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CIAA celebrity game brought out celebs with skills, sort of

Ayo & Teo, Fantasia and Tank showed up and tried to show out

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    Donovan Dooley By

    If you are ever in need of a quick laugh, just go and watch any celebrity basketball game. Usually the game is filled with clumsy celebrities who are trying to prove that they were the best player on their middle school team.

    And the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s Celebrity Charity Basketball Game was no different. Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis just threw his big body around on the court like a bowling ball. R&B star Tank was virtually ineffective all game, and Dan Rue, the social media star, showed flashes but ultimately proved he was not built to be a hooper.

    But even with all of the turnovers and missed shots, the CIAA celebrity game did what it was supposed to do: promote and entertain.

    The game was a fun-loving display that brought together celebrities from around the country at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Recording artists Ayo & Teo, who produced the popular hit song “Rolex,” were even in the stands showing love after they performed during the CIAA Fan Fest at the Charlotte Convention Center.

    And R&B superstar Fantasia was in the building watching her fellow celebrities battle it out on the court.

    At halftime, the energy in the arena heightened in anticipation of the celebrity dunk contest, and it actually didn’t disappoint. Fans were hyped after one of the celebrity game’s participants, who was obviously an ex-ballplayer at some level, threw down a windmill dunk after jumping over five different people, including Ayo, Teo and Rue.

    With the first CIAA tournament celebrity game in the books, there’s now a fun event where fans, celebrities and athletes can watch some of their favorite stars. And in the process, the conference is broadening its reach across the country.

    With one of the most distinctive tournaments in the country, the CIAA could significantly increase the recognition of the conference, and the recognition of historically black college and university hoops, through this goofy 60 minutes of basketball.

    The higher the profile of the celebrity, the bigger the promotion. So you know what that means! It’s time for Barack Obama, Michael B. Jordan, Migos and other black celebrities to make a trip to Charlotte and lace up their sneakers for the CIAA — and the culture.

    Donovan Dooley is a former Rhoden Fellow and a multimedia journalism major from Tuscaloosa, AL. He attends North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University.

    This Story Tagged: CIAA Teo Ayo Dan Rue Fantasia