National Basketball Association (NBA) Star Kenyon Martin from the Denver Nuggets will be arriving in Belize today to participate in the first ever Belize Hip Hop for Peace Basketball Exhibition, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, at the City Center.
Kenyon Martin, who is 6 ft 9 in, 240 pounds, was born in Saginaw, Michigan on December 30, 1977, and attended the University of Cincinnati. He was the #1 draft pick in the 2000 draft, and was originally drafted by the New Jersey Nets, and later traded in 2004 to the Denver Nuggets. Kenyon averaged 12.4 ppg 6.5 rpg and 1.2 bpg this past year for the Denver Nuggets, who were ousted from post season play in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Hip Hop for Peace Basketball Exhibition gala weekend affair is being promoted by Brown Giant Promotions in conjunction with a number of other local sponsors. The festivities, which will be an all day affair, get underway at 10:00 on Saturday morning, and will feature several local competitions as appetizers, ranging from 13-and-under competition, to a 35-and-over competition. The main course meal, which is scheduled to commence at approximately 2:00 in the afternoon, will feature a rematch of the 2007 semipro finals between the champs, San Pedro Tigersharks, vs sub champs, Belize Bank Bulldogs. Kenyon Martin and a surprise guest celebrity are expected to make several appearances over the course of the weekend, with the first being an autograph and photo session for participating players and ticket holders, scheduled to commence at 2:30 this afternoon at Stan’s gym, located on King Street, near downtown Belize City. On Saturday, the NBA star along with his entourage will be actively involved in the overseeing of the various tournaments, and in the evening, Kenyon is expected to be a special guest at the semipro exhibition game.
Doors to the City Center open at 10 a.m., with students and children enjoying a discounted entrance fee of $6.00, while adults will pay a $12.00 entrance fee. All participating players are asked to be present at 10 a.m. on Saturday. A portion of the proceeds from the event, according to the organizers, will be donated to the Youth for the Future program.