Entertainers Basketball Classic to Host 2015 Battle of the Cities Basketball Games at Prudential Center in December
Rick Ross To Headline Musical Performances
Tickets Start at $24.75 and Go On Sale Friday, November 13 at 10 a.m.
NEWARK, N.J. (November 10, 2015) – The Entertainers Basketball Classic (EBC) will host the 2015 Battle of the Cities Basketball Games at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 3 p.m. The event will benefit the Believe in Newark Foundation and will include a toy drive in partnership with Preserve Our Legacy, Inc. The event will include musical performances and appearances by Rick Ross, Rich Homie Quan, Migos and Mike Bivins of New Edition. This will mark the first time an EBC event will take place at Prudential Center, allowing fans from the entire New York-metro region to take part in the basketball festivities.
The EBC Battle of the Cities Basketball Games will include four teams of top streetballers from New York, Newark, Boston and Los Angeles. The first game will be Boston Biv 10 vs. NYC Dyckman. The second will be Newark EBC vs. Los Angeles.
Tickets are $225, $175, $135, $100, $90, $69.75, $54.75, $39.75, $24.75 and go on sale Friday, November 13 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and charge by
phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets will be available for purchase at Prudential Center’s box office beginning Monday, November 16 at 11 a.m.
Believe in Newark Foundation provides resources, technical assistance and fosters greater giving to the Newark area and its nonprofit community. EBC and Preserve Our Legacy, Inc. will host a toy drive and donation for local homeless shelters in New York and Newark, as well as invite 10 of the families to the event. Preserve Our Legacy will also host a bone marrow drive in honor of NJ legislation, Jaden’s Law.
“We’re excited to bring streetball to Prudential Center,” Greg Marius, CEO and Owner of EBC, said. “I’ve wanted to do this event for a long time and I’m thrilled about the players, supporters and fans that made it possible. Not only are we highlighting some very talented basketball players, but some great musical performers as well. This is what EBC strives to do.”
EBC will hold open tryouts for three spots on both the Newark and New York teams prior to the event, allowing members of the community to showcase their talents.
For more information on the event or with media requests, contact Meredith Geisler at [email protected] or (703) 740-5015.
About EBC
The Entertainers Basketball Classic was founded by Greg Marius in 1982 in Harlem, NY and is one of the most recognizable streetball tournaments in the world. The EBC Tournament features a Men’s and Women’s division, as well as AAU Youth divisions. The Men’s division is one of only a few tournaments in New York to be sanctioned by the NBA and the NCAA. The EBC has played host to a lineup of A-list celebrities, athletes and politicians, including former President Bill Clinton, former NBA Commissioner David Stern, Denzel Washington, Beyoncé, Lebron James, David Duchovny, Michael Rappaport and music superstars who have been EBC team owners or celebrity coaches such as Jay-Z, Mary J.Blige, Alicia Keys, P.Diddy, Fat Joe, and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Throughout the years the tournament has attracted fans from all over the world and included more than 30 NBA professionals who have played in the EBC tournament such as Kevin Durant, David Lee, Kyrie Irving, Tyreke Evans, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, Baron Davis, Vince Carter, Kenyon Martin, Ron Artest, and more.
About Tandem Sports + Entertainment
Tandem Sports + Entertainment is a full-service sports marketing, management, and communications agency. Tandem’s roster of clients includes Tim Duncan, Jeremy Lin, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, John Henson, Brandan Wright, Thaddeus Young, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, C. J. Watson, Dominique Wilkins and Tamika Catchings. Public relations clients include Charles Johnson Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award, NormaTec and author Jon Pessah (“THE GAME: Inside the Secret World of Major League Baseball’s Power Brokers”).
About Believe in Newark Foundation
Our main agenda is to cultivate the non-profit community throughout the City of Newark. From youth services, senior services to general support, we believe in the hard-work and dedication that each organization provides. The work of our mission is to provide resources, technical assistance and foster a greater giving to support the nonprofit community and the residents within the City of Newark. As we strive to move our city forward, we believe that this will not only promote a healthy and high quality of life but will also reshape the mindset of our residents. Through a collaboration of local community partners, the Believe In Newark Foundation, Inc. stands in support to improve our literacy, quality of life, youth development, and recreational services.
About Preserve Our Legacy, Inc.
In 2006, Jaden Hilton was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. In order to survive, he was in need of a bone marrow or cord blood transplant. No one in his immediate family was a match, therefore, he needed an unrelated donor. At the time, the National Registry only had 4% available for African-Americans. Nine months after diagnosis, Jaden lost his battle on January 29, 2007. After his death, Preserve Our Legacy was formed and the mission was to educate individuals, especially those from various ethnic groups, about the benefits of stem cells and treatment options they provide through bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and cord blood.
About Prudential Center
Prudential Center is a world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 10 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and welcomes 1.75 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and Facebook, and follow @PruCenter on Twitter.
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