NEW ORLEANS, La. – With the help of four Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour stars and a star-studded lineup of celebrities, New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard and avid bowler Chris Paul will again highlight his “second-favorite sport” in the second annual Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational which airs Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
Celebrity icons Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward and linebacker LaMarr Woodley along with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio teamed with PBA stars Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Wes Malott and Jason Belmonte in a unique doubles competition to benefit Paul’s CP3 Foundation.
The made-for-TV fundraiser, conducted in early January at Riverboat Lanes on the New Orleans Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, also had a strong patriotic theme. Service men and women from all branches of the United States military packed the bowling center for the competition.
For a preview of Sunday’s telecast, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXxrCmiUeyM&feature=player_embedded
“I know this invitational will make for great television. The competition on the bowling lanes gets as intense at times as it does on the NBA hardwood,” Paul said. “This event is a major part of the CP3 Foundation’s fundraising efforts and I am thankful for everyone’s involvement in making this a great night of bowling. It was also an amazing opportunity to share this event with the U.S. military personnel who sacrifice so much to protect our freedom every day.”
“Chris Paul is not only an electrifying athlete on the basketball court – and a great role model for kids in all sports – but he has great respect and passion for bowling as well. If we can join hands and help him raise money that helps others, all the better,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark. “But one thing everyone who watches the finals Sunday will quickly find out is that while all of these guys have fun bowling, they definitely are in it to win.”
Adding to the pressure for the celebrity bowlers is country music star Garth Brooks’ pledge of $1,000 to the CP3 Foundation for each strike thrown by the non-PBA players.
The Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational will pair four Storm Bowling Products staff members with celebrity partners. Malott, the reigning PBA Player of the Year, will bowl with Ward. PBA Hall of Famer Weber is matched up with Ludacris. Duke will be paired with either Woodley or Del Rio, depending upon a roll-off between the two. And Paul will bowl with Australia’s two-handed star, Belmonte.
Paul, a three-time NBA All-Star, was the league’s MVP runner-up in 2008 and was a member of the 2008 gold medal-winning U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team. He was named to the 2008-09 NBA All-Defensive First Team, becoming the first player in franchise history to do so, and holds the NBA record for consecutive games with a steal (108). Paul currently leads the Hornets in scoring average (20.4), assists (11.2) and minutes played (38.7).
Grammy Award-winning artist and actor Ludacris is one of the highest-selling hip hop solo artists with more than 24 million units sold worldwide. The Atlanta native has appeared in numerous films including “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Hustle and Flow,” and “Crash.”
Ward, who recently completed is 12th season in the NFL, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XL in 2006 and owns Steeler career records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.
Woodley, who just completed his third season, was rewarded for a career-best 62 tackles (50 solo) and 13.5 sacks - third best in the NFL – with a spot in the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl. The former University of Michigan defensive end was the 2006 Lombardi and Ted Hendricks award winner, a first team All-American and National Defensive Player of the Year.
Del Rio, a former all-pro and NFL Pro Bowl linebacker, played 11 years in the NFL with five teams. He has been Jaguars head coach since 2003. He previously held coaching positions with the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.
