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The Marsalis brothers jazzed up a basketball conversation with Billy Donovan and Sam Presti
Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Mark Bryant was walking alongside the basketball court at the team’s practice facility when he passed a legendary face from the jazz world oddly hanging out. Bryant turned around on this September day to enthusiastically introduce himself to Branford Marsalis. The three-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist was there to talk about the connection between jazz and basketball with Thunder general manager Sam Presti and head coach Billy Donovan. Keep reading »
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Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, Wynton Marsalis and More Set for Up2Us Inaugural Gala
Up2Us (up2us.org), a New York based not-for-profit organization, will be holding its inaugural gala dinner at Tribeca Rooftop in New York City on June 4. The event will benefit the organization’s mission to advance sports as the solution to the obesity, youth violence and educational challenges facing America’s youth today. Internationally acclaimed musician and composer Wynton Marsalis will present Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the Legacy Award, recognizing the NBA hall of famer for his 20-plus years of contribution to sport, education, and humanitarian efforts.
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Wynton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talk and play basketball
I stepped away from the composition I’m working on to spend some time with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Wednesday. He interviewed me for his upcoming documentary, “On the Shoulders of Giants”, which will be out in November.
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After the interview, Kareem and I shot around. The skyhook was still there, and I showcased my jumpshot. Kareem said my form looked good.
What more could a kid from Kenner, LA ask for… -
Black Magic narrated by Wynton to broadcast on March 17
ESPN will televise its two-part documentary, Black Magic, narrated by Wynton Marsalis and Samuel L. Jackson, on March 16-17. Part 1 will be aired March 16, immediately following ESPN’s NCAA basketball tournament selection show, and Part 2 (narrated by Wynton) on March 17, both at 9 p.m ET, without commercial interruption.
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Wynton to record narration for Black Magic
Black Magic is a two-part, four-hour TV film by director Dan Klores, that highlights the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities before and during the Civil Rights movement. Black Magic will air in two, 2 hour segments, and Wynton will be narrating one of these segments (other narrators include Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Paul )
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