Both of James' books, in partnership with HarperCollins Publishers, will be geared towards childrenGETTY IMAGES
LEBRON JAMES' first children's book entitled "I PROMISE," is "scheduled for publication on Aug.11. His second book, a novel for middle-grade students, will be published in the summer" of '21 as part of a two-book deal with HarperCollins Publishers (USA TODAY, 2/19).
THE GOOD STUFF: Saints and Pelicans Owner GAYLE BENSON and execs from both teams "visited Delgado Community College to announce a multi-million-dollar donation by the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation to jump-start a fundraising campaign for the Athletics department called The Tradition Campaign" (NOLA.com, 2/18)....Members of the Pirates organization including manager DEREK SHELTON, President TRAVIS WILLIAMS, GM BEN CHERINGTON, Owner BOB NUTTING and about 20 players on Monday "took community engagement to the next level with the team's yearly visit to the Miracle League of Manasota Field." Pirates Charities, in partnership with Baseball Fantasy Camp for Kids, a "nonprofit organization providing children with special needs the opportunity to learn baseball fundamentals from professional coaches and players, held a fantasy camp for youth with special needs in the Bradenton and Sarasota communities" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/18)....The Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation is auctioning off Capitals, Mystics and Wizards gear, including items worn in tribute of the late KOBE and GIANNA BRYANT, with "all proceeds going to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation and the MambaOnThree Fund." The auction began at 12:00pm ET yesterday and will be open until the end of the second intermission of Penguins-Capitals on Sunday (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 2/18)....The Golden Knights’ “Knight to Remember” fundraiser last night was “projected to make” about $1M for the team’s charitable foundation (LVSPORTZBIZ.com, 2/18).
NAMES: The Baltimore Sun's list of Maryland's highest-paid employees is topped by Univ. of Maryland men's basketball coach MARK TURGEON at $3M. The school's head football coach, MICHAEL LOCKSLEY, is second at $2.5M, followed by women's basketball coach BRENDA FRESE at $1.3M (BALTIMORE SUN, 2/19)....Mardi Gras' Krewe of Tucks parade yesterday announced that the animated Dancing Friar float will have eight Saints players "on it as it rolls sixth in the procession through Uptown" this Saturday. Those players include OL TERRON ARMSTEAD, DE CAM JORDAN, WR AUSTIN CARR, LB KADEN ELLISS, WR TRE'QUAN SMITH, DL DAVID ONYEMATA, OL NICK EASTON and former DE GLENN FOSTER (NOLA.com, 2/18)....Chiefs OL LAURENT DUVERNAY-TARDIF yesterday was honored by Quebec’s National Assembly with the Medal of Honor (K.C. STAR, 2/19)....The Reds named longtime former broadcaster MARTY BRENNAMAN the “grand marshal” of the ’20 Findlay Market Opening Day Parade (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/18)....TONY ROMO will “make his Korn Ferry Tour debut later this year after receiving a sponsor exemption into the Veritex Bank Championship,” which will be held April 16-19 at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 2/18)....Sony Pictures “finalized a deal to take a minority stake in The Whisper Group, a sports production company that makes live coverage of Formula 1 racing” (DEADLINE.com, 2/18).
