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Share on FacebookCULVER CITY, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2005 -- Fifteen top NBA stars, WNBA players and NBA legends have teamed up with America’s favorite game show, Wheel of Fortune, to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other charities during Wheel of Fortune's NBA Week, airing October 31 through November 4 in national syndication (check local listings for station and time). The episodes will be taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.
Hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White will cheer on the 15 players, each partnered with a fan from their team’s city. Three player/contestant teams will be featured each night. The episodes’ air dates will coincide with the NBA’s Premiere Week, which opens the league’s 60th season. Each fan will be playing for cash and one-of-a-kind NBA-themed prizes. The NBA and WNBA stars will be playing for their favorite charities and for the Red Cross, with a minimum of $100,000 of their winnings going to assist Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Current NBA stars scheduled to appear include Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns), Ray Allen (Seattle Sonics), Richard Hamilton (Detroit Pistons), Mike Bibby (Sacramento Kings), Emeka Okafor (Charlotte Bobcats), Ben Gordon (Chicago Bulls), Robert Horry (San Antonio Spurs), Richard Jefferson (New Jersey Nets), Baron Davis (Golden State Warriors), Bobby Simmons (Milwaukee Bucks) and Luke Walton (Los Angeles Lakers). Along with the NBA stars, NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, former NBA player and TNT NBA Studio Analyst Kenny Smith and Becky Hammon (New York Liberty) will also participate.
“We’re thrilled to have some of the biggest names in basketball partner with America’s Game to provide much-needed help with the relief efforts in the Gulf Coast," said Wheel of Fortune Executive Producer Harry Friedman.
The contestant from the team with the week's highest total cash-prize winnings will be the envy of basketball fans everywhere, as he or she will win some very special prizes, courtesy of the NBA, including a trip for four to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, which includes VIP access to NBA All-Star Weekend Events.
Additional special prizes featured on NBA Week include:
Wheel of Fortune fans watching at home during NBA Week will also have a special chance to win prizes through the Wheel’s NBA Week Scratch, Watch ‘N Win Game with Champs Sports*. Beginning Oct. 19 and continuing through Nov. 4, nearly 600 Champs Sports locations around the country will distribute scratch-off Game Pieces to customers following their purchase of merchandise at Champs Sports. Five lucky viewers with Game Pieces that exactly match any one of the 5 Bonus Round Puzzle Solutions revealed on-air during NBA Week shows will win great prizes – including a fabulous trip to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston.
Founded in 1946, the NBA has become a global phenomenon that transcends national boundaries. With 30 teams in the United States and Canada, the league has captured the public's imagination, as the world's greatest athletes compete at the highest level of basketball.
The NBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on helping youth. Each year, the NBA, its teams and players donate million of dollars and thousands of hours to charities and community outreach programs, including Read to Achieve, a national reading effort supported by the entire NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League family.
Wheel of Fortune is the #1 program in the history of syndicated television. This year, it marks its 23rd season in syndication and is seen by 19 million viewers each evening in the U.S. Wheel of Fortune is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, and distributed domestically by King World Productions. The series is distributed internationally by CBS Paramount International Television.
