NBA players are "taking to the screen as front-facing talent with aspirations ... of being the next" DWAYNE JOHNSON. Others are looking to give producers JERRY BRUCKHEIMER and WILL PACKER a "run for their silver screen money." LEBRON JAMES' production company, SpringHill Entertainment, has been "making some impressive moves lately." Possible projects include an HBO show that James and LRMR Management Founder MAVERICK CARTER are developing that is "centered on" an L.A.-based sneaker store. Meanwhile, a remake of "WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP" is "on its way, with the help" of Clippers F BLAKE GRIFFIN. Additionally, Celtics G KYRIE IRVING's "Uncle Drew" character from his Pepsi commercials soon will be "on the big screen." Basketball HOFers SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, REGGIE MILLER and LISA LESLIE "will make appearances" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 11/1).
ONCE IN A LIFETIME: The grand prize winners of the "This Could Be You" sweepstakes, PATRICIA SILVERI and DEREK FLATER, dispersed championship gear to the Astros following their Game 7 win over the Dodgers last night. The two had "spent the last three innings in the clubhouse tunnel behind the Astros' dugout" and "rushed out over the rail right along with the champs themselves" after the final out. Mastercard's contest "gave fans a chance to carry out this privilege, and Silveri won that one." Lids also "conducted a sweepstakes for this privilege, and Flater was the grand prize winner" (MLB.com, 11/2).
SIGN OF RESPECT: Chiefs CB MARCUS PETERS on Saturday "offered to buy" a pair of Air Jordan Retro 5's for 12-year-old ZAMARION COFFIE after Coffie's mother, LARISSA, had asked him to "put the shoes away because it was time to leave" the store they were in. ZaMarion "did as asked," and Peters "appreciated the fact (ZaMarion) was respectful to his mom and did as he was told." Peters "didn't want his photo taken after the purchase" (KANSASCITY.com, 11/1).
NAMES: Pro Football HOF President & CEO DAVID BAKER will receive the March of Dimes Sports Leadership Award for 2017 on Nov. 28 at the N.Y. Hilton (Pro Football HOF)....Steelers coach MIKE TOMLIN yesterday introduced Operation Underground Railroad Founder TIM BALLARD to a gathering of Pittsburgh media. Ballard said that Tomlin “reached out to his organization in the spring.” Ballard and colleagues “spent time at Steelers training camp” in Latrobe, Pa. O.U.R. consists of former CIA, Navy SEALs, and Special Ops operatives who lead coordinated identification and extraction efforts in anti-child trafficking efforts to bring an end to child slavery (TRIBLIVE.com, 11/1)....The title belt from MUHAMMAD ALI’s ’74 victory over GEORGE FOREMAN in the "Rumble in the Jungle" was recently sold for $120,000 at a Lelands.com auction to an “anonymous bidder” (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 11/2)....Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI recently “classed it up with an exclusive cocktail party to celebrate the opening of SALVATORE FERRAGAMO’s new store” at Copley Place in Boston (BOSTON HERALD, 11/2)....The wife of SEC Network's PETER BURNS on Tuesday gave birth to a girl, BEAUX VICTORIA BURNS (TWITTER.com, 11/1).
IN MEMORY: Longtime North Carolina sportswriter CAULTON TUDOR died in his Raleigh home yesterday at the age of 70. Tudor worked for the Raleigh Times and then the Raleigh News & Observer in his 44-year career "as a sports columnist for the city newspapers.” When he left the paper in ‘13, he “wrote regular columns for the Capitol Broadcasting Co. until his death.” Tudor was inducted into the North Carolina Sports HOF in the spring and the USBWA HOF in ’99 (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 11/2). Tudor “became almost as big a figure as the people he wrote about” (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 11/2).
RUNNER'S WORLD: Are you or someone you know in the sports business industry running in Sunday's TCS N.Y. Marathon? If so, contact Lucas Smith at lsmith@sportsbusinessdaily.com on Monday with your time, a photo and a quick note about the experience to share with our readers.
