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KoriEllis
08-23-2004, 03:26 AM
Cable-TV segments will highlight Derek Anderson's good works

LARRY MUHAMMAD
Associated Press


LOUISVILLE, Ky. - National Basketball Association player Derek Anderson is being fussed over by a barber and a makeup artist at his 7,200-square-foot home off Brownsboro Road. They're prepping him to be filmed by Black STARZ!, the 24-hour cable and satellite movie channel.

"Ready for your close-up?" asks Ulysses Porter Brown, the Denver-based STARZ! exec who is co-producing the Anderson job, a local Videobred camera crew in tow.

"Want me to address the camera?" Anderson asks.

Brown says, "You may want to give a half-smile, a little nod, since this is one of the first times viewers are going to see you." Then he steps back and shouts to the camera crew, "Action!"

The film footage, 3- to 5-minute segments about Anderson's off-court life and status as a hometown hero, will complement a series of basketball films on Black STARZ! in October.

Included will be a tour of his home's marble floors, designer swimming pool, flat-screen TVs beginning with the 6-foot-5-inch host at the front door, speaking into the camera:

"I'm Derek Anderson of the Portland Trail Blazers. For those of you who might not know me, check it out."

As it happened, that early August day, Anderson also took delivery of a 2004 black-on-black Rolls Royce Phantom (total suggested retail price: $324,000), so the camera crew filmed that too.

Seated behind the wheel, head bobbing to Usher's latest album, "Confession," on the CD player, Anderson was asked about his role-model image that got Black STARZ!'s attention.

"I appreciate it," he says. "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do. It's God's will."

A Doss High School graduate and former University of Kentucky star, Anderson inspires Wheaties-box esteem in Louisville for investing millions in the West Louisville neighborhood and running community-service programs.

He started DA Enterprises, which promotes job growth and economic development in Louisville through various businesses. They include the eight-restaurant Pizza Magia chain; Anderson Atrium, a 14-suite office building complex at 2001 W. Broadway; and A-1 Plaza, a strip mall across the street with a bank, restaurant, beauty-supply store and Anderson's sports gear boutiques, Full Court for adults and Half Court for kids.

Then there's the Derek Anderson Foundation, a charitable outreach organization that supports worthy private and public causes financially and helps inspire underprivileged young people through a $1,000 scholarship to a high school student. It also supports a summer basketball camp for youngsters, an all-star competition called the Dream Game and the yearly African-American Heritage Ball, which assembles civic and business leaders to honor high school achievers.

Brown, who is also managing director for Black STARZ! and STARZ! Kids, says, "This year we thought it would be an interesting concept to find an NBA player who's done a lot for the community to help us kick off the NBA season. We have a lineup of basketball films 'Hoop Dreams,' 'Heaven is a Playground,' 'The Sixth Man' and a comedy called 'The Air Up There.' What Derek will be doing is introducing the movies, and in between them we'll show his lifestyle off the court."

One of 13 commercial-free movie channels from the Colorado-based Starz Encore Group, Black STARZ! runs movies 24 hours a day by artists of African descent from around the world, and U.S. releases featuring black actors, producers or directors.

Andre Gilkey, a Louisville-based composer who has written music for Black STARZ! and is Brown's co-producer on the Anderson project, says, "When Porter started talking about an NBA player, I said, 'I got a guy that's absolutely perfect for this.'

"Derek was my first choice, because he's one guy who takes his money and puts it back into the neighborhood."

Johnny Blaze 47
08-23-2004, 10:08 AM
Do we also get to see film of him showing off the rest of his car collection and priceless belongings while saying he needs more money?

exstatic
08-23-2004, 10:54 AM
"Derek was my first choice, because he's one guy who takes his money and puts it back into the neighborhood."

WTF? He built his 7200 sq ft crib in the hood? Because that is where it looks like he put his money to me!:lol Maybe he drives his Rolls through the hood, and that is what they are talking about.

T Park Num 9
08-23-2004, 04:53 PM
Derek is a good guy.

He does alot of good stuff, and is a good quality guy.

Hes just a little greedy, and to be honest, cant blame him.

Gotta get the dough while you can. but IMO I wouldn't take him over Ginobili.

Ginobili is much more reliable in the playoffs.

As opposed to 1-17 Anderson.