PHOENIX SUNS’ BRANDON KNIGHT AND FORMER NBA PLAYER DEE BROWN HEADLINE GATORADE NBA TRAINING CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES

Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight and former NBA player DeCovan “Dee” Brown will tip off NBA FIT Week in the Philippines by training elite Filipino athletes and coaches at this year’s Gatorade NBA Training Center, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Gatorade announced today.  The 2016 Gatorade NBA Training Center will be held at the Gatorade Hoops Center at Mandaluyong City on July 19.

Returning for the third consecutive year, the Gatorade NBA Training Center will gather experts in basketball, fitness and conditioning, and nutrition to share best practices and learnings with elite local athletes and coaches.  NBA FIT Week, which begins July 19 in the Philippines, will highlight the importance of healthy, active lifestyles through three pillars: be active, eat healthy, and play together.  Additional NBA FIT Week activities include an interactive fan event featuring Globe Telecom’s sports ambassadors at the BGC Amphitheater on July 20, a full-day health and wellness event sponsored by the NBA Store, and an NBA Cares clinic for 13-year-old boys and girls from Special Olympics Philippines at TriNoma Activity Center on July 21. 

“Being a great player is the product of maintaining good workout, eating and sleeping habits,” said Knight.  “I’m looking forward to participating in NBA FIT Week and teaching talented young players in the Philippines the importance of fitness and nutrition both on and off the court.”

“I’m excited to visit the Philippines for the first time and experience the passion that Filipino fans have for basketball,” said Brown.  “Having had the opportunity to work in the NBA, WNBA, and NBA D-League, I look forward to sharing my coaching knowledge and providing valuable insights on fitness and conditioning to help athletes and coaches elevate their games to the next level.”

Brandon Knight

No. 11/3 – Phoenix Suns

Position: Point Guard

Height: 6’3” (1.9 m)

Weight: 189 lbs (85 kg)

Twitter: @Goodknight11

Facebook: Brandon Knight

Career Highlights

 Selected 8th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2011 NBA Draft

 Acquired by the Phoenix Suns along with Kendall Marshall in a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers

 Participated in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge during the 2012 and 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend

 Became the first NBA rookie since Steve Francis to record 20+ points, 10+ assists and no turnovers at Detroitagainst the Sacramento Kings (23 pts/10 asts)

 Named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2012Personal

 Born Brandon Emmanuel Knight on December 2, 1991 in Miami, Florida

 Son of Efrem and Tonya Knight

 Maintained a 4.3 grade-point average (GPA) at Pine Crest High School

 Selected as the 2009-10 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year and the 2008-09 Gatorade National BoysBasketball High School Player of the Year 

The Gatorade NBA Training Center on July 19 will feature both Knight and Brown running a basketball clinic for Filipino college basketball players and Brown sharing his coaching philosophies with professional and collegiate coaches in an exclusive coaches session.

Knight, a 6’3” guard from the University of Kentucky, was selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2011 NBA Draft.  Knight spent 2013-15 with the Milwaukee Bucks before joining the Phoenix Suns midway through the 2015 season and averaged 19.6 points, 5.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Suns last season.

Dee Brown

No. 7 – Boston Celtics/Toronto Raptors/Orlando Magic

Position: Point Guard and Shooting Guard

Height: 6’1” (1.85 m)

Weight: 160 lbs (73 kg)

Career Highlights

 Selected 19th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1990 NBA Draft

 Named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1991

 Won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during the 1991 All-Star Weekend

 Led the NBA with 135 three-pointers made in 1998-99 as a member of the Toronto Raptors

 Served as director of player development for the Orlando Magic in 2002

 Served as head coach in the WNBA for the Orlando Miracle (2002) and the San Antonio Silver Stars (2004)

 Served as head coach in the NBA D-League for the Springfield Armor from 2009-2011

 Served as assistant head coach and director of player development for the Detroit Pistons (2011-2013),Sacramento Kings (2013-2015), and Denver Nuggets (2015-2016)

 Currently a pro personnel scout for the L.A. Clippers Personal

 Born DeCovan Kadell Brown on November 29, 1968 in Jacksonville, Florida

 Son of DeCovan and Charlene Brown; married to Tammy Brown and father to four children (daughters Alexis,Alyssa, Alanni and son Anakin)

 Member of the Jacksonville University Hall of Fame

 Involved in charity organizations throughout Central Florida

 Won a one-year contract as a studio analyst for ESPN through the now-defunct reality show "Dream Job"

 Started a basketball training company called EDGE (Elite Development Growth Environment) Basketball, LLC

Brown played for the Boston Celtics (1990-98), Toronto Raptors (1998-00) and Orlando Magic (2000-02) during his 12-year NBA career and won the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star 1991.  Following his retirement as a player, Brown served as head coach of the WNBA’s Orlando Miracle (2002) and San Antonio Silver Stars (2004) prior to joining the NBA D-League’s Springfield Armor as head coach (2009-11).  Brown most recently served as an assistant coach for the Pistons (2011-13) and Sacramento Kings (2013-15).

Follow Gatorade on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gatoradeph to learn more about the Gatorade NBA Training Center Philippines.  For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and follow the league on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).

About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2015-16 season featured 100 international players from 37 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA.com and the NBA app, which achieved record traffic during the 2014-15 season, as well as NBA TV.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than one billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About Gatorade

Gatorade is a sports drink brand formulated to increase endurance, sustain energy and provide hydration.  Backed up by 40 years of science and research, it is a winning formula guaranteed to improve performance, break physical limits and make winners out of many athletes.  The Gatorade Company, Inc. is a manufacturer of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and distributed in over 80 countries.