Ten of Duke's greatest former basketball players will return to Cameron Indoor Stadium for tonight's second annual All-Star Charity Basketball Game. The event, which tips off at 7 p.m., also features eight current NBA players.
"[The basketball program] has some great events going in August," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said last month in a press conference. He added that it would be the first time Cameron had been played in since air conditioning was installed.
Representing Duke is a lineup that has played in a combined 22 NCAA Final Fours.
Two members of last season's team, Mike Dunleavy, now with Golden State, and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Carlos Boozer will be returning.
The Orlando Magic's Grant Hill, who organized the event last year but was unable to play due to an ankle injury and served as one of the coaches, will appear in uniform tonight.
Also returning are Corey Maggette, with the Los Angeles Clippers, and William Avery, from the Utah Jazz, both of whom left Duke in 1999 after their respective freshmen and sophomore seasons. Washington forward Christian Laettner, 1992's National Player of the Year, will also return.
Adding more experience to the team will be the San Antonio Spurs' Danny Ferry, who left Duke a decade before Avery and Maggette. According to Krzyzewski, Ferry is the "biggest practical joker in the history of our program."
The Grizzlies' Shane Battier, who captured the National Player of the Year award nine years after Laettner, will also be wearing Duke b\Blue once again in Cameron.
"Maybe Shane will tell you a little bit about what team he's on," Krzyzewski said. "If he's on Doug's team maybe there's a little dirt there, but if he's on Sydney's team then there's harmony."
Current free agents Cherokee Parks and Brian Davis will close out the roster for the Duke Stars.
The NBA Stars roster includes other familiar faces in Cameron, including former Maryland star Juan Dixon, who signed with the Washington Wizards this year. Dixon will face current teammate Laettner on the other side of the court.
Greg Buckner, the older brother of senior point guard Andre Buckner, will participate along with Darrell Armstrong, Kirk Haston, Jaren Jackson, Steve Kerr, Rodney Rogers and David Wesley.
Proceeds from the game will be donated to the Emily Krzyzewski Family Life Center, the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership Initiative and the Duke Basketball Legacy Fund.
Other weekend festivities include Thursday's Coach K Celebrity Roast, which featured Ferry, Charles Barkley, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas and comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Jay Williams' signed Duke, and Chicago Bulls jerseys were auctioned, along with tickets to the Maryland and UNC games. A Celebrity Golf Tournament is scheduled for this morning.
"These are the kind of things I like to have happen as result of our program's success," Krzyzewski said.
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