No NBA season, no worries, the WORLD TOUR is coming to a city near you, well… not really… The tour, scheduled to begin Oct. 30 and end Nov. 9, will make stops in Puerto Rico, London, Macau, and Australia. Each game will be staged in an arena that holds at least 15,000 fans. Two games each will be played at sites in London and Australia.
The tour would be the biggest lockout event NBA players have ever staged. While locked out in 1998, several stars played an exhibition game in Atlantic City. Current players have staged several charity games over the past month, most notably the “The South Florida All-Star Classic” featuring James and Wade, played in Miami last Saturday.
While the final details are still being worked out, more than a dozen of the league’s best players are working to join forces on what would be a two-week, six-game, four-continent blockbuster tour.
In a trip that could resemble Team USA’s takeover of the world stage at the 2008 Beijing Games, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Rajon Rondo, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Carlos Boozer, Paul Pierce and Kevin Love are among the players expected to participate. Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett, among a few others, are also contemplating joining the tour.
Tyson Chandler also has agreed to participate in the tour. The tour would be the biggest lockout event NBA players have ever staged. While locked out in 1998, several stars played an exhibition game in Atlantic City. Current players have staged several charity games over the past month, most notably the “The South Florida All-Star Classic” featuring James and Wade, played in Miami last Saturday.
Atlanta business mogul Calvin Darden has been putting the tour together with the players’ agents for nearly three months. He has already obtained signed contracts from Bryant, Wade, Bosh, Griffin, Rondo and Pierce. Sources say he’s hoping to complete the rest of the agreements, along with insurance requirements, over the next few days. This is the same Darden who was convicted of defrauding 11 victims of roughly $7 million, as well stealing money from securities firms. He was also convicted of stealing $300,000 from former NBA star Latrell Sprewell and $950,000 from rap star Nelly.
Darden is hoping to broadcast the games in as many international markets as possible and perhaps in the United States as well. The players will be paid, receiving salaries ranging from six figures up to $1 million, sources said. Some of the money generated by the tour will be donated to charity. Beyond the salaries the players will receive and the overseas venues, this tour is different in that the rosters will be comprised completely of All-Star caliber players.
