The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation has donated game day uniforms and apparel to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s member schools, an expansion of the partnership between the historically black athletic conference and NBA players.The gift comes months after the NBPA hosted its second annual HBCU players combine for men’s basketball athletes from the SIAC and Southwestern Athletic Conference, the first exclusive training and scouting invitational event organized for black college athletes among the four major American professional leagues.
“On behalf of the NBPA, we are honored to make this gift in support of the men’s and women’s basketball teams of the SIAC,” said Sherrie Deans, Executive Director of the NBPA Foundation. “The schools that make up the SIAC along with all of the other HBCU’s have made important contributions to the game of basketball and to our membership. Making this gift acknowledges that history and strengthens our bond going forward.”
The conference has earned national headlines in recent years as a hub for attracting former NBA players to their first collegiate coaching jobs. Morehouse College recently announced former NBA lottery pick Jarvis Hayes as an assistant coach for the Maroon Tigers, who followed former Clark Atlanta University head coach Darrell Walker and his successor George Lynch.
Former NBA all-star Kenny Anderson was recently named the head basketball coach at Fisk University, whose student-athletes also participated in the NBPA HBCU Top 50 Camp this past summer.
“We are extremely grateful to the NBPA Foundation and their Executive Director Sherrie Deans for their support of our men and women’s basketball programs,” said Gregory Moore, Commissioner of the SIAC. “Over past couple years, I doubt that any other NCAA conference have provided more coaching and professional development opportunities to both current and former NBA players alike than has the SIAC and our member school presidents. Advancing access and opportunity represent core components of the mission and purpose of all of our SIAC member institutions. This partnership with the NBPA and its Foundation and the resulting opportunities that our schools have accorded these former players is in direct alignment with that important mission.”
