PITTSBURGH, PA -- "Chuck Cooper: Hall of Famer and Barrier Breaker" will debut on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh on Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- Monday, January 18 -- at 5:00 p.m. The 60-minute program celebrates the life and Hall of Fame career of basketball pioneer and Duquesne alumnus Chuck Cooper, the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team, as well as the 10
th anniversary of the Chuck Cooper Foundation.
The show, which is being presented by UPMC, was produced by the Chuck Cooper Foundation and Baker Public Relations in cooperation with AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh. "Chuck Cooper: Hall of Famer and Barrier Breaker," hosted by Rob King, will air nine times this month and six more times in February.
The January schedule is as follows: Monday, January 18 at 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m.; Thursday, January 21 at 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, January 23 at 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, January 24 at noon; Tuesday, January 26 at noon; Thursday, January 28 at 4:00 p.m.; Friday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, January 31 at 3:00 p.m. Dates and times for February airings have not yet been determined.
"This program is a great avenue for sharing the incredible story of Chuck Cooper," said Chuck Cooper III, President & CEO of the Chuck Cooper Foundation. "It's an honor to have the show debut on Martin Luther King Jr. Day since my father was a barrier breaker and trailblazer on and off the court. I'm grateful to UPMC and AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh for their roles in helping to bring the show to sports fans of the region."
"Chuck Cooper: Hall of Famer and Barrier Breaker" features rare video and photographs, and tributes from Celtics legends Bob Cousy and Bill Russell, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Duquesne basketball coach
Keith Dambrot, Pitt basketball coach Jeff Capel, and many others. It also includes the presentation of the Chuck Cooper Foundation Leadership Award to Koppers President & CEO Leroy Ball, Eckert Seamans CEO Tim Hudak accepting the Chuck Cooper Foundation Trailblazer Award on behalf of the firm, and scholarships being awarded to four graduate-level students from local colleges. In addition, PNC is recognized as the presenter of the Chuck Cooper Foundation Leadership Program.
ADDITIONAL AIR DATES:
(all on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh)
- Wed., Jan. 20 - 2:00 pm
- Thurs., Jan. 21 - 9:00 pm
- Sat., Jan. 23 - 4:00 pm
- Sun., Jan. 24 - Noon
- Tues., Jan. 26 - Noon
- Thurs., Jan. 28 - 4:00 pm
- Fri., Jan. 29 - 8:00 pm
- Sun. Jan. 31 - 3:00 pm
Dates and times for February airings to be determined
About Chuck Cooper: Chuck Cooper was the Duquesne University All-American who became the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team when he was selected 13th overall by the Boston Celtics in 1950. As a pioneer in his sport, the Pittsburgh native and Westinghouse High School product was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September of 2019. Duquesne's basketball facility, the former A.J. Palumbo Center, has undergone a $45 million renovation and will reopen as the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse this year in honor of Chuck's trailblazing life and career.
About the Chuck Cooper Foundation: The Chuck Cooper Foundation was established in 2011 to continue the legacy of Chuck Cooper by awarding graduate-level scholarships and providing leadership development training, networking, mentoring and community outreach programs to underserved students of all ages. The foundation and its sponsors and university partners have awarded more than $280,000 in scholarships to students at Pittsburgh-area universities since 2013.
