This has definitely been an unprecedented time for pro-am hoops as NBA stars from virtually every professional team have taken to the hardwood in Summer leagues all across the nation with the NBA in lockout mode.
Most years, pro-am leagues have usually been reserved for role players looking to expand their game or incoming rookies, getting their feet wet against proven NBA players. That’s not the case this summer as top flight pros like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and even Lebron James, have all participated in summer league action.
Organizers of the top leagues in LA, Washington, Baltimore, NYC, and Philly have helped stage All Star games with teams from each league traveling to their respective cities for competition.
First up was the LA Drew League taking on DC’s Goodman League, appropriately deemed Capital Punishment. Then Baltimore vs Washington DC squared off in the Melo vs Goodman battle that saw the epic match-up pit Durant vs Lebron. Immediately after that a talented team from New York’s famed Rucker Park traveled down I-95 for a clash with the Melo League.
The newest Summer All Star tilt is coming to the sacred ground of Philadelphia basketball, The Palestra, as Team Melo is set to square off against Team Philly on September 25th. The game can be seen in it’s entirety in streaming video on The Basketball Channel for a small fee.
The Palestra is officially known as “The Cathedral of College Basketball” as it was one of the first modern steel and concrete arenas built in the US back in the early 1920’s. It has been a longtime home of the University of Pennsylvania Quakers and the fabled Big 5 basketball, which has seen HOF players like Wilt Chamberlain, Dr J, and Bill Bradley grace the hardwood.
Team Melo boasts an NBA All Star roster featuring the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Josh Selby, and Eric Bledsoe while Team Philly is made up of players with ties to the Philly area like Hakim Warrick, Lou Williams, fresh off dropping 51 pts in a Summer game, the newly drafted Morris twins, Kyle Lowry, and streetball legend Aaron “AO” Owens.
On paper, it looks like a whitewash in favor of Team Melo, but rumors that current and former Sixers greats Andre Iguodala and Allen Iverson may participate could make the game a more evenly matched affair. Of course, that’s only if A.I. doesn’t have to PRACTICE with his teammates before the game.
Tickets are reportedly going fast at a price of anywhere from $30-$50 a pop.
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
