A news conference at the JMA Wireless Dome Tuesday had the feel of a family reunion. There was plenty of ribbing between participants about growing older and their skills fading, but make no mistake, their competitive nature still exists. After all, these are athletes who played at a very high level.
“We’re all competitive,” said John Wallace ’96, a former member of the Syracuse men’s basketball team. “That’s why we came to Syracuse.”
Wallace is part of a large group of returning Syracuse University athletes participating in the CBT Celebrity Classic basketball game on Sept. 12. The game is part of Coming Back Together (CBT) 2024. Every three years, Black and Latino alumni come back to campus to celebrate their accomplishments, meet current students and remain connected with the University.
On Tuesday, organizers revealed the list of returning athletes who plan to be on hand for the game. Among them is Vera “Sweet V” Jones ’88, a Syracuse Hall of Fame basketball player. Jones joined the news conference from Florida, pausing briefly to mention she was still getting alerts in the wake of Hurricane Debby passing nearby.
“Speaking of which, I plan to be a hurricane on the mic and am very excited to be coming back,” said Jones, who will serve as game announcer. “This game is for those who can walk the walk. I can talk the talk and that’s what I plan to do.”
Rachel Vassel ’91, associate vice president from the Office of Multicultural Advancement, mentioned that while players enjoy coming back to play against one another, there is a real excitement for being back in front of the fans.
“Fans in Syracuse have rallied behind our teams, and we consistently hear from those who have played in previous CBT Celebrity Classics about their fond memories of playing before the home crowd,” Vassel said.
“When we think about community and bringing people together, Syracuse University athletics has a very strong attraction, and at the heart of it are the men and women who left it on the court and the field,” said Melanie Littlejohn, president and CEO of CNY Community Foundation and a sponsor of CBT. “The excitement that Syracuse athletics has brought to this community is something the Community Foundation wanted to get behind because we recognize that together we are absolutely stronger.”
And of course, about family.
“It’s all that brotherhood and sisterhood from being at Syracuse,” said John Wallace, “and bleeding Orange.”
Tickets for the game are available at Cuse.com/Dome or 888-DomeTix (366.3849).
The net portion of the proceeds from the CBT Celebrity Classic Basketball Game will support the Women’s Basketball Head Coach’s Fund.
Partial roster of participants:
