Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Portis proud to be host of celebrity game.
Thanks to a former Little Rock Hall and Arkansas Razorbacks standout, the NBA is coming to Little Rock, for one day.
Bobby Portis, the 2015 SEC Player of the Year at Arkansas and current New York Knicks forward, will hold his first celebrity basketball game at 2 p.m. Sunday at Little Rock Hall High School’s Cirks Arena as part of the kickoff weekend for the Bobby Portis Foundation. Tickets are $5 and are available at bobbyportis.com. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.
The foundation, inspired by his mother Tina Edwards, will assist single moms in central Arkansas and elsewhere.
This year’s game will feature current NBA players and former Arkansas Razorbacks, some of whom played with Portis.
Portis’ former Chicago Bulls teammates, guards Zach Lavine and Antonio Blakeney and forward Wendell Carter, Jr., will take part in the game. Other NBA players scheduled to play are Phoenix Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr., and San Antonio Spurs guard Quincy Pondexter.
Former Arkansas Razorbacks Dusty Hannahs, Alandise Harris, Moses Kingsley, Ky Madden, Manny Watkins and Jacorey Williams are set to play as well.
Getting players to come play in Little Rock during the offseason was not hard for Portis, he said.
“A lot of the guys respect me already,” Portis said. “When you do things the right way, they’ll respect you.
“We want to make this an ongoing thing.”
Holding a celebrity basketball game is something Portis has wanted to do since he became a professional basketball player. Going into his fifth season in the NBA, he has the opportunity to do so.
“We’re trying to inspire the next Bobby Portis,” Portis said. “He can be a basketball player or a doctor or anything in life.
“It’s about the next generation. I had Corliss Williamson and Joe Johnson. Those guys are who I looked up to.”
Portis played at Little Rock Hall before signing with Arkansas. He was taken by the Chicago Bulls with the 22nd pick in 2015. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in February and signed a twoyear contract with the Knicks earlier in the summer.
In 22 games with the Wizards, Portis averaged 14.3 points and 8.6 rebounds. He had a career-high 30 points in his first game with the Wizards on Feb. 8, a 119-106 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Portis has averaged 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds during his first four seasons in the NBA.
In addition to the basketball game Sunday, a celebration dinner for the foundation will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. Tickets are $20 are available at bobbyportis.com.
The foundation has three other events that are sold out — a community event at Wild River Country in North Little Rock today, a community party at Arkansas Skatium in Little Rock on Sunday and a bowling event at Professor Bowl in Little Rock that was held Friday night.
Portis said he’s proud to have Little Rock and the state behind his efforts.
“I take pride in Arkansas,” Portis said. “I love the kids. They don’t get the chance to see the NBA here.”