The 2009 Bermuda Basketball All-star Memorial Weekend

Special Guest NBA Legends Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Bill Russell

HAMILTON, Bermuda (July 19, 2009) — S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate, a newly-formed street basketball brand with a mission steeped in community outreach, launches its overseas schedule with the 2009 Bermuda All-Star Weekend hosted by special guest Julius “Dr. J” Erving, July 24-26, 2009.

The S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate consists of some of the best streetball basketball players in the world. The S.K.Y. team will consist of hard-top legends Anthony “Half Man – Half Amazing” Heyward, Dennis “Spyda” Chism, John “High Octane” Harvey while featuring dunking specialists Taurian “Mr. 720″ Fontenette , Newcomers Chris “RainMan” Crumpler, who lives in Bermuda will join Earv “I’ll Be Right Back” Opong, Patrick “Pat Da Roc” Robinson and James “Big Swoal” Rhodes. Some of the players had played under AND1 during the Mixed Tape tours the last several years.

The 2009 Bermuda All-Star Weekend consists of the Bermuda High School All-Star Game and the PBL Women All-Star Game. The headlining game between the S.K.Y. Syndicate and Bermuda Select Team will feature the Syndicate playing a collection of all stars from the Bermuda National Team and the Bermuda Select Team. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the first game starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 and include admission to all three games. Tickets are available at International Sports Center on Bermudiana Road.

“What a great weekend to showcase the great sport of basketball and our beautiful country,” said Alan Walker, the president of the Bermuda Basketball Association. “It will be a spectacular weekend with NBA legends Julius Erving and Bill Russell attending. We’ve blended community appearances, nightly entertainment, high-level games while honoring some great Bermuda players that have passed. With the players from S.K.Y., it should be highly entertaining.”

John Lee, the president of B.Y.O.B. and the weekend’s host and local promoter said: “This is a special weekend that has been in the planning for some time. To see it all come together, and to have Julius Erving and Bill Russell in attendance, and a game with the S.K.Y. players on tap, will make it quite remarkable. The whole weekend is about community and how basketball can bring us together. It will be great for the BBA and for those attending.”

S.K.Y. is an acronym for (S)erving (K)nowledge to (Y)outh and is committed to the personal and academic growth within the communities it plays. Using sport as a unique springboard and the players as ambassadors, the Streetball Syndicate present a message of helping youth by holding at least one community appearance or basketball clinic in each market they compete. The players will appear Friday at various locations including the International Sports Shop.

“There are all kinds of streetball games and leagues and tours all around,” says Lee Greene, a Bermuda resident who is originally from North Carolina. “We truly believe that S.K.Y. is different because the players are fully committed and devoted to not just put on a great show on the hard court, but to give back to the community and educate children in the communities to stay
in school, stay drug free, and excel in life.”

As part of its program, all players will attend at least one or more community appearances. S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate also has created several other platforms, including SKYexcel, an on-line service that promotes education, and brings the community on line for things like resume building and social networking. For more information, checkout www.skynolimit.net/SKYexcel.

All kids attending games will be provided with an inspirational poster tying back to the website. And as part of each game, all kids will be afforded autographs by their favorite players. Additional programs such as school curriculums and lesson plans will be created.

“This is the launch of the first international tour for S.K.Y., Streetball Syndicate,” said Steve Brunner, the president of KOM Sports Marketing, the agency behind the branding and marketing of S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate. “We’ve listened to the players and their ideas and how we need to form a long-term vision on legacy. The net result is to use basketball as a means to reach out to communities in various corners of the world.”

S.K.Y. has stops in Russia, China, Chile, Japan, Korea, Guam and Hawaii lined up for 2009. At each stop, S.K.Y. will play against the best local talent, like in Bermuda.

“The goal is to give the local talent a chance to test their skills against some of the best,” added Greene. “The more community involvement the better. We want to leave a good lasting impression and come back to locations year to year.”

The games also will feature three-point and dunk contests and a contest for selected youth, who will shoot for prizes and merchandise. The games include a high-energy announcer and DJ to pump up the crowd.

More information: S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate can be found at www.skynolimit.net or www.streetballsyndicate.com, including player profiles, videos, merchandise, blogs from the road, and complete portal on the SKYexcel program.

Contacts: Steve Brunner, Lee Greene, 441.505.6446. l-greene@gmail.com