NBA Greats Lanier and Glenn to Coach Congressmen

From: Gallaudet - Feb 11, 2004

For Immediate Release
February 11, 2004
Contact: Mike Kaika, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 202-651-5050
Email: mike.kaika@gallaudet.edu

NBA Greats Lanier and Glenn to Coach Congressmen

Washington, DC—Congressional Democrats and Republicans will square off on the basketball court at Gallaudet University’s Field House on Wednesday, March 24 for the 11th Gallaudet University Congressional Basketball Classic with NBA Hall of Fame legend Bob Lanier and Mike Glenn serving as honorary coaches. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and game time is 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and the general public is invited.

This Classic, which began in 1987, celebrates Gallaudet’s strong relationship with the Congress of the United States. With the generous support of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, and Washington Sports and Entertainment, the Classic has grown into a gala event. This year we welcome Giant Food, Inc., as a sponsor of the Classic.

The Dunkin’ Donkeys will be led by team captain Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) with Glenn as their coach, and the Fighting Elephants will be guided by team captain Rep. Mike Oxley (R-Ohio) with Lanier as the coach. The Republicans have won the last five games and now lead the Classic 6 games to 4, but Glenn and the Dunkin’ Donkeys are determined to get back on the winning track.

Lanier is an eight-time NBA All-Star who played nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1979-80 season. He graduated from St. Bonaventure University where he had an outstanding basketball career. Lanier is now a leading member of the NBA’s All-Star Reading team and one of the league’s most active community ambassadors. As part of the NBA’s Read to Achieve program, Lanier routinely visits with students and delivers motivational and educational messages encouraging youth literacy.

Mike “Stinger” Glenn, a Southern Illinois graduate, played in the NBA for 10 years with the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and the Milwaukee Bucks. He continues to hold Atlanta’s single-season field goal percentage record of 58.8 percent (1984-85). He is currently an analyst for the Hawks Network. Glenn has exceptionally good ASL skills. His father worked at the Georgia School for the Deaf and the younger Glenn grew up playing with the deaf students at the school. After Glenn ended his basketball career, he opened the Mike Glenn Basketball Camp for deaf and hard of hearing youths, ages 14-18, from schools throughout the country.

As part of the NBA’s Read to Achieve program, Lanier and Glenn will conduct a reading clinic at the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) on Wednesday, March 24. KDES is located on the Gallaudet campus and serves deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to eighth grade. After the reading session is finished, Lanier and Glenn will hold a basketball clinic in the KDES gym for the children. Visit the special website for more information about the Classic, http://development.gallaudet.edu/cbc/.

Gallaudet University is the only University in the world that provides deaf and hard of hearing students with a total college experience. All communication, academic programs and extracurricular activities are tailored specifically to deaf and hard of hearing students. Founded in 1864 by an act of Congress, Gallaudet’s original charter was signed by Abraham Lincoln. Today, Gallaudet has a student population of 2,000 in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Gallaudet also serves the national and international deaf and hearing communities through its various outreach programs and by providing them with information and conducting research on deafness. Visit the Gallaudet website, www.gallaudet.edu