FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Media Relations Contacts: Kevin Grigg, Cletus Lewis Jr. or Michelle Fikany (248) 377-0135 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] April 3, 2014 ______
BAD BOYS UNITE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF 1989 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION Raises More Than $300,000 for Detroit Charities
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Bad Boys and members of the Detroit Pistons 1989 NBA Championship reunited to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of their first NBA Championship, raising more than $300,000 over two days with net proceeds shared equally between six Detroit-based non-profits.
Hosted by the Come Together Foundation, “Bad Boys Unite” raised money for – Forgotten Harvest, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Cornerstone Schools, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Rhonda Walker Foundation and CATCH (Sparky Anderson’s Charity for Children) – at the “Bad Boys Unite” fundraiser March 27 at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in Detroit, including sponsorships and silent and live auctions, and at the March 28 Pistons-Miami HEAT game at The Palace of Auburn Hills with in-arena and online auctions.
Proceeds from the sale of “Bad Boys Unite” T-shirts were at the March 28 game and from the Pistons 50/50 Payday raffle were also donated to the charities.
Pistons “Bad Boys” teammates – Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, John Long, Fennis Dembo and Micheal Williams – also served lunched at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen on March 28 with Forgotten Harvest.
The 1988-89 Detroit Pistons won 63 regular-season games and stormed through the postseason beating the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and finally the Los Angeles Lakers. Team members included Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Mark Aguirre, Dennis Rodman, Vinnie Johnson, James Edwards, Rick Mahorn, John Long, Fennis Dembo and Micheal Williams. Constructed by Jack McCloskey and coached by the legendary Chuck Daly, Brendan Malone and Brendan Suhr, the 1989 team was cherished by fans in Detroit and gained national notoriety for their physical style of play.
Nearly 20,000 fans joined the 25th anniversary celebration, cheering on the historic group of Pistons “Bad Boy” Legends, at the March 28 game, which featured a special halftime ceremony with player introductions and video.
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