Former Gatorade VP/Sports Marketing BILL SCHMIDT is "auctioning off" more than four dozen MICHAEL JORDAN memorabilia pieces. The items "include a pair of '92-93 Nike Air Jordan game-used autographed sneakers and a signed, game-used jersey from Jordan’s first championship season." The auction is a part of Steiner Auctions’ "2017 Mid-Summer Classic" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/11).
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: Celtics F AL HORFORD is "starting a youth basketball initiative" in the Dominican Republic, his home country, in partnership with local bank Banco Popular. The initiative will "begin this summer with the reconstruction of courts" in Puerto Plata and La Romana. Over the next two years, "at least three other courts will be reconstructed in the Dominican Republic." Horford will also "hold a total of eight basketball clinics and back-to-school camps in his home country over the next two summers" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/11).
GET UP, STAND UP: Tigers 1B MIGUEL CABRERA is "speaking out more forcefully than ever before about the ongoing crisis in his native Venezuela, breaking what he said was his long-standing rule against meddling in politics." In a "series of free-wheeling" videos posted yesterday to the "'stories' section of his Instagram account, Cabrera blasted the corruption of Venezuela's government, voiced his support for protesters and spoke of threats against his family that required him to pay vacunas, or protection money" (MLIVE.com, 7/11).
WRITE IT DOWN: WNBA Washington Mystics F ELENA DELLE DONNE is set to debut two books next year: Her memoir, "MY SHOT," and the first in a series of children's books, "ELLE OF THE BALL." The books are "written with a collaborator and will be released" by Simon & Schuster in March '18 (USA TODAY, 7/11)....DEREK JETER's sister, SHARLEE, who "quietly battled cancer at the height of his fame, is launching herself as a self-help guru, releasing a powerful book, plus a website, to help people overcome adversity" (N.Y. POST, 7/11).
NAMES: The Trail Blazers Foundation has awarded more than $300,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations supporting underserved youth in Oregon and Southwest Washington, the largest single distribution of grant dollars since the foundation's conception (Trail Blazers)....This past weekend the annual Sports & Entertainment Group business retreat had about 30 NFLers who “took part in the three-day retreat, which was held in Miami Beach for the third consecutive year.” NFLPA Exec Dir DEMAURICE SMITH’s appearance was a “first for the retreat and offered players a chance to have an up-close and dialogue with their union leader.” The retreat put a “heavy focus on preparing players for life after football” (ESPN.com, 7/10)....76ers C JOEL EMBIID and rapper MEEK MILL were “among the stars in attendance“ at last night’s Home Run Derby at Marlins Park. They were in the “standing room area outside the Clevelander beyond the left field fence.” Embiid “collected a pair of homers" during the Derby (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/11)....Social media app 15 Seconds of Fame announced that KOBE BRYANT will acquire a financial interest in and advise the company. Bryant’s team at Kobe Inc. will bring its operational and business expertise to the development and expansion of 15 Seconds of Fame (THE DAILY).
