Last December, actor and producer Michael B. Jordan, along with WME Sports Agency, launched a basketball showcase for Historic Black Colleges and Universities. Originally called the Hoops Dream Classic, the event has partnered with Turner Sports and been renamed the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic.
The doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and will air on TNT. Hampton University and North Carolina Central University will match up in one of the games, with Howard University and North Carolina A&T University playing in the other contest.
Some proceeds from the basketball event will go toward supporting organizations devoted to advancing the Black higher education institutions and the local Newark community. Jordan is a Newark native
Turner Sports, Invesco QQQ and WME Sports are joining with Hollywood actor and producer Jordan to support historically Black colleges and universities and their student-athletes. Part of proceeds from the Legacy Classic will help support organizations focused on advancing the Black educational institutions and the local Newark community. Giving back to his hometown region was particularly important to Jordan.
“This past year has been the tipping point for so many, including myself, in revving up support for Black people,” Jordan said in a statement last December (via CBS Sports.com).
“As a Newark native, I am committed to bringing change to the community and am honored to be able to present The Hoop Dreams Classic as a way to celebrate the value of community, education, and Black college experiences. Through our shared love of basketball, I look forward to bringing the communal spirit of HBCUs to the city that helped shape me into the man I am today.”
We’re bringing the HBCU Experience to Newark, NJ. Tickets for the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic on sale tomorrow at 10AM EST. @invescoUS pic.twitter.com/GCUz4HVMO3
— The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic (@legacyclassic) September 1, 2021
According to Variety, tickets for the Legacy Classic will go on sale to the public on Sept. 2 at Prucenter.com/Legacy-Classic, Ticketmaster.com, and the Prudential Center Box Office.
Tickets for the basketball portion of the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic start at $25, and go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Sept. 2, via Prucenter.com/Legacy-Classic, Ticketmaster.com, and Prudential Center’s Box Office. Pre-sale and additional ticket information is also available online.
Jordan is involved in a couple of sports-themed projects in his work as an actor, producer, and filmmaker. In February, Amazon announced the development of a Muhammad Ali scripted limited series produced in partnership with Jordan’s Outlier Society company. (Jordan will not be portraying Ali; his involvement is as a producer.) And he’ll make his directorial debut for the third film of the “Creed” movie series, reprising his role as boxer Adonis Creed in the “Rocky” spinoff.
[Variety]
