On Monday, September 18, the NBRPA debuted a new content series across @NBAalumni social media channels, remixing some of the best moves in NBA history as part of count down to the start of the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA season.
Legends Mixtapes, also known as "Mixtape Mondays," reimagine old-school NBA highlights set to music from the modern era, starting with a contemporary showcase of 6x NBA Champion Bob Cousy accompanied by M.O.P.'s "Ante Up." The Houdini of the Hardwood himself loved seeing the new interpretation of his ball-handling talent and said: "What a treat!"
In just the first 24 hours after its release, the inaugural mixtape produced over half a million views, plus thousands of engagements, and counting.
Watch the first of the Legends Mixtape series below and follow @NBAalumi on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Threads to be the first to see the latest Legends Mixtape every Monday.
#LegendsMixtapes
There are few events that can compare with The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, and this year’s celebration showed exactly why. For two days – spread out between the Mohegan Sun Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut and the birthplace of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts – basketball’s immortals walked among us. They laughed, cried, shared stories from their playing and coaching days, signed autographs and showed the world why they are Hall of Famers.
Beginning on Friday night at the luxurious Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, Legends from the NBA, WNBA, ABA and every other professional basketball entity you can imagine arrived en masse in time to attend the Hall of Fame’s first public event - an exclusive autograph session with the Class of 2023. Where else in the world can one room hold Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Pau Gasol, Becky Hammon, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, and the members of the 1976 Team USA Women’s Basketball team just to name a few? Fans from around the globe gathered and waited their turn to celebrate their heroes and take home a little piece of memorabilia that would give them a lifetime of memories. Following the autograph sessions, participants readied themselves for the official introductory press conference where global media waited to interview and speak with each of the members of the 2023 HOF Class.
That same evening, the Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala was held in the Mohegan Sun Convention Center and the honored guests were awarded the Class of 2023 rings, presented by Baron Championship Rings, the Class of 2023 Hall of Fame jackets, and highlighted by the presentation of the Hall’s annual John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, the Mannie Jackson: Basketball’s Human Spirit Awards, and the Curt Gowdy Media Awards. If that wasn’t enough for the first day, the celebration continued long into the night with the annual National Basketball Retired Players Association’s “Players Party” at the ultra-chic Vista Lounge located in the center of the Mohegan Sun Casino. At the “Players Party,” Hall of Famers Nancy Lieberman, Spencer Haywood, Artis Gilmore rubbed elbows with Legends like Avery Johnson, business partners from Panini – who served as the event’s host and ESPN’s brightest talent in Malika Andrews, Andraya Carter who were there to celebrate their esteemed colleague, Marc Spears, being named recipient of the HOF’s Curt Gowdy Media Award.
Saturday morning, members, fans, business partners, dignitaries and the honorees took the short ride through Connecticut’s and Western Massachusetts’ idyllic countryside and green hills en route to the city of Springfield to prepare for a magnificent reception at the Marriott Springfield Downtown and the weekend’s main event – The 2023 Enshrinement Ceremony at the famed Symphony Hall. The red carpet stretched for blocks, as only a space of this size could accommodate the legendary talent that was set to walk on it prior to the night’s celebration. Pau Gasol, flanked by his family and close friends greeted everyone he could and took in the entire spectacle and explained how the international presence at this event echoed what a global game basketball has become. Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade smiled as broadly as when they won NBA Championships. Becky Hammon beamed with pride as she led her children down the path that led to the stairs at Symphony Hall and Tony Parker seemed to be carrying an entire French nation on his shoulders.
But this evening wasn’t just about the newest members about to be enshrined, it belonged to ALL Hall of Fame members. One-by-one members from classes dating back decades strutted the red carpet – blowing kisses, shaking hands, and stopping to speak with the enormous media contingent on hand to document this night. Alex English, Spencer Haywood and Chris Bosh proudly showed off their HOF orange jackets. The inimitable Calvin Murphy, as nattily dressed as ever, explained the joy he feels to have a gathering of this kind with every generation of basketball talent– past and present, and Allen Iverson discussed the immense honor for him to be able to induct his friend and protégé Dwyane Wade.
As the ceremony tipped off, one-by-one the honored gave their speeches, told their stories, and thanked the people that supported them along this journey. There was, however, one sense of commonality in all of the speeches - a sense of appreciation. Appreciation at being able to play this game. Appreciation at the hard work and humility it took to get to this level. Appreciation of the recognition about to be bestowed upon them and most of all an appreciation and respect for the game itself.
The night’s last honoree, Dwyane Wade, may have summed it up best when he called his father up to join him on stage. “We in the Hall of Fame, dawg”, he said. Yes, Dwyane, we are, and we can’t wait to do it all over again with next year’s class.
- Legends Lounge with Trill Withers to Debut During the NBA Finals Bringing Fans Stories Directly from Some of the Game’s Biggest and Most Outspoken Legends -
- Debut Episodes to Feature NBA Legends Vernon Maxwell, Rex Chapman and Detlef Schrempf -
Chicago, ILL. July 8, 2021 - The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) announced today that the Legends Lounge with Trill Withers podcast will join Legends Media & Entertainment’s Legends Studios original content portfolio beginning on July 8. Legends Lounge with Trill Withers will join fan favorites such as the Legends Live digital series and the Hoop du Jour with Peter Vecsey podcast and blog, bringing fans original and unfiltered stories directly from some of the NBA and WNBA’s most outspoken and recognizable Legends.
Tipping off on July 8, the first three episodes will feature such notable NBA Legends as two-time NBA champion Vernon Maxwell, twelve-year NBA vet, social media influencer and host of the “Rex Chapman Show” podcast – Rex Chapman, and three-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year – Detlef Schrempf.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide a forum for our Legends and to see the continued success and growth of Legends Media & Entertainment and Legends Studios as a result of that access,” said Scott Rochelle, President and CEO, NBRPA. “These stories and recollections, coupled with Trill’s enigmatic personality and reach are key reasons for our success and our Legends’ unfiltered and genuine stories will undoubtedly provide fans with some amazing entertainment.”
Launched in August 2020, Legends Media & Entertainment (LME) is the NBRPA’s multifaceted story-telling platform producing, distributing and quantifying the wide-reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars, spanning various eras in basketball history.
Fans can follow the Legends Lounge with Trill Withers podcast, as well as all LME content, on social media at @NBAalumni and @NBALgndsLounge on Twitter, @NBAAlumni on Instagram, on Facebook at NBA Alumni or at legendsofbasketball.com. The Legends Lounge with Trill Withers podcast is available on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever fans get their podcasts by searching “Legends Lounge.”
Trill Withers (Tyler Johnson) is a graduate of the University of Kentucky (Go Cats!) and lives in the Atlanta area. When he’s not tweeting, he enjoys live sporting events, traveling and thinking about when he can tweet next.
About the National Basketball Retired Players Association: The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, WNBA and Harlem Globetrotters. It is a 501(c) 3 organization with a mission to develop, implement and advocate a wide array of programs to benefit its members, supporters and the community. The NBRPA was founded in 1992 by basketball legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson. The NBRPA works in direct partnerships with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Legends Care is the charitable initiative of the NBRPA that positively impacts youth and communities through basketball. Scott Rochelle is President and CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Johnny Davis, Vice Chairman Dave Cowens, Treasurer Sam Perkins, Secretary Grant Hill, Thurl Bailey, Caron Butler, Jerome Williams, Shawn Marion, David Naves and Sheryl Swoopes. Learn more at legendsofbasketball.com.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) announced today that veteran NBA communications specialist Julio Manteiga has joined the organization in the newly-revamped role of Head of Content and Communications. Manteiga joins the NBRPA from the NBA, where he served in a dual role as Director of NBA’s Latin America communications and Media Monitoring Departments. He will oversee all of the NBRPA’s growing digital and social efforts as well as handle the day-to-day proactive communications for the organization.
“We are proud to be able to bring Julio into this new and expanded role,” said NBRPA Executive Director Scott Rochelle. “His experience as a global strategic storyteller will be invaluable to us as we grow our scope, our partnerships and our strategy.”
“I am looking forward to be joining Scott and the team he is assembling,” Manteiga said. “The stories and the personalities of the men and women that make up the NBRPA are more valuable today than ever before, and we now have a great structure to tell them to a wide global audience.”
Manteiga started at the NBA in 2003 and rose within the ranks at the league, eventually serving as Director of Communications for Latin America for five years. He developed communications plan for daily and weekly dissemination of league announcements to key media stakeholders in the U.S. and Latin America, ensuring accurate league information was published by media partners and regional news outlets. He also integrated standardized operations for local PR/Marketing agencies in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico to enhance the NBA’s efforts in region and vastly increasing relevancy with local fans and business partners. The New York native also developed, implemented, and executed NBA’s global influencer program for all influencer appearances and promotions at key events that expanded the NBA’s global social media presence among many other duties.
A graduate of Five Towns College in Dix Hills, NY, Julio is fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in Portuguese.
The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. In three months LME in both audio and video has drawn almost 600,000 views and listens, more than three times the combined numbers of audio and video around the players in the previous nine months. Viewers and listeners have come from over 20 countries, and have enjoyed content from some of the most unique storytellers in the history of professional basketball. The key unified elements of LME include: Legends Magazine,Legends Live,the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.
To follow along with LME content from the NBRPA, find them on social media at @NBAalumni on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch or on Facebook at NBA Alumni.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) announced today that veteran NBA columnist and renowned basketball insider Peter Vecsey has joined its content team, sharing his thoughts via his popular Hoop du Jour platform each week. Hoop du Jour will be featured content for Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), the multifaceted story-telling platform producing, distributing and quantifying the wide-reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars that was launched in September and has seen record growth since launch. Athletes First Partners represents the NBRPA in its marketing endeavors and is working on engaging with brands on the platform as well.
Vecsey, the long-time columnist for the New York Post and analyst for TNT/TBS, NBC and NBATV, is one of the most connected and engaged media members in the sport. His opinions, insights and quips about the game–both past and present–have long been required reading for anyone involved or interested in basketball.
The native New Yorker has been enshrined in four Halls of Fame, including Naismith Basketball (Class of 2009), NYC Basketball, Rucker League and Archbishop Molloy.
“If there is any media member who knows our players and our audience, it is Peter Vecsey,” NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle said. “Hoop du Jour was a business and lockerroom must read for decades. Peter’s ability to tell stories in his own style will certainly resonate not just with our current audience, but with a growing number of new fans who love basketball and its personalities. We are confident it’s going to be a must-read and must-follow as our other content has become this fall.”
“The men and women who make up the NBRPA were, and are, the most engaging and interesting athletes anywhere,” Vecsey said. “I’m looking forward to having some fun with them, telling and retelling their stories, and showing a new (and not-so-new) audience just how much noise we can make in this space.”
The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. In three months LME in both audio and video has drawn almost 600,000 views and listens, more than three times the combined numbers of audio and video around the players in the previous nine months. Viewers and listeners have come from over 20 countries, and have enjoyed content from some of the most unique storytellers in the history of professional basketball. The key unified elements of LME include: Legends Magazine, Legends Live, theAll-Access Legends Podcastand the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.
New Expanded Multimedia Platform to Showcase the Stories, Successes, Lessons and Personalities of NBA and WNBA Legends
Chicago, ILL. (August 25, 2020) – The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) today announced the expansion and launch of Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), a multifaceted storytelling platform that will produce, distribute and quantify the wide reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars. The content will span the history of both leagues and feature more recent alums of the game ranging from Sheryl Swoopes and Grant Hill to the sport’s greatest legends and business successes on and off the court, delivered through all forms of media, from print and spoken word to long and short form video.
The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. This has allowed for direct access to players for opportunities domestically and internationally.
“With the creation of LME, we are building a multimedia platform for some of the most compelling men and women connected to basketball’s history and culture under one umbrella, something which has been asked for, and needed for some time,” said NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle. “LME will be a vibrant stop for fans, businesses and others who want to enjoy, learn and explore the amazing stories of our Legends both on and off the court. These stories are some of the best in the global business of sport, and now we can house them under one impactful roof.”
NBA Champion and NBRPA Director Caron Butler adds, “Every NBA and WNBA player has a story to tell and Legends Media & Entertainment offers ALL Legends a platform to tell their stories and let their voices be heard.”
Some of the key unified elements of LME will include:
Legends Magazinewhich debuted in 2018 and is the official publication for NBA and WNBA Legends. Produced quarterly, Legends Magazine has featured cover stories about NBRPA Director Caron Butler, Jerry Stackhouse, Elton Brand, Jamal Mashburn and “The Knuckleheads” – Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Each issue is delivered to all former players, active players, coaches, stakeholders, influencers and league officials worldwide.
Legends Studios also debuted in 2018 with the launch of original live-action and animated short videos and two podcasts, the All-Access Legends Podcast and On Deck with Scott Rochelle. In April 2020, Legends Live, a weekly web series broadcasted to multiple social media platforms featuring live conversations with NBA and WNBA Legends, was added to the Legends Studios portfolio. In addition to 32 standard episodes, Legends Live also covered the 2020 WNBA Draft and ESPN’s The Last Dance with live commentary from Legends. Last week, media personality Tyler Johnson, aka Trill Withers, joined the LME team as host of Legends Live, where he will spend time with many of the game’s most successful and dynamic personalities and business people. Johnson will also be a key contributor to Legends Magazine, the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.
To follow along with LME content from the NBRPA, find them on social media at @NBAalumni on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch or on Facebook at NBA Alumni.
About the National Basketball Retired Players Association:
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, WNBA and Harlem Globetrotters. It is a 501(c) 3 organization with a mission to develop, implement and advocate a wide array of programs to benefit its members, supporters and the community. The NBRPA was founded in 1992 by basketball legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson. The NBRPA works in direct partnerships with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Legends Care is the charitable initiative of the NBRPA that positively impacts youth and communities through basketball. Scott Rochelle is President and CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Johnny Davis, Vice Chairman Jerome Williams, Treasurer Sam Perkins, Secretary Grant Hill, Thurl Bailey, Caron Butler, Dave Cowens, Shawn Marion, David Naves and Sheryl Swoopes. Learn more at legendsofbasketball.com.
