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mcornelio

10-31-2005, 10:03 PM

ABOUT NBAE
By Miki Turner
Special to Page 3

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Parked outside a modest high school gym on a dead-end street are shiny automobiles with tinted windows representing several different levels of "bling."

Dean Cain
Hey, Dean, LeBron could use some help out on the perimeter.

There's a Porsche ragtop with vanity plates parked in front of a Ford F150 truck with spinners. Next to that is a custom Range Rover with suede seats that's in back of an S-class Benz. That fine example of German engineering is parked bumper to bumper with that slick new Bentley coupe. And, not to mention, a tricked-out VW Beetle circa 1964.

Comparatively, inside the school walls are celebrities of varying grades. There's A, B, C and D-list movie and television stars, some former child stars, a plethora of rappers and platinum-selling singers and musicians and their producers. A bunch look like they're shot-calling suits during the week and ball-hogging NBA wannabes during the weekend.

Welcome to the NBA's Entertainment (NBAE) League.

The NBAE, which is now in its eighth season, consists of about 150 players competing on 14 teams including the Celtics, Heat, Pistons, Nets, Magic, Hawks, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Raptors, Bobcats, Suns and Nuggets. The players wear the authentic uniforms and warm-ups of the NBA team they play for. They also get a nice regulation NBA duffel bag and official socks and sweatbands to complete the look.

Sweet.

Who comes to play? Ice Cube, Will Ferrell, Morris Chestnut, Don Cheadle, Bill Bellamy, Kevin Frazier, Ashton Kutcher, Brian McKnight, Justin Timberlake, Flex Alexander, Sal Masekela, Sugar Shane Mosley, Frankie Muniz, Nick Lachey, Boris Kodjoe, Dean Cain and even NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy have all secured roster spots.

The games are usually held on Sundays -- with the exception of holiday weekends and the Super Bowl. All 14 teams suit up, playing two 20-minute periods with the clock running. League play began in November and the regular season will conclude in mid-March, followed by playoffs and a championship game in which the winners receive real bling. In between all of that, select players travel to various NBA cities and perform and play in special exhibitions prior to the real games.

The first thing you notice about the players is that they're not here to participate in any sort of weekend warrior fantasy league. Sure, there's a lot of friendly banter, hugs and invitations to play poker or golf later in the week, but these fellas have truly come to play.

There aren't that many dunks, behind-the-back-passes or crossover dribbles, but there are good, solid and fundamental plays. And that's a little surprising considering most of these guys hit the courts only on game day. And because of scheduling conflicts for working entertainers, it's not uncommon to have team personnel shift drastically from week to week.

"Guys do come in and out because of work commitments, but these are the heart and soul guys," says NBAE Commissioner Shane Duffy. "They love this game. It's in their soul."

No doubt.

Simon Rex from "Scary Movie 3" loves the NBAE so much that he has his agent put a special clause in his contracts stating that Rex is unavailable to work on Sundays. And those who do have to work the occasional Sunday use the perks of their profession to ensure that they'll get at least a little bit of playing time in.

According to Duffy, McKnight, who plays for the Heat, once sang the national anthem in New York and then flew back to L.A. via private jet just so he could compete in the championship game at Staples Center. He played only one half, but he poured in 31 points in a winning effort.

"I didn't want to let my team down," McKnight said.

Recording artist Q Parker lives in Atlanta, but flies into L.A. every week to hoop it up.

"Everybody wants to be a Michael Jordan or Tracy McGrady," says comedian Joe Torry.

And another guy who never misses a Sunday is Lakers center/forward Steve Howey of "Reba." A former JC player, Howey is having an MVP season, averaging nearly 20 points and 12 boards per game.

"I only work to play in this league. There are a lot of athletes and competitive people in this league. And we've got nice, flashy uniforms," Howey said.

"Everybody wants to play in this league -- come out here and show what they can do," added Flex Alexander of the Suns.

"I've been a part of this since the beginning. It's been about eight years for me. I look forward to it. It's an honor."

"Athletes want to be actors and actors want to be ballplayers. We have fun out here and take pride in putting these jerseys on and trying to do our thing," added Chestnut of the Hawks.

It does mean something to be among the chosen. Duffy not only has the tedious task of drafting players, but he also has to try to create physical and political parity within the league. He routinely fields calls from unemployed actors, down-and-out musicians or up-and-coming producers and writers angling to get into the league. He also has big-time Hollywood agents ringing him.

"They either want to get one of their clients on the team, or if the agent is already in the league, he wants to make sure that a certain guy is on his team. It's about relationships. We have a real sense of community here," Duffy said.

Here's an example. Brian Robbins is a top-grossing producer who plays for the Raptors. Robbins just happens to be the executive producer of "Coach Carter," the hit Paramount flick about a high school basketball coach and his underdog team in Richmond, Calif. One of the biggest challenges for anyone producing a sports film is to find good actors who can play and vice versa, but Robbins didn't have to look too far. He cast five NBAE players, including his teammate Robert Richard, Rick Gonzalez of the Magic, Antwon Tanner and Nana Gbewonyo of the Hornets and Texas Battle of the Hawks.

Robbins conceded that there is a fair amount of wheeling and dealing in between games, but he's really there just to play.

"I just like playing ball and it's very cool of these guys to put this together for guys like myself to come out every Sunday and make believe that we can play," Robbins said.

"Most of these guys actually love to play. I'd say the actors are still the best players. Antwon Tanner can really play. The young actors are better than the old executives, but they have to be nice to me because I hire them."

That brings up the question: Who's really got game? Let the woofing begin.

Will Ferrell
Comedian Will Ferrell gets serious about his game.
The Playa Players at a Glance

In the stands, pre-approved fans, who are invited by a player and have to sign in because games aren't open to the public, are generally engaged in other activities during the actual game. Actors read scripts, celebrity wives catch up on the latest scoop, and even real athletes like baseball player Kenny Lofton fiddle with Blackberrys. The players on the court are generally providing a plethora of oohs and aahs for those with longer attention spans.

"Oh yeah, we get serious," said comedian Joe Torry, Rockets team captain. "Everybody wants to be a Michael Jordan or Tracy McGrady. Some of them are, but it's hard when you have 12 of them on your team who think they are. And then they cut out the better players because everybody's got to get playing time."

"It's about bragging rights. There are e-mails going back and forth all week with guys talking trash. The competition is hard. There are some people that shock you. I saw Will Ferrell out here a couple of weeks ago and he's an athlete! It's competitive, but fortunately no one has gotten their ass beat in a while," added ESPN X Games commentator Masekela of the Rockets.

"It's hard to say who the best is," Flex Alexander said.

"There's Tank, my man Harvey, my boy Cube, Frankie Muniz and Dondre Whitfield. There are a lot of good players."

"I can't give everyone their props because each team has got someone special on their team. Some of the toughest are Antwon, James Lesure, Dondre Whitfield, Charles Malik Whitfield, Flex and so many others. It's not a one-man game. It's definitely a team effort all the way around. It's fun, but most important, the competitiveness definitely brings out the best in you," Escarpeta adds.

Duffy does his best to create a nice balance in the league by not overloading a team with too many great players or too many average blokes. And, on any given Sunday, even a 0-10 team has a shot at beating one that's undefeated. It all depends on who shows up and who doesn't. And, yes, sometimes things can get out of hand.

"At times the 'E' for Entertainment can be the 'E' for ego," Masekela joked. "It's well-spirited and a good time. You're dealing with so many dynamic personalities. These are spirited, passionate artists that come on the court and so it's going to flare up. It's not every day that you have this many dynamic personalities competing with each other.

"When you put on your jerseys and you have your Rockets on and its all regulation everything, suddenly you start to feel like this is the real deal. We really have to put it down."

Escarpeta concurred.

"There is a lot of testosterone and egos," he said. "Just last week I kind of lost my head a little bit, pushed Dondre Whitfield and then apologized to him. But he understands because its basketball and had it been on his side he probably would have done the same thing.

"That kind of thing is only natural. But after the game you shake hands and it's only a game after that."