NBPA High Growth Entrepreneurship Program Teaches Skills to Help Players

                            Score Off the Court




    EVANSTON, Ill., July 23 /EMWNews/ --



     WHAT:     2008 High Growth Entrepreneurship Program

               The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

               welcomes 11 NBA players to the National Basketball Players

               Association (NBPA) High Growth Entrepreneurship Program.

               Recognizing that the average NBA career lasts only 4.4 years,

               NBPA is offering executive education programs to qualified

               players interested in expanding their business acumen for life

               after basketball. During the four-day session, Kellogg School

               professors will offer sessions ranging from business leadership

               and negotiations to building a brand and investing. This is the

               first year the NBPA and Kellogg have teamed to offer the

               program.



     WHO:      Professor Steve Rogers is a clinical professor of finance and

               management at the Kellogg School of Management and is academic

               director for the NPBA High Growth Entrepreneurship Program.

               Professor Rogers also serves as academic director for the NFL

               Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at Kellogg. He

               is a well-known expert in the areas of entrepreneurial finance,

               minority business issues, small business management, venture

               capital and private equity.



               NBPA players scheduled to attend include:

               Malik Rose - Forward, New York Knicks; Vice President, NBPA

                Executive Committee

               Andre Iguodala - Forward, Philadelphia 76ers (2002 Chicago

                Sun-Times high school Player of the Year)

               Quentin Richardson - Guard/Forward, New York Knicks (DePaul

                University)

               Ricky Davis - Shooting Guard, Miami Heat



     WHERE:    The Kellogg School of Management

               James L. Allen Center

               2169 North Campus Drive

               Evanston, IL 60208

               Closed to public. Open to media by appointment only.



     WHEN:     The NBPA High Growth Entrepreneurship Program runs from Sunday,

               July 27, through Wednesday, July 30. Media schedule on Monday,

               July 28, is as follows:

               10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. -- Steve Rogers interviews, player

                                         interviews, classroom camera shots

               Interviews requested outside this timeframe will be scheduled

               on a case-by-case basis.





     More

     info:     To schedule a visit to campus, schedule faculty and players

               interviews, or learn more about the program, contact Nicole

               Mladic at [email protected], or by telephone at 312-861-

               5274 (office) or 773-425-1583 (mobile).



     MEDIA CONTACTS:



     Meg Washburn                            Nicole Mladic

     Kellogg School of Management            Manning Selvage & Lee

     Office:   847-491-5446                  Office:   312-861-5274

     Mobile:   773-848-4461                  Mobile:   773-425-1583

     [email protected]     [email protected]