ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 11, 1997 TAG: 9702110089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
GLEN RICE'S Charlotte Hornets and Kevin Garnett's Minnesota Timberwolves will play an exhibition game Oct.19.
The Most Valuable Player and the youngest player in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game are expected to come to Roanoke in the fall.
They'll be bringing their teams with them.
The Charlotte Hornets, with All-Star Game MVP Glen Rice, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, with All-Star youngster Kevin Garnett, will play an exhibition game at the Roanoke Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Oct.19. The event is being organized by Roanoke resident Mack Craighead, who has a background in promoting gospel and rhythm and blues concerts.
The only previous NBA exhibition at the civic center was Oct.17, 1989, when a crowd of 9,243 saw the Detroit Pistons edge the Seattle SuperSonics 99-98. The Virginia Squires of the now-defunct American Basketball Association played part of their schedule at the civic center in the early 1970s.
The Salem Civic Center was the site of an exhibition in 1970 between the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and Baltimore Bullets.
Hornets director of broadcast operations Steve Martin, who organizes the preseason games, said, ``The Roanoke market is a market we're pretty good in. It's a strong one for us.''
Charlotte's games are broadcast locally on WDRL (Channel 24) out of Danville. The Hornets also feature former Virginia Tech star Dell Curry.
The Hornets have played exhibitions in Richmond the past two years and three years ago appeared in Norfolk. After also playing exhibitions in Greensboro, N.C., for three of the past four years, Martin said the Hornets were looking for different venues around the region.
Roanoke was competing for the game with Columbia, S.C., and Charleston, W.Va. The Hornets will have two home exhibitions, and they sold their other preseason game to the Indiana Pacers. That game will be played in Nashville, Tenn.
Craighead said a portion of the proceeds from the game will go to Star World Productions, an organization that assists terminally ill people who either have no families or are estranged from their families. Ticket prices have not been set, but they are expected to go on sale in August.
Craighead, 39, called Martin in July and told him he wished to bring an exhibition to town. He said he worried his background in concerts, not sporting events, would hinder him, but Martin said it would be no problem.
``This has the potential to be a pretty good draw in Roanoke,'' Martin said. ``We're stepping up our presence there.''
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