Dubai: American basketball legend Kobe Bryant will spearhead activities during the half-time show of the celebrity game to be held at the American University of Dubai (AUD) on September 27.
The NBA superstar will select people from the audience to participate and those adjudged the best will be rewarded with basketballs, which Bryant will autograph.
Among the audience will be Michael H. Corbin, the US Ambassador to the UAE, and Jose Eugenio Salarich, Spanish Ambassador to the UAE. To show their support for their fellow countrymen, Ambassador Corbin will do the tip-off for the first half and Ambassador Salarich for the second half.
“We are delighted that Ambassadors Corbin and Salarich have agreed to do the tip-offs for the celebrity basketball game,” said Sarah Omolewu, managing partner, Maven Marketing and Events.
“This is in keeping with the historic significance of the game, which marks Kobe Bryant’s first trip to the Middle East and the first celebrity basketball game played in the region.”
Rachel Omolewu, three-time National Physique Committee champion, nutritionist and health and fitness expert, is the assistant coach of Bryant’s ‘Team Black Mamba’. She will be leading the team stretch to get the celebrity side prepared to take on the Real Madrid basketball side.
Other celebrities will include Soulja Boy, who will perform his hit single ‘Crank That’ and choose members of the audience to dance with him and his celebrity game teammates, while Emirati rapper Ghost will perform the official song for the Kobe Bryant Health and Fitness Weekend.
Bryant’s Team Black Mamba also includes R&B singer Marques Houston, former NFL player Kelly Herndon, Virgin Radio Dubai personalities Kris Fade and Brent Black, Mohammad Al Mubarak, Deputy CEO, Aldar Properties, TV presenter and DJ Marwan Parham, aka DJ Bliss, Mohammad Abdrabboh of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and Nathalie Junebie aka Chikay.
The Real Madrid team includes two former US professional basketball players Joseph Arlauckas and Zan Tabak as well as Antonio Llorente, Dario Quesada, Iturriaga Lopez, Jose Manuel Beiran, Jose Luis Diaz, Jose Luis Llorente, Jose Miguel Antunez and Lucio Angulo. The team is coached by former Olympic Games basketball player Juan Antonio Corbalan and assistant coach Rafael Rullan, who is president of the Real Madrid basketball legends.
Also partnering with Maven Marketing & Events is Gems Education, the international K-12 education company, which owns and operates schools across the world. On September 26, Gems will host a basketball skills clinic, coached by Bryant, at the Gems American Academy in Abu Dhabi.
Further details are available on www.kobefitnessuae.com.
