The Memphis Grizzlies will be hosting their 13th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Day on Monday, Jan. 19 when they play the Dallas Mavericks at 4 p.m. This year’s celebration features a star-studded lineup of NBA greats including four-time NBA All-Star Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, five-time NBA All-Star Chauncey Billups and Courage Award winner Jason Collins who will be honored for their contributions to civil and human rights with the 10th Annual Sports Legacy Award presented by FedEx during the MLK Jr. Celebration Day events. The yearly high school classic, symposium and matchup will be preceded by two new events added to the celebration lineup. The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Day Events are presented by the Memphis Grizzlies, the National Civil Rights Museum, the City of Memphis and Shelby County.
Before Monday’s annual events, Monroe, Billups and Collins will join Grizzlies guard/forward Vince Carter, Mayor A C Wharton and special guests at the National Civil Rights Museum on Sunday, Jan. 18, for a reception and discussion of topics at the intersection of race and sports, presented by FedEx. The reception for invited guests will begin at 5 p.m. and the discussion panel will follow starting at 5:45 p.m. and will be streamed live by grizzlies.com. The panel discussion will feature select honorees plus Carter and Mayor Wharton and will be moderated by NBA Legend and eight-time NBA All-Star Bob Lanier. This event is closed to the public. Media availability will be held prior to the events at 4:45 p.m. at the National Civil Rights Museum.
Tipping off the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Day Events on Monday, Jan. 19 is the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day High School Classic, presented by Ashley Furniture, between Bolton High School and Southwind High School on the main court at FedExForum. The game will tip-off at 11:30 a.m. , with doors opening at 11 a.m. Admission is free with the purchase of a Grizzlies vs. Mavericks ticket for that afternoon’s Western Conference showdown.
January is National Mentoring Month and following the Classic, the Grizzlies will host the My Brother’s Keeper Memphis Panel, presented by FedEx. My Brother’s Keeper is a White House initiative supported by the NBA and designed to focus on ensuring the educational future of boys and young men of color. Billups and Collins will join three Memphis-area high school students starting at 1:15p.m., for a roundtable conversation, streamed live on grizzlies.com, about the challenges facing urban youth in their own words. Doors open at 1 p.m. for invited guests. The event will also be moderated by Lanier. This event is closed to the public.
The event lineup will continue with the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sports Legacy Symposium from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on the Grizzlies Practice Court, presented by the Hyde Family Foundation. The symposium, emceed by Grizzlies television play-by-play analyst Pete Pranica, will feature Monroe, Billups and Collins who will share their stories and experiences spanning six different decades about their contributions to civil and human rights in the spirit of Dr. King, and will be broadcast live on FOX SportSouth. Monroe, Billups, and Collins are the recipients of the 10th Annual National Civil Rights Sports Legacy Awards, presented by FedEx. The award pays tribute to athletes who have made significant contributions to civil and human rights and who have laid the foundation for future leaders through their careers in sports in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout the day, students from Grizzlies Prep will be hosting the honorees, speakers and guests for all of the MLK Jr. Day Celebration Day events.
While admission is free to the symposium with the purchase of a Grizzlies vs. Mavericks ticket, space is limited. Season Ticket Holders interested in attending can pre-register by calling their Account Executive at (901) 888-HOOP or sending an e-mail to rsvp@grizzlies.com.
Following the Symposium, the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award Ceremony presented by FedEx, for Monroe, Billups and Collins will be before tip-off at 3:55 p.m.
The Grizzlies and Mavericks game presented by FedEx and associate sponsor Coors Light will tip-off at 4 p.m. and be nationally broadcast by NBA TV and locally by SportSouth. The halftime ceremony, presented by MLGW, will feature a special performance by Sam Moore of Sam and Dave. Considered by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum as “the greatest of all soul duos,” Sam Moore and Dave Prater brought the sound of the black church to pop music with their string of hits for Stax Records from 1965 to 1968. The pair commonly collaborated with the likes of Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Their soulful repertoire included ageless hits “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” “You Got Me Hummin’,” “Soul Man” and “I Thank You.” Sam and Dave thrived on the national stage and locally in the Stax revues of the mid-60s. Moore’s inspiring career will also be recognized with a special presentation during the game’s first half.
Families looking to attend the game can purchase the Pepsi Family Plan of four tickets, four hot dogs and four Pepsi fountain drinks beginning at just $58 by calling (901) 888-HOOP or visiting grizzlies.com.
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe came into the NBA as a highly touted prospect from Winston-Salem State University. Monroe was drafted second overall in the 1967 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets and went on to win the 1968 NBA Rookie of the Year award while averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his first year in the league.
A vital member of the 1973 World Champion New York Knickerbockers, Monroe was traded to the team during the 1971-72 season forming one of the best backcourts in NBA history with Walt “Clyde” Frazier. A four-time NBA All-Star, member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and a Basketball Hall of Famer, Monroe was best known for his unique style, creativeness and ability to improvise on the offensive end. Since his final year in the league in 1980, Monroe’s numbers (No. 10 with Baltimore/Washington, No. 15 with New York) have both been retired by the two respective franchises he played with during his 14-year career.
Monroe contributed to breaking down racial barriers in North Carolina with his spectacular college career at Winston-Salem State where he averaged 41.5 points per game during the 1966-67 NCAA College Division season and led his team to the National Championship. On the court, Monroe enamored blacks, whites and all races alike with his described “silky-smooth” play. Inspired by Dr. King, Monroe would later read King’s speeches as a pro before playing games.
Chauncey Billups, drafted with the third overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, played for 17 seasons in the NBA, suiting up for four different teams before finding his groove with the Detroit Pistons. Throughout his six-year stint in Detroit, Billups, nicknamed “Mr. Big Shot,” made six-straight Conference Championship series, two-consecutive NBA Finals, and won an NBA Title in 2004 alongside Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince. A six-time NBA All-Star, Billups’ career honors also include three All-NBA selections and two All-Defensive Second Team selections. Billups also won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2008, the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2009 and the NBA Teammate of the Year Award in 2013. On Sept. 9, 2014 Billups announced his retirement from the NBA, finishing his career with the Pistons.
Before entering the NBA, he played college basketball for the University of Colorado, where he averaged 18.5 points per game over his two seasons. In the 1996–97 season Billups was named to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team and the Basketball Times All-American First Team and led the Buffaloes to their first NCAA tournament victory in over 30 years. In 2004, the Buffaloes honored Billups’ accomplishments by retiring his No. 4 jersey.
Recently featured as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” Jason Collins broke the social barrier in professional sports when he publicly announced he was gay at the end of the 2012-13 NBA season, becoming the first openly gay athlete to play in any of the four major North American pro sports leagues. Collins’ courage and authenticity was recognized globally and praised by several NBA players, Commissioner David Stern, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, among others after he came out in a first-person Sports Illustrated cover story on May 6, 2013. Collins wore No. 98 during his final seasons in the league, honoring the late Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming who fell victim to a hate crime in 1998. Upon announcing his sexuality, No. 98 jerseys rose to the top spot for sales at NBAStore.com, triggering the NBA’s announcement that proceeds from the sales would benefit two LGBT supporting charities. Collins officially retired from the NBA on Nov. 19, 2014 with the Brooklyn Nets. Drafted 18th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, he held career averages of 3.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and .411 field goal percentage while maintaining a strong, physical post presence and reputation for being a team player.
2014-15 Season Tickets, Partial Plans are still available and can be purchased by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Season Tickets start at $7 per game. Partial Plans start at $12 per game. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@memgrizz).