A LOOK BACK AT THE McDONALD’S ALL AMERICAN® GAMES SUPERSTARS AND UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES FROM GAMES PAST You’ve seen them on TV and at the movies, in the NBA, WNBA and college ranks – McDonald’s All American alumni are household names to basketball fans. But before they were winning Olympic gold medals, NBA, WNBA and NCAA championships, many of them received their first major national television exposure as high school students at the McDonald’s All American Games. Since the Games inception, more than 1,000 prep stars have been named McDonald’s All Americans and had the opportunity to show off their skills on a national stage before reaching the college or professional ranks. Most importantly, the Games raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) and its network of local Chapters. To date, the McDonald’s All American Games have raised more than $10 million for RMHC, helping to bring families together in their time of need. As we look forward to celebrating the 37th Anniversary of the McDonald’s All American Boys Game and the 13th Anniversary of the Girls Game on April 2, 2014 in Chicago, Ill., the following is a brief look back at highlights from the past 36 years of McDonald’s All American Games, including funds raised for RMHC: Chicago, Ill. 2013 For the third year in a row, the 2013 McDonald’s All American Games took place at Chicago’s United Center. The 2013 Games raised nearly $470,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities and were played in front of a crowd of 15,818. Combined with the attendance figures of the 2011 and 2012 Games, the 2013 Games capped off the highest three-year attendance run in Games history. The 2013 Games also made history with a record six players on the boys roster committed to the same university. Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee and James Young all went on to attend the University of Kentucky. Additionally, the 2013 Games featured the first-ever father/daughter duo with 2013 McDonald’s All American, Taya Reimer, daughter of 1991 McDonald’s All American, Ben Davis. In the 12th Annual Girls Game, the West team defeated the East squad 92-64. The West team’s Mercedes Russell took home MVP honors after tallying a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds. Russell’s West teammate Jordan Reynolds chipped in an additional 10 points and 11 rebounds while Tyler Scaife added 15 points. In a losing effort, Diamond DeShields led the East team with 15 points while Stephanie Mavunga made a run at a number of all-time Girls Game records after corralling 13 rebounds and blocking six shots. She is now ranked second on the McDonald’s All American Girls list in blocks and rebounds. With the victory, the West team leads the all-time series 8-4. The Boys Game featured a matchup between local Chicago star, Jabari Parker and top recruit, Andrew Wiggins as well as a late addition to the team, Julius Randle. Randle, who was hurt early in his high school season, was named the 25th player on the boys squad after returning to true All American form. Despite these stars sharing the spotlight, high-flying Aaron Gordon led the West team to a 110-99 victory. Gordon stole the show and earned MVP honors by scoring 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Parker added 10 points and eight rebounds for the West squad while Wiggins and future Kansas teammate Wayne Selden combined for 32 points. Despite the loss, the East squad maintained a 19-17 in the all-time Games series. Chicago, Ill. 2012 In 2012, the McDonald’s All American Games returned to Chicago and the United Center, making it the first time in history that the Games were played in the same host city back-to-back. The 2012 Games also marked an important milestone – the 35th Anniversary of the Boys Game. In celebration of this important anniversary, the McDonald’s All American Games unveiled its 35 Greatest, a list which recognized some of the greatest players in Games’ history. Leading up to Game Week, each player on the list received a commemorative basketball and select players including; LeBron James, Alonzo Mourning, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose and Doc Rivers received special in-person recognitions. The 2012 Games attracted 16,308 fans, contributing to the highest consecutive attendance total in Games’ history (2011-2012) and raised more than $650,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. Funds from the Games helped to construct the nation’s largest Ronald McDonald House® located in Chicago. The 2012 Games featured two of the closest games in the history of the McDonald’s All American Games. The night began with the 11th annual Girls Game, a game that wasn’t decided until a Bashaara Graves free throw with less than a second left sealed a 79-78 win for the East squad. The East team’s Alexis Prince earned MVP honors tallying 15 points and nine rebounds. The West team was led by Nirra Fields’ game-high 20 points and 18 points from local standout, Morgan Tuck. Even in defeat, the West team still holds the all-times series lead with a record of 7-4. The 35th annual Boys Game also came down to the final seconds with the West team holding on to win 106-102. After leading by 25 points in the second half, the West team, led by Game MVP Shabazz Muhammad and the three-point shooting of Rasheed Sulaimon, pulled out a victory despite a furious rally by the East team. Muhammad led all scorers with 21 points while Sulaimon chipped in 18 points in the victory. The East squad was led by Alex Poythress’ 19 points, Rodney Purvis’ 15 points and 12 rebounds from DaJuan Coleman. With the victory, the West team narrowed the gap on the East’s all-time series lead, which now stands at 19-16. Chicago, Ill. 2011 Returning to Chicago for the first time since 1982, the 2011 McDonald’s All American Games played host to 20,018 fans at a sold-out United Center, showcasing the nation’s top prep basketball talent. The record-setting crowd saw several familiar names take the court this year – Austin Rivers, son of 1980 McDonald’s All American and current head coach of the Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers, marking only the second father/son duo in the event’s history; Cody Zeller, the third Zeller to be named a McDonald’s All American, following brothers Luke (2005) and Tyler (2008); and Marshall Plumlee, following brother Mason who played in 2009. Not only did the 2011 Games break the all-time attendance record, they also helped to raise $625,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana and their construction of the nation’s largest House. In the 10th annual Girls Game, Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and Game MVP Elizabeth Williams set the all-time scoring mark with 23 points, while leading the East team to a 78-66 victory. Local standout Ariel Massengale tacked on 13 additional points for the East team while Connecticut recruit, Brianna Banks, carried the West squad with a team-high 17 points. Despite the East’s victory, the West holds the all-time series lead, 7-3. The Boys East squad completed a near wire-to-wire victory in its 111-96 route over the West team in the 34th annual Boys Game. Co-MVPs James McAdoo and Michael Gilchrist led the way for the East with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Two big-men, Khem Birch and Chicago-native Anthony Davis, carried the West in defeat with a combined 29 points and 10 blocks. The East victory increased their all-time series lead to 19-15. Columbus, Ohio 2010 The 2010 McDonald’s All American Games drew an impressive crowd to see the nation’s best high school talent, including two Ohio State recruits, take the floor at Value City Arena on the campus of The Ohio State University. The 2010 Games proved a success both on and off the court, as the event helped to raise $1,060,000 for RMHC of Central Ohio, the most funds any game has raised in the event’s history. Another notable first included a pair of Canadian-born players (Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson) featured on the boy’s roster. The ninth annual Girls Game extended the West’s winning streak to three games and increased its overall record to 7-2 with an 84-75 victory over the East. Leading the way for the West was the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year, Chiney Ogwumike, who finished with 14 points and three rebounds. Despite her efforts, Game MVP and Florida State recruit Natasha Howard could not provide enough of a spark for the East squad to overcome a 22 point second-half deficit. The West squad won the 33rd annual Boys Game 107-104 following a last second 3-pointer by Brandon Knight. In addition to Knight’s heroics, co-MVP and Morgan Wootten Player of the Year, Harrison Barnes, led the West squad with a team high 18 points. Co-MVP and local Columbus standout Jared Sullinger led the losing East team with a near double-double of 22 points and seven rebounds. Miami, Fla. 2009 The 2009 McDonald’s All American Games brought “oohs” and “aahs” from both players and fans alike in another classic battle between the best in high school basketball talent.