Magic Johnson And Native American Group Form Hip-Hop B-Ball League

The Magic Johnson Foundation and his clothing line Magic 32 have teamed up with the Native American Youth to Elder Foundation (NAYEF) and local DJ’s to organize a Hip-Hop basketball league to uplift Native American communities. The Magic32 NAYEF All-stars is a basketball league made up of mostly Native Americans that use Hip-Hop and basketball […]

The Magic Johnson

Foundation and his clothing line Magic 32 have teamed up with the Native American

Youth to Elder Foundation (NAYEF) and local DJ’s to organize a Hip-Hop basketball

league to uplift Native American communities.

The Magic32 NAYEF All-stars

is a basketball league made up of mostly Native Americans that use Hip-Hop and

basketball to speak out against issues plaguing their community.

"I feel that Magic32

and NAYEF share the same qualities of teaching today’s youth the importance

of education, family and a healthy drug free lifestyle," Johnson told AllHipHop.com

"By using basketball as the means of communication it is a great effort

that I am excited to be a part of.”

The Magic 32 NAYEF All-stars

are currently holding tournaments at Indian Reservations and Tribal areas across

the country.

"Our mission is to

simply empower the kids that are native to this country through sports, music

and mentoring." said Nelson Hernandez, an NAYEF organizer. "We are

trying to get kids to realize that they are not invisible and that they deserve

a voice and NAYEF is that voice."

The Magic 32 NAYEF All-stars

hope to not only assists in building stronger Native American communities, but

all communities.

The group also hopes to

establish a stronger Native American presence in Hip-Hop.

"Our players and DJ’s

are role models in the community and have turned their lives around," Hernandez

continued. "This is what we want to show kids. Never give up regardless

of where you grew up. The projects, ghetto, reservations, it’s all the same.

Why not do things better, why not work harder, why not make things happen?"

The Magic 32 NAYEF All-stars

are in the process of starting the second leg of their national tournament with

their first stop at Dry Creek Rancheria Band in Pomo, California and ending

in Lawrence, Kansas.

"With these programs

we hope to create a bridge between the old ways and the new ways," Johnson

added. "We hope to inspire not only Native children but all ages of all

races to challenge themselves and make their dreams become reality. Our basketball

team and presentations are the mouthpiece and living message that kids see in

person."

The Magic Johnson Foundation

was created by Ervin "Magic" Johnson, former NBA Allstar and Vice

President of the Los Angeles Lakers.

For more information log

onto: www.magicjohnson.org.

NAYEF is a non

profit organization established in Utah by CEO and President Nelson Hernandez,

for any questions or info regarding tour dates, contact nayefceo@aol.com