NBA Great Joins Ownership Group in Great Lakes
Published on January 24, 2004 under Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release
Boise, ID (January 24, 2004) â Five-time NBA All-Star, and a former member of the University of Michigan's "Fab Five", Chris Webber has joined Greg Van Boxel and Dr. Joe Oesterling in the ownership group of the Continental Basketball Association's Great Lakes Storm, it was announced Saturday in a press conference at the Birch Run Expo Center in Birch Run, Michigan.
"We are delighted to have Chris join our ownership group," remarked Van Boxel. "His enthusiasm and passion for the game of basketball will be welcomed, and his involvement will help the Great Lakes Storm continue their positive impact on the Mid-Michigan community and beyond."
Webber, who joins Jewell Harris Sr. and Jr. (Gary, IN) and Jannie and Arthur Scott (Muskegon, MI) as African-American owners in the CBA, is one of only a few NBA players, retired or active, to have ownership interest in a professional basketball team.
"I am very happy to have this opportunity to be a part of the Great Lakes Storm ownership team and the CBA," stated Webber before Saturday's press conference. "Not only do I love basketball, but the positive effects it can have on a community. I look at this as an important experience to learn more about the business of sports as well as helping other athletes accomplish their dream of playing professional basketball."
The Sacramento Kings forward has career averages of 22.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 596 games played. He attended Detroit Country Day High School where he led the basketball team to three state titles and was the 1990-1991 National High School Player of the Year as well as Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan. The six-foot-ten, 245-pounder was a member of the "Fab Five," a group of five starting freshmen for the Michigan Wolverines that led their team to two NCAA National Championship Game appearances (1992 and 1993). He was named a finalist for the John Wooden and James A. Naismith Awards, was a First-Team Consensus All-American, and was the first player in history to make the NCAA All-Tournament team as a freshman and sophomore. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic as the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, before being traded on draft day to the Golden State Warriors.
In addition to his basketball career, Webber provides extensive community outreach through his foundation, The Chris Webber Foundation, in both Detroit, MI, and Sacramento, CA. He received the NBA's Community Assist Award for his work with at-risk youth, including the exhibit of his collection of African-American artifacts, which was viewed by a record 23,000 people during last year's Black History Month.
"Chris Webber has demonstrated great leadership as a player in the NBA and we are now fortunate to have that same leadership at the ownership level in the CBA," stated CBA Commissioner Gary Hunter. "This will be a tremendous boost to the Great Lakes Storm, and the surrounding community in the Mid-Michigan area."
Added Storm co-owner Dr. Joe Oesterling, on the addition of Webber; "This is a great day for the Continental Basketball Association, the Great Lakes Storm, and the entire community. I believe that Chris will be an impetus for growth here for the Great Lakes Storm and the CBA. Having his personality and experience associated with our team will have a tremendous positive effect."
The Great Lakes Storm has been owned and operated out of the Birch Run Expo Center for the past two seasons by Van Boxel and Dr. Oesterling. The team is currently 11-18 on the season, and sits in sixth place in the CBA. In its 58th consecutive season of operation, making it the longest tenured professional basketball league in the world, the CBA has already featured six CBA-to-NBA call-ups since the 2003-04 season began on November 14.
Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from January 24, 2004
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