World Basketball Festival - Day 1: Jay-Z, Team USA take Radio City Music Hall by storm

As reported here, New York City bore witness to the commencement of the inaugural World Basketball Festival, a celebration of the performance and culture of the game.

The four-day event officially began on Thursday, August 12 with the World Basketball Festival Tip-Off, where the finalists for the United States World Championship Team shared the Radio City Music Hall stage with one of the world’s greatest entertainers.

Following a one-of-a-kind, on-court showcase featuring the hopefuls who will be attempting to become the first United States squad to win the FIBA World Championship in 16 years, music mogul and multi-platinum selling recording artist Jay-Z turned the ‘Showplace of the Nation’ into his own personal playground to ensure that the World Basketball Festival hit the ground running.

And with stops at Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park for training and scrimmages by some of the national teams (Brazil, China, France, Puerto Rico), a scrimmage between Team USA and the Chinese National Team at Madison Square Garden and an international doubleheader at the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena' in the offing, the Festival is sure to leave an inedible impression on the Big Apple that won’t be forgotten.

Notable luminaries in attendance for the World Basketball Festival Tip-Off included: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Amar’e Stoudemire and long-time New York Knicks fan Spike Lee.

Tickets, which start at $15, for the Sunday, August 15 international basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden, featuring the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and three of the world’s best national teams, are available via Ticketmaster.com at thegarden.com, by phone at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX, and at the box office at Madison Square Garden.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special World Basketball Festival: Day 1 video presentation.

Nike & USA Basketball Bring Inaugural World Basketball Festival to NYC

Beginning August 12, Nike, Inc., in conjunction with USA Basketball, are bringing the world’s best basketball teams and top musical performers to New York City for the inaugural World Basketball Festival, a four-day celebration of the performance and culture of the game.

The Festival, an event Nike has committed to reprising every two years, will officially begin Thursday evening at Radio City Music Hall with the Nike World Basketball Festival Tip-Off, featuring finalists for the 2010 USA Men’s Basketball World Championship Team and culminating in a surprise musical performance.

The finalists for the USA World Championship Team are: Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets), Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers), Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers), Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder), Andre Igoudala (Philadelphia 76ers), Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves), JaVale McGee (Washington Wizards), Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers), Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

The coaching staff will be led by University of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will be assisted by New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, University of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan and Toronto Raptors head mentor Jay Triano.

The team hopefuls will be assembling in New York for training sessions at John Jay College, the Knicks Training Center in Tarrytown and Madison Square Garden from August 10-14.

On August 15, as part of the Global Community Cup, Team USA will take on the national team from France in the first game of an international doubleheader at the Garden to conclude the Festival. The second game will feature China taking on Puerto Rico.

The Festival is also scheduled to make a stop at Harlem’s famed Rucker Park on August 13 and 14 for training and scrimmages by some of the national teams, including Brazil, China, France, Puerto Rico and the United States, as well as fan activities and grassroots basketball.

Tickets, which start at $15, for the August 15 international basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden, featuring the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and three of the world’s best national teams, are available via Ticketmaster.com and thegarden.com, by phone at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX, and at the box office at Madison Square Garden.

Join Nike and USA Basketball in celebrating the best in basketball, and the inspiration, attitude and athleticism that define the game; and there will be no better locale to experience pageantry of the first-ever World Basketball Festival than in the heart of New York City.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation about the World Basketball Festival.