May 8, 2023 – NBA Legends, a tour featuring four retired National Basketball Association (NBA) players, will be featured as part of this year’s Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) Heat Wave campaign. The tour will cover 7 shows, running from June 2 to June 14, and features Muggsy Bogues, Michael Cooper, Jerome Williams, and Mario Chalmers.
Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues was born on January 9, 1965, in Baltimore, MD. During his high school years, Dunbar High School won 59 consecutive games and was ranked the top high school team in the nation. He graduated from Wake Forest University, where the school later retired his jersey number. For seven years, he led the NBA in assist to turnover ratio and retired from the NBA as the 16th All Time record holder in history for assists. Nicknamed the “Human Assist,” and still the shortest player in NBA history at 5’3,” he gained attention with his unique ball handling skills and 44 inch vertical. Bogues took the Hornets and Raptors to their first NBA playoff appearances.
Michael Cooper is the only person in the world to win a championship as a player or coach in the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and NBA Developmental League (D-League). He won five NBA titles as a pivotal member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ “Showtime” teams of the 1980s. One of the league’s best defenders, Cooper was a five-time NBA All-Defensive Team player and the 1987 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Larry Bird once called Cooper the best defender he ever faced. Following his playing career, Cooper made a successful transition to coaching. He won back-to-back titles with the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, and then led the Albuquerque Thunderbirds to the NBA D-League championship.
Jerome Williams was first recognized for his basketball skills on the Magruder High School basketball team. He was then drafted in 1996 out of Georgetown University by the Detroit Pistons, playing with them for over four years and becoming one of their key reserves. It was during his time with the Pistons that Williams was nicknamed “Junk Yard Dog” (or “JYD”) by Rick Mahorn and Grant Long, for his “hard work” and “hustle.” During his nine seasons as an esteemed NBA player, Williams played in 587 games with an impressive average of 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Williams is part of the NBA’s “Basketball Without Borders” program, which aims to teach the game of basketball, as well as bring resources to underdeveloped areas in Africa, South America, and Asia, among other locations.
Born in Anchorage, AK, Mario Chalmers played college basketball at Kansas, where his number 15 jersey was retired. After being distinguished as a National Collegiate Athletics Association Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2008, Chalmers was selected to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft; after which, he was traded to the Miami Heat. In just his fourth-ever NBA game, he set a franchise record for number of steals, with nine. Chalmers was chosen for the NBA All-Rookie second team in 2009, and became a two-time NBA champion in 2012 and again in 2013. Chalmers established a youth travel team program, Team Rio National, in 2013. It is one of the top ranked teams in the nation and competes in the Amateur Athletic Union. He is also the founder of the Mario V. Chalmers Foundation, which supports athletic and educational programs for children, and helps fund programs for breast cancer research.
NBA Legends is presented by AFE. Since 1951, AFE has been providing the best performances for U.S. troops and their families stationed overseas, and they are committed to boosting the morale and well-being of service members through world-class live events and performances.
