UPDATE: Tyreke Evans has committed to play for Team Philly.
What started as a friendly debate between former Syracuse teammates Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick, has turned into a full-blown, winner-take-all grudge match. And as with all basketball debates, this one can only be settled on the court. On Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., ‘Melo will take his talents down I-95 to the City of Brotherly Love, along with a squad that features LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant. They will compete against Warrick’s team featuring Philly products Wayne Ellington, Markieff and Marcus Morris, John Salmons, and Flip Murrary.
Rahim Thompson, the organizer of the event, confirmed that Team Philly’s roster will also include Kyle Lowry, Lou Williams and Jason Thompson, while Team Melo will also bring out Baltimore products Josh Selby, Gary Neal, Donte Greene, and Birmingham’s Eric Bledsoe.
“My Philadelphia All-Stars look forward to getting on the court and proving to ‘Melo and the people of Baltimore/D.C. that the best ballers come out of Philly,” says Warrick. “‘Melo told me he was bringing a squad that can’t be beat, so I have a few ‘All-Star’ surprises for him when my team takes the court.”
The game, which is being played at the Palestra on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia, will also be broadcast live on the web via The Basketball Channel, hosted by Fox Sports’ Marques Johnson and Philly hoops legend Bo Kimble.
Tickets for the event will be priced between $35-$50, with a number of upper bowl seats being donated to community groups throughout the city. Tickets go on sale today through the Palestra box office and participating VILLA locations throughout the city. A portion of the revenue generated from the game will go to charity, including the West Philadelphia Community Center where Warrick grew up playing.
Will you be in attendance?
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