the people at AND1 Basketball to bring back a brand that was so much a part of our basketball-loving lives .... So, read on, please:

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AND1 Summer Remix in Phila

The AND1 apparel and sneaker brand and their event partner, IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, recently announced one of the most accomplished lineups of streetball dunkers ever assembled as part of the inaugural 12-team, $100,000, winner-take-all Summer Remix Tournament, the largest cash prize for one event in streetball history. The event will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University during Labor Day Weekend (August 29 – September 1). 

The star-studded list of “elite dunkers” scheduled to compete in Philadelphia includes:

Justin Darlington, a Canadian hoopster, known as “Jus Fly,” won the 2012 Nike World Basketball Festival Dunk Contest in Washington, D.C. An accomplished jumper, Darlington has competed in basketball events worldwide and is the winner of more than 60 national and international dunking events. 

Guy Dupuy, a 6-foot-3, 22-year old star from France is known as “The Best Dunker In The World” and is widely recognized as a major part of the amateur group of popular dunkers as well as being part of the AND1 team.  Dupuy gained fame earlier this year for replicating Blake Griffin’s legendary dunk and even topping it by jumping over the car while simultaneously putting basketball through his legs.

Brandon “Werm” Lacrue is a multi-time winner of the Sprite Slam-Dunk Showdown and is among the most entertaining Slam-Dunkers on the planet. He is also a current member of the AND1 team.

Haneef Munir, known by the nickname of “Young Hollywood,” is famous for his acrobatic dunks, including his most recent headline-grabber of picking the ball out of mid-air and putting it through his legs before slamming the ball over NBA All-Star Blake Griffin which took place at last weekend’s Jordan Release event in Santa Monica, California.

Chris Staples, known to many by the nickname of “Hoopstar,”  is a 6-foot-3 former Harlem Globetrotters’ guard famous for his windmill and 360-degree whirling dunks.  He recently was among a trio of dunkers who entertained fans at ancillary events around the 2013 ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

In addition to the dunkers, AND1 announced that some of the most accomplished DeeJays in the music industry, including DJ Diamond Kuts, DJ RL and DJ Johnny V, plus special guest DJ Aktive, will provide the soundtrack for the Summer Remix Tournament events in Philadelphia.

The AND1 dunk contest is the latest addition to the star-studded lineup of basketball luminaries, music personalities, Streetball stars and long list of former NBA players who are scheduled to participate in the Labor Day weekend events.  A Streetball.com team led by former pro players Penny Hardaway, T.J. Ford and other basketball dignitaries will join the previously announced Streetball teams led by NBA Legend Shawn Kemp, who will form a team of players from the Seattle area, Indiana Pacers star and AND1 athlete Lance Stephenson, who will captain and coach a team of players selected from open tryouts from events held throughout the country during the past month. In addition, a trio of music legends with a passion for basketball in Michael Bivins, Jermaine Dupri and Rico Love will all captain or coach teams which will be comprised of several former NBA and pro players, as well as some of the most accomplished individual basketball and streetball talents in the world.

In case you were wondering, the AND1 basketball apparel and sneaker brand got its start in Philadelphia and is currently owned and operated by Galaxy Brands of NYC, a company that recently acquired the business and is orchestrating And1's revival.  For And1, the mission remains the same as it always has been -- to focus on those who are passionate about basketball and use the game as a metaphor for success in everything they set out to do in life. The celebration of hard work, freedom of expression and dedication to excellence is reflected in the unique and iconic product that the brand has and will continue to create for both the dedicated player and the casual competitor.  AND1 has worked with a number of professional players in its storied history, and currently sponsors Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson. The powers that be behind the brand recently created the "AND1 Summer Remix Basketball Tournament," a 12 team, $100,000, winner-take-all streetball event to held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University over Labor Day Weekend (August 29 – September 1).  For more details on the brand vision and programs visit The AND1 apparel and sneaker brand, http://www.and1.com and follow AND1 on Twitter: @And1basketball and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/and1basketball.

One comeback = good, two or more = bad ...

The report of Reggie Miller returning to the NBA to play for the Boston Celtics struck me as a perfect fit. The key word is fit. Reggie remains one of the most top flight, best-conditioned athletes of our day and his build and 'game' rely on running and conditioning. His problem, of course, would be defending the opponents' quicker off guards or small forwards.

Doc Rivers would have to hide Reggie in a zone.

Reggie would need more than the lanky KG to help out when he is beaten off the dribble.

Now, the continuation of the story - Penny in Miami, Dallas-based rumors of Allan Houston's return - and Bob Ryan's great blog quote - "You mean Hal Greer wasn't available?" make me wonder why we always seem to take the ideas to the extreme?

In the link above, ESPN's Marc Stein created a list, as have others, and they have included everyone from Hakeem Olajuwon to Tim Hardaway to Vin Baker to Chris Anderson to Charles Oakley, god forbid. I can state, without hesitation, that at the 2000 Olympics, it was obvious to all that Tim Hardaway and Baker were done. In 1996, when Penny was in his prime, the national team practices showed the break in Penny's so-called armor and in his confidence and overall gamesmanship. The then-All-Star guard couldn't keep up with the Gary Payton's of the world at that point in time, nevermind today.

People tend to remember the 'comebackee' at his best. Visions are conjured up of Hakeem's pump fake vs. David Robinson in the '95 Western Conference playoffs when Hakeem outscored The Admiral right after his MVP season. The more realistic comeback vision? Hakeem sitting on the bench for the Toronto Raptors in his final season.

So, my take on the story for the NBA? One Reggie Miller comeback story is all that is worthy of the airwaves. Oak couldn't play with Patrick Ewing, nevermind attempting to complement Eddy Curry. Penny will see the Pat Riley waiver wire by Nov 1. Hakeem will stay retired in Jordan, much the same way that Michael Jordan will stay retired in Charlotte and Al Gore will stay retired from politics. The rest is a waste of time.