NBA Legend Norm Nixon Named Spokesman of Program That Aims To Raise Awareness of Hypertension and Diabetes Among African-American Men

April 24, 2008

(New York, N.Y.) In a continued effort to help others and help their own, the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), also known as the Legends of Basketball, has teamed up with the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program to help educate and empower African-American men to better understand the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes and how to prevent its development and complications. The partnership was announced today at Inglewood’s Finest Barbershop in Inglewood, Calif., where NBA Legend Norm Nixon was introduced as the program’s official spokesmen.

“This initiative is a natural fit for the Legends, as one of our platforms is addressing healthcare concerns among our Members and the public at large,” said Len Elmore, NBRPA President. “We look forward to working with the Black Barbershop Program in heightening the awareness of cardiovascular diseases among African-American men. We are confident that the collaboration between our groups will offer an innovative means to disseminate this vital message, as our Members will take part in barbershop visits throughout the country encouraging health screenings.”

During these Black Barbershop stops, volunteers, joined by Legends, will utilize the existing community-based infrastructure of black-owned barbershops to conduct free cardiovascular screenings to African-American men, as well as provide culturally appropriate educational materials about exercise and fitness, obesity, prostate cancer and HIV. Customers with abnormal findings are referred to physicians or healthcare facilities.

The California Legislative Black Caucus has designated the month of May as Black Barbershop Month in California. Upcoming stops include barbershops in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Baltimore and New York.

“Black-owned barbershops represent a cultural institution that regularly attracts large numbers of black men and provides an environment of trust and an avenue to disseminate health education information,” said Dr. Bill Releford, founder of the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation (DAP), which launched the Barbershop Program. “There is a growing concern of undetected cardiovascular disease in African-American men, and we look forward to working with the Legends of Basketball to help increase public awareness of these diseases and their complications by early detection, information dissemination, and referral to the appropriate medical resource.”

For more information, visit www.legendsofbasketball.com and www.blackbarbershop.org.

ABOUT THE NBRPA/LEGENDS OF BASKETBALL:
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is a non-profit organization comprised of former professional basketball players committed to developing and utilizing their community stature to support and participate in socially responsible global initiatives that focus on, but are not limited to, education, health and children’s causes. Beyond providing scholarship and financial aid to members in need, the NBRPA serves its membership through a variety of post-retirement objectives, including advocacy on pension issues, support in career transition and participation in community service. Founded in 1992 by Legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson, the Association works in direct partnership with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.