Minor League Basketball Team to Arrive in Florence The Pee Dee Vipers will offer exciting basketball and entertainment in the Pee Dee Florence, SC – November 12, 2013 - The Premier Basketball League (PBL) is coming to Florence! The league’s newest team, the Pee Dee Vipers, will locate at the SMG-managed Florence Civic Center to provide professional basketball entertainment to the entire Pee Dee region. The Pee Dee Vipers will offer families, youth and basketball fans a fun, budget-friendly night out filled with professional basketball and exciting entertainment starting January 4. In addition to professional-level basketball, Vipers’ games will be packed with contests, giveaways, live music, dance performances and much more. The countdown is on: only two months until the Pee Dee Vipers tip off with a slam-dunk! The Vipers are endorsed by former NBA stars Xavier “X-Man” McDaniel, Jo Jo English, Dale Davis and their own Sharone Wright. Home Arena, ScheDule anD Tickets The Pee Dee Vipers will call the Florence Civic Center their home arena. The Vipers will play a 20 game season with 10 home games and 10 away games. Teams will come as far as New York and Indiana to challenge the Vipers. The Vipers pre-season exhibition game will be in late December – stay tuned for an exciting announcement. The regular season starts January 4 and will last through early April. Playoffs are scheduled for early April. Tickets start at $10.50 each, and season ticket packages as low as $90. VIPers Courtside Seats start at $38 and will include food and beverage, and season VIPers Courtside Seats starting at $350. Team Tryouts The Pee Dee Vipers are looking for their hometown stars! The team will hold tryouts in Florence this weekend after having successful tryouts in Columbia and Atlanta last weekend. Registration at the door is $50. Players should bring a photo to tryouts. Nov. 15 (6PM) Florence, SC – Boys and Girls Club of Florence Nov. 16 (10AM) Florence, SC – Boys and Girls Club of Florence Players who make the team will receive compensation, housing and potential bonuses. All stats and video are up-to-date to assist in furthering players’ careers. Entertainment Vipers’ games will be filled with pre-game and halftime entertainment. The organization is currently looking for local talent to perform. Quotes From the Head of Basketball Operations, Sharone Wright: “Having been around this beautiful game all of my life, it’s a joy to be able to bring this team to such a wonderful city with the backing of a tremendous league and organization. I fell in love with South Carolina during my time at Clemson and I look forward to bringing that success to Florence with the Vipers, both on and off the court.” About Wright: Wright attended Clemson University where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. During his time at Clemson, Wright led the ACC in rebounds and blocks for three years. Wright went on to be selected sixth overall in the 1994 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, earning All-Rookie his first year. More Information anD Social MeDia Facebook: facebook.com/peedeevipers Twitter: @PeeDeeVipers Instagram: @PeeDeeVipers Website: peedeevipers.com About the Pee Dee Vipers The Pee Dee Vipers’ vision is to provide the region of Florence and surrounding areas with quality, professional basketball entertainment combined with a commitment to strengthen community identity by implementing volunteer programs, basketball camps and local partnerships that focus on developing and fostering emotional and physical success of families and underprivileged youth. The Pee Dee Vipers will be a pillar and exemplar of professional and charitable work in the community of Florence and surrounding region. The organization plans to have a heavy focus on community engagement during its opening season, setting forth programs including partnership with schools, non- profits, coach and player volunteer hours, basketball camps, food and coat drives and AAU team partnerships in South Carolina. For more information, visit peedeevipers.com. About the PBL The PBL’s inaugural season was in 2008. The PBL is second behind the NBA’s D-League with regards to player development and league operations. There are currently 10 teams with plans to expand to 12 teams in 2014 and 20 teams by 2015. Most teams are located in the Northern and Midwestern areas of the country, but the PBL’s expansion plans are focused in the Southeast. The league hopes to bring affordable, professional basketball to smaller markets in the Southeastern region with an emphasis on community engagement and youth involvement. .