January 22, 2021
Chris Paul Teams Up With TLS Sports to Host The HBCU CON at CP3 Basketball Academy in North Carolina
TLS Sports has announced a partnership with Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul and his CP3 Basketball Academy. The two entities will be hosting The HBCU CON, which is scheduled to take place this summer in North Carolina.
The HBCU CON is a weeklong basketball and academic experience for elite players from historically Black colleges and universities. It will be offering instruction with skill development from former and current NBA professionals and training for male and female HBCU student-athletes who are looking to play basketball professionally.
“HBCU CON was created because we weren’t seeing adequate representation of HBCU athletes being drafted to the professional ranks nor HBCU graduates involved on the business side of sports whether a corporate or production position,” says Chuck Stinson, Morehouse graduate and managing director of TLS Sports, in a written statement to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We see the issue as a lack of exposure, training, and knowledge.”
HBCU CON will take place June 12-19, 2021, at the Chris Paul Basketball Academy in Winston-Salem. The event, which is slated to take place over a week, will encompass a two-day tournament with a televised championship game played on Juneteenth. You can expect to see seminars, a college fair, vendors and an E-Sports lounge. An internship initiative will be available to support students who are enrolled in an HBCU. The students will obtain real-life training and industry connections in the pursuit of a business career in sports.
TLS Co-Founder & CEO Cicero Leak added: “TLS is excited about the launch of HBCU CON. We look forward to helping level the playing field for those who attend historically Black colleges or universities that aspire to make it to the next level but are overlooked.”
“The Chris Paul Basketball Academy is excited about the opportunity to host the first-ever HBCU
CON. Our organization understands the history that these illustrious universities carry, and we want to continue to bring attention to them on a national scale. This event will allow athletes who are not always in the national spotlight to gain valuable exposure that will hopefully propel them to the next level professionally,” says Julian Flack, General Manager of the Chris Paul Basketball Academy.