In what is being billed as a celebration of Seattle basketball, Seattle University alums Aaron Broussard ’12 and Isiah Umipig ’15 are on opposing rosters for a special exhibition game Friday night serving as the kickoff of the 2015 season for the Seattle Basketball Pro-Am Summer League, which features NBA and other professional players who grew up in the Puget Sound area.
The Seattle Basketball Pro-Am game is scheduled to take place at KeyArena at Seattle Center Friday, July 10, at 10 p.m., after the conclusion of the WNBA contest between the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury. The collaboration between the Storm and the Seattle Basketball Pro-Am, the brainchild of NBA player Jamal Crawford, has been put together to give Seattle basketball fans a chance to prove that an NBA franchise can succeed in the market even after several years without a team since the Supersonics were moved to Oklahoma City.
Broussard will play for BrandBlack under head coaches and Seattle Supersonic legends Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Among Broussard’s teammates are Crawford and fellow NBA players Avery Bradley, Martell Webster, and Kelly Olynyk. It will be the first time Broussard has played in an organized game at KeyArena since March 10, 2012, when he scored 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field plus pulled down seven rebounds as the Redhawks defeated Portland State, 94-83.
This past season, Broussard played for Fos Ouest Provence Basket in the French ProB Basketball League, averaging 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, leading the league in steals. Broussard will play in the Seattle Basketball Pro-Am throughout the summer on Ball Don’t Stop alongside current Boston Celtic Isaiah Thomas.
Umipig will be one of Thomas’s teammates on Ball Is Life in Friday’s exhibition, led by Basketball Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens. Justin Holliday of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets player Spencer Hawes are also scheduled to play on the same team as Umipig, who returns to KeyArena four months after earning 16 points and five rebounds in Seattle U’s 53-43 victory over CSU Bakersfield on Senior Night Feb. 28, 2015.
In just two seasons, Umipig moved into second place on Seattle U’s all-time list for made three-pointers with 229 long distance baskets, including 123 during the 2014-15 campaign to set the school single-season record. A two-time All-WAC honoree, Umipig recently agreed to play for MBK Rieker Com Therm Komarno of the Slovakian Basketball League. He also plans to play in the Seattle Basketball Pro-Am this summer on SMCU Originals.
Several other former Seattle U players are listed on rosters to play in the Seattle Basketball Pro-Am, which will begin its regular schedule Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, at Royal Brougham Pavilion on the campus of Seattle Pacific University. Michael Knight ‘08 and Emerson Murray ’15 will play on Strideline, Shore Adenekan ’15 and D’Vonne Pickett Jr. ’14 will play on Direct Resources Group, Chris Gweth ’10 is on the roster of Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, and Brian Johnson ’02 is scheduled to play for Guard Up.
Tickets for Friday’s event are good for both games and are still available at StormBasketball.com or by calling 206-217-WNBA (9622). Admission to the Seattle Basketball Pro-Am games at Seattle Pacific is $5 per day with tickets available at the door each session. For more information on the summer league, visit www.seattlebasketballproam.com.