*If you haven’t heard, BET held it’s first annual “Players Awards” on Sun. June 18. The awards show held in the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino was a star-studded event that featured appearances by top NBA Players and performances by musical talent.
BET teamed up with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), which members include LeBron James, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Andre Iguodala. EURweb Associate, Kiki Ayers was on the scene reporting from the red carpet that was graced by Pooch Hall, Paul Pierce, Miles Brown, Lou Williams, MC Lyte and Kid Ink, among others.
MC Lyte, who was the show announcer, loved the fact that BET has added a sports element to their award show list.
“These young men that work so hard and tirelessly to be on top of their game, for them to have a moment to honor one another, I think it’s beautiful,” she said.
Kid Ink who is gearing up to go on a world tour with Chris Brown came out to the event for the love of the sport. Knowing that rappers secretly want to be basketball players and basketball players secretly want to be rappers, Ink told us about his dreams of once wanting to be a hooper.
“I had my hoop dreams but I was too short so you know I play at the park every Saturday,” he laughed. “I think we share the same kind of lifestyle, some of us come from the same neighborhoods and been through the same struggle so I think that’s the common interest.”
NBA Player Rashard Lewis said if he could be any rapper he would be T.I, (though he’s much taller) and Los Angeles Clippers player Dahntay Jones said he would hands down be Jay Z.
Shaq was also a popular name brought up in the night as comedian Billy Sorrells said he would let O’Neal write a comedy sketch with him and Ink would collab with Shaq on a record because he’s the only NBA player with a platinum album.
Paul Pierce shared his compassion with having teammate DeAndre Jordan return to the Clippers.
“It’s going to be great. He’s definitely been a big part of anything we try to do,” he said. “We’re trying to win a championship here in La Clippers and without him I don’t know if that’s really going to be possible.”
The Players Awards will air on BET tonight, Tuesday July 21 at 8pm. For more information about NBPA visit www.nbpa.com.
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