NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 10, 2009-- Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE), announced today that SRC Universal Motown recording artist Akon will headline the musical performance during halftime of the 2009 Jordan Brand Classic, presented by Foot Locker, at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 18. Previous year’s halftime shows have featured performances by T.I., Ludacris and Fat Joe.

Akon, one of the top hip-hop artists and producers in the music industry, broke out in 2004 with the release of his single "Locked Up" and his second album Konvicted earned him a GRAMMY Award nomination for the single "Smack That." He has had 23 Billboard Hot 100 songs and is the first solo artist to hold the top two spots in the Hot 100 two different times. He has also produced hits with artists Colby O’Donis, Lady Gaga and Leona Lewis.

“This year’s Jordan Brand Classic will feature the best talent in entertainment with Akon, a top artist in the music game, complementing the top players in the basketball game. An artist of Akon’s caliber brings with him an authentic sound and unique style, and turns an event into an experience taking the 2009 Jordan Brand Classic to a whole new level,” said Reggie Saunders, Director of Entertainment Marketing for Jordan Brand. “We expect an electrifying halftime performance at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.”

Performing the National Anthem at the 2009 Jordan Brand Classic will be new SRC Universal Motown recording artist Melanie Fiona, a singer/songwriter with a powerful sound blending the worlds of pop and soul. Her current single entitled “Give It To Me Right” from her soon to be released album The Bridge is climbing the R&B charts.

The Jordan Brand Classic will feature the nation’s top 24 high school senior basketball players, including the top-five ranked players in the ESPNU Top 100 – Xavier Henry (Oklahoma City, OK/Memphis), Derrick Favors (Atlanta, GA/Georgia Tech), John Henson (Tampa, FL/North Carolina), DeMarcus Cousins (Mobile, AL/Kentucky) and Renardo Sidney (Los Angeles, CA/USC). This year’s event tripleheader will begin with an International Game at 3:30 p.m. followed by the Regional Game at 5:30 p.m., and the All-American Game at 8:00 p.m., televised nationally live on ESPN2. A portion of the proceeds benefit the New York City-based charity, The Children’s Aid Society.

Sponsored by Jordan Brand, the event is also annually attended by some of sport and entertainment’s biggest stars, who have in the past included Michael Jordan, Spike Lee, LL Cool J, Warren Sapp, Terrell Owens, Floyd Mayweather, Kanye West and Vince Carter.

Jordan Brand Classic alumni include NBA stars Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant as well as current NCAA standouts Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina) and Samardo Samuels (Louisville).

Tickets are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, the Madison Square Garden box office, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 212-307-7171. For more information, please visit the official web site, www.JordanBrandClassic.com

Source: Jordan Brand

Jordan Brand
Terri Hines, 503-532-5862
terri.hines@nike.com
or
Position Sports
Kevin Foley, 480-248-6645
kevin.foley@positionsports.com
or
MSG Properties
Larry Torres, 212-631-5178
larry.torres@thegarden.com