The Knox Indy Pro Am returns to The Jungle at IUPUI July 12th to begin its sixth year. Running for five consecutive Saturdays through August 9th, the NBA-sanctioned league has a few new twists this year.
Each week there will be two games, a 7 p.m. ET regular Knox Indy Pro Am league game followed by the best of the Knox Indy Pro Am at 8 p.m. competing against Pro Am teams from across the country. Those opponents include Chicago, New York, and Michigan. The 2014 summer league will wrap up with a round-robin tournament in week five featuring Indianapolis talent and several NBA players.
“We’re really looking forward to a great summer,” Carlos Knox, the Founder and Director of the Knox Indy Pro Am, told VigilantSports.com. “We’re ecstatic about the level of talent of the participants and the quick success our Pro Am has experienced nationally. Winning the 2013 AND1 Remix Tour and the 2014 Red Bull Midnight Run has helped us take giant leaps, and we plan to continue building upon that success.”
One of the premier games back by popular demand features a head-to-head matchup of alums from Indiana and Purdue University. The Purdue squad won the inaugural meeting in front a standing-room only crowd and this year’s rivalry should not disappoint.
Last fall, the best from the Knox Indy Pro Am went to Philadelphia and won the AND1 Summer Remix Tour. Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, the only NBA player sponsored by AND1, served as the assistant coach alongside head coach Carlos Knox.
“It went great,” Stephenson told me by phone after winning. “We picked a good team and we’re happy to be coming home with a championship.”
The Indy Pro Am has an exciting addition to the league this year. AND1, the athletic shoe and sportswear company, is the presenting sponsor. They will be providing uniforms and shoes to the players, as well as giveaways for those in attendance.
“It’s a blessing,” Knox added. “Lance Stephenson has been such a big part of our program these last few years and, as the face of AND1, we are immensely appreciative of his continued support and the major role he played in bringing AND1 and the Knox Indy Pro Am together.”
Knox has received commitments from Chris Copeland and Donald Sloan of the Pacers, plus Orlando Magic guard (and Indiana grad) Victor Oladipo to take part when they are in town. Many more familiar names are expected at this event, which allows fans to get their fix in of quality basketball during the summer.
Tickets for the 2014 Knox Indy Pro Am are available online at KnoxIndyProAm.com and can also be purchased at the door.