Forget Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, a sure bet to impress audiences at next month’s NBA All-Star weekend is Britney Spears. The pop star will be shooting out lyrics – not basketballs – when she performs during a television special organized by the National Basketball Association to promote literacy, according to Spears’ spokesperson.
Spears and other artists to be announced will perform at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on February 9 for the “The NBA All-Star Read to Achieve Celebration.”
NBC, TNT, Nickelodeon, BET, NBA.comTV and Canada’s MuchMusic will broadcast the special live simultaneously at 11 a.m. ET. (MTV’s parent company, Viacom, also owns Nickelodeon and BET.)
“NBA Inside Stuff” co-hosts Ahmad Rashad and Summer Sanders (news – external web site) will co-host the program.
The NBA and the NBA Players Association launched the Read to Achieve campaign last May. LL Cool J, Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, who are among the players and celebrities on the NBA All-Star Reading Team, have supported the organization and their reading events.
The NBA’s annual All-Star weekend includes the popular slam-dunk and three-point contests and culminates with the All-Star game on February 10.
Spears’ debut movie, “Crossroads,” opens February 15.