NEW YORK and WASHINGTON – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Special Olympics today announced that the fourth annual NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Sports^® Basketball Game will be held at Madison Square Garden for the first time.  With support from The Coca-Cola Company, NBA All-Star Stephen Curry will tip off the game at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 14.  Fans with tickets to NBA All-Star Practice presented by Sean John at Macy’s are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the Unified Sports Basketball Game.

The 2015 matchup will feature 12 Special Olympics athletes from around the world, including New York’s own Felix Veloz and fan favorites from last year’s game like Jacob Majors of Lake Charles, La.  The majority of Special Olympics athletes competing in the game also have been selected to attend the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles from July 25 – Aug. 2.  The athletes will play alongside NBA legends and WNBA legends/players, including Brooklyn native and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, Dell Curry, Tamika Catchings and Tina Charles in the West and Jason Collins, Detlef Schrempf, Special Olympics Global Ambassador Elena Delle Donne and Ruth Riley in the East.  Isaiah Austin along with rising stars Andrew Wiggins, Zack LaVine and Cody Zeller will serve as honorary coaches.

First held at NBA All-Star weekend in 2012, the Special Olympics Unified Sports^® Basketball Game will bring together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates to showcase the power of Special Olympics Unified Sports^®, which helps unify communities and foster an environment of acceptance and inclusion.  Following the game, the players will join the NBA and The Coca-Cola Company to host more than 60 local youth athletes from Special Olympics New York for a basketball skills clinic on the NBA FIT Court presented by Kumho Tire at NBA House presented by BBVA Compass in Skylight at Moynihan Station.

“We are thrilled to showcase this tremendous platform at The World’s Most Famous Arena,” said Todd Jacobson, NBA Senior Vice President, Social Responsibility.  “Each year, NBA All-Star literally and symbolically brings people together and we’re proud to once again work with Special Olympics to advance the conversation on respect and inclusion.”

The NBA’s global partnership with Special Olympics began more than 30 years ago when the league helped introduce basketball as a new sport to the organization.  The NBA has since provided sponsorship to Special Olympics basketball tournaments, created public service announcements featuring NBA players, and participated in major Special Olympics events.  Through NBA Cares, the NBA family has hosted international clinics for Special Olympics athletes in China, Puerto Rico, Russia, France, Greece, Italy, Brazil, Spain, England and Mexico.

“It is an incredible opportunity for us to showcase the power of Special Olympics Unified Sports and continue to break down the barriers that exist for people with intellectual disabilities by having our 2015 Special Olympics World Games athletes play at Madison Square Garden during NBA All-Star weekend,” said Janet Froetscher, CEO, Special Olympics.  “We are very appreciative and thankful to our longstanding partners at the NBA, as well as to our founding partner, Coca-Cola, for their unrelenting support of this fourth annual Special Olympics Unified Sports Basketball Game.”

West
Chris Mullin, NBA Legend and Hall of Famer
Dell Curry, NBA Legend
Tina Charles, New York Liberty
Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
Jacob Majors, U.S.A. (Louisiana)
Abel Mehari, U.S.A. (Minnesota)
Felix Veloz, U.S.A. (New York)
Edwin González, Puerto Rico
Kara Plumbeck, U.S.A. (Texas)
Keyuana Davis, U.S.A. (Florida)

East
Jason Collins, NBA Cares Ambassador
Detlef Schrempf, NBA Legend
Ruth Riley, NBA Cares Ambassador
Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky
Cedriek Begerten, Belgium
Jeong-Hun An, Korea
Ioannis Kalaitzis, Greece
Edgardo González, Puerto Rico
Chidalu Onwunze, Nigeria
Maria Alba, Mexico

These 12 Special Olympics athletes will be treated to an unforgettable NBA All-Star experience including a meet-and-greet with members of the NBA family and tickets to marquee events throughout the week.

About NBA Cares
NBA Cares is the league’s global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world.  Through this program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $242 million to charity, completed more than 3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 915 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, in 26 countries and territories on five continents.  NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Share Our Strength and GLAAD.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all.  Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance.  Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries.  With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year.  Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, Microsoft, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org.  Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolymics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.