P League, Charge partner for celebrity game with violence prevention mission

CLEVELAND — Sports and community go hand in hand, and on March 28, the Cleveland Charge and the P League, a community basketball organization, are partnering for something big for Cuyahoga County. The fourth annual All-Star Celebrity Basketball Event will be held inside Public Hall, bringing some of the who’s who of Cleveland together for a high-energy game and a good cause.

P League owner Nik Postoloski has put this event together for the past four years, and for the last two has been able to partner with the Charge to make it a two-for-one event.

“This is our 2nd annual celebrity game with the Cleveland Charge. They’re such a great, pristine organization, so to be able to do that with them, it’s amazing,” he said.

A ticket to the Cleveland Charge game against the Long Island Nets, which happens to also be the Nae’Qwan Tomlin bobblehead night, is also a ticket for the celebrity game that will follow directly after the Charge game.

“Two-for-one, you can come to the Charge game that starts at 7 p.m., get your bobblehead, enjoy a potential playoff matchup, and then right after the Charge game, the P League game is going to start with a whole bunch of names you already recognize as well,” said Charge president Rocco Maragas.

C. Swoope, creator of the YouTube series “THAT’S MAJOR,’ is serving as the announcer for the celebrity game. He, like many others involved in the event, is looking forward to the impact it will have on the area because some of the proceeds from ticket sales will be going to.

“A lot of the proceeds are going to violence prevention for Cuyahoga County, which we all know that’s important. So that’s the big goal and, and just giving back to the community in that way,” said Swoope.

There’s been a downward trend from 2023, but before the numbers began to fall, Myesha Watkins, the administrator of the Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention, said the county “had over 200-plus homicides, which that is 200 lives lost, 200-plus families impacted, communities shattered.”

Watkins will be participating in the event and is happy to have the collaboration with the P League and the Charge to help her office’s efforts while also providing some positive entertainment for the community.

“This game is an opportunity to say ‘We see you, we support you…’ through a game that we all love—basketball,” Watkins said.

Cuyahoga County Councilman Michael Houser, who is also participating in the game, is bringing more than just his best jump shot to the court. With support from the rest of the county, there will be a proclamation made during the event declaring March 28 “Mason Brothers Boxing Day” in recognition of the Mason Brothers and their impact on the sport of boxing and the Cleveland community.

Part of their efforts for violence prevention, Cuyahoga County is highlighting the work the Mason family has done to channel fighting into the ring and grow the sport of boxing, with Abdullah Mason serving as a prime example of hard work in the right way paying off after he recently became the youngest world champion in men’s boxing.

How Cleveland’s Abdullah Mason became the youngest world champ in men’s boxing

“A family of fighters right there from the Buckeye community. They’ve been doing great work, and I think seeing Abdullah, to be specific, he is such an inspiration because our young people can emulate them. Even if you want to fight, do it professionally, do it in a positive way,” Houser said.

The P League released the celebrity participants, with others possibly added as the game approaches. Here’s who is slated to be part of the fourth annual event: