Chef Leah Chase & Saints Great Joe Horn to be honored by National Basketball Retired Players Association at Legends Fantasy Weekend in Connecticut

CHICAGO – The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the only alumni association comprised of former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters and WNBA players, will mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by honoring two greats symbolic of the city’s recovery: Chef Leah Chase and Saints Wide Receiver Joe Horn.
 
NBRPA CEO Arnie Fielkow, a former New Orleans Council President, said the non-profit sports organization, wanted to include these New Orleans legends at its largest philanthropic fundraiser – the Legends of Basketball Fantasy Weekend – at Mohegan Sun, November 20-22, in Connecticut as a broader tribute to leadership.
 
“This is a special weekend for our organization. It not only gives fans a chance to meet Legends and see excellent college basketball, but this weekend is also an opportunity to celebrate those who have made a difference by inspiring others. Our NBA Legends did that on the court; Ms. Chase and Mr. Horn did that in their own fields,” said CEO Fielkow.

Leah Chase is known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, and her restaurant Dooky Chase’s served as a meeting place for the city’s civil rights movement. The rebuilding of her restaurant after the 2005 storms was a significant sign of recovery.
 
Joe Horn is the New Orleans Saints’ all-time leader in 100-yard receiving games. He served as the public face of the team following Hurricane Katrina, and underscored the importance of keeping the team in the city despite the community’s physical devastation.
 
Basketball legends Jalen Rose, Lenny Wilkens, Rick Barry, John Starks, Gene Keady, Dave Cowens, Calvin Murphy, Spencer Haywood, Teresa Weatherspoon, and Jo Jo White will also be on hand at the Mohegan Sun for a three-day weekend of exciting events Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22 as part of the Legends of Basketball Fantasy Weekend. For full details and purchase information, please visit: www.legendsofbasketball.com
 
Three days of action begins Friday, November 20 with the Hall of Fame Tip Off Banquet.
 
On Saturday, November 21, the annual men’s college tip-off tournament hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame begins featuring eight NCAA Division I college programs: Purdue, Florida, St. Joseph’s, Old Dominion, Buffalo, Niagara, North Carolina A&T and Vermont. The night ends with the NBRPA’s Legends Philanthropy Awards Gala, featuring Horn and Chase as well as a star-studded line-up of remarkable basketball legends who made the game faster and more exciting.
 
The weekend concludes Sunday, November 22 with the final round of the Hall of Fame tip-off tournament.
 
The Legends of Basketball Fantasy Weekend is a charitable event to raise funds for the NBRPA’s Dave DeBusschere Scholarship Fund and other charitable partners. The scholarship fund helps retired athletes transition to new careers as well as fund higher education for their children and grandchildren.
 
The package event includes meet-and-greets with the Legends, VIP receptions and other one-of-a-kind interactions with professional sports icons. Tables to the Awards Gala on November 21 start at just $2000. An individual reserved-seating ticket for the gala is $250. Weekend VIP packages start $5000.
 
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.legendsofbasketball.com, call 312-913-9400 or email us at [email protected].
 
Media wishing to cover the Legends Fantasy Weekend should contact Jonathan Barnes or Devin Johnson, at 504-897-6110 or [email protected], [email protected].
 
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. Arnie D. Fielkow is the President & CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Thurl Bailey, Vice Chairman Dwight Davis, Treasurer Marvin Roberts, Secretary Nancy Lieberman, Past Chairman Robert A. (Bob) Elliott, Rick Barry, James Donaldson, Mike Glenn, Spencer Haywood, LaRue Martin Jr., Johnny Newman and Eldridge Recasner.

About Mohegan Sun
Owned by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in the United States.  Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, like on Pinterest and view us on YouTube.