Trevor Ariza is no stranger to adversity. Like many athletes, there is a personal story of loss and growth through loss that created the opportunity for the Ariza Nation Celebrity basketball game. The Ariza Elevated Game Awards were created to honor students and student-athletes for the pain, struggle, and triumph they have overcome and achieved. It’s not simply about being the best player, it’s about the individual who overcame the most to get to where they are, never gave up the fight, and showed off the perseverance needed to succeed in life.
As the third award ceremony happened on July 9th, Ariza put together a star-studded Celebrity Basketball Game at Taft High in Los Angeles, and I was on-hand for BSO to get some of the action on the night. The red carpet was what you’d expect at a game like this, everyone from minor celebrities to future NFL Hall of Famers like Terrell Owens. Metta World Peace oversaw much of the event in Ariza’s absence. He was sick and could not attend, but sent in a video for the whole crowd to watch. If we’re being fair to Ariza here, he looked sicker than a dog. It might have not been the worst thing for him to stay home and rest. As for the basketball, it was exciting, enjoyable, and full of entertainment.
One of the first things you hope to accomplish during a game like this is entertainment and Ariza Elevated delivered on that front. The game featured folks like Metta World Peace, T.O., BdotAdot5, Jake Paul, Ray J, ScHoolboy Q, Dribble2Much, Donovan Carter, Spoken Reasons, and Robert Ri’chard. The game had performances by Eric Bellinger, DeStorm, and Cierra Ramirez. The event was MC’d by Ro Parrish and Karen Civil. It truly was interesting. You know what to do if you want to watch the interviews from this game and the highlights.
https://youtu.be/fj62JkaoHcM
https://youtu.be/7rRWih4E7g8