April 2024 NBRPA Member Spotlights

NBRPA membership is comprised of a diverse group of former professional basketball players of the NBA, ABA, WNBA, and Harlem Globetrotters.

Each month, we'll spotlight NBRPA members from each league to recognize their career on the court as well as the impact they are now having in their communities.

Known as one of the NBA’s most intimidating enforcers, and one of its most compassionate teammates, Kendrick Perkins had a tremendous 14-year basketball career. Perkins was drafted to the NBA straight out of high school. He played for numerous organizations throughout his career and captured his first NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. In 2011, he went to play for OKC where he led the thunder to a finals appearance the following year.

Following his retirement, Perkins became an on-air sports commentator and analyst for ESPN and NBC Sports Boston. Perkins is using his big personality and strong player relationships to deliver unique basketball insights on numerous shows including NBA Today, Get Up, First Take, and Sportscenter.

George Adams was born in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. He played college basketball for the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs where he is currently the leading scorer and rebounder in program history.

Adams played alongside Artis Gilmore during the 1968-69 season. Bulldogs head coach Eddie Holbrook commented on the two calling them “two of the hardest-working players [he] ever coached”.

Adams was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the third round of the 1972 NBA Draft. He spent his playing career with the San Diego Conquistadors of the American Basketball Association (ABA) where he was coached by Wilt Chamberlain and K.C. Jones.

He was inducted into the Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991 and inducted into the Cleveland County fellowship of Christian-Athletes Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Carolyn Moos was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota where, at an early age in her life, she would fall in love with the game of basketball. Through hard work and determination, Carolyn would become one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. She would garnish up a Blue Star Index ranking as the number 1 post player in the country out of high school. Moos would also be voted as the consensus Minnesota basketball player of the year unanimously by the Associated Press, USA Today, Gatorade, and the State of Minnesota.

Carolyn would choose to play for Stanford University, where she would become a two-time All-Pac 10 player before being drafted by the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. Carolyn would go on to play professional basketball all around the world and become acknowledged by FIBA to participate in a highly decorated All-Star game in France.

After her professional basketball career, she would become a certified personal trainer. She would create Fitforlivinglife.com where she provides yoga workouts and nutrition content. She is also Director of Fitness and Wellness at Belle Haven Country Club. As an entrepreneur, speaker, and coach, Carolyn Moos continues to inspire others through her diverse experiences and unwavering commitment to personal growth and social impact.

Hubert Ausbie attended Douglas High School where he played basketball and baseball. During a tournament his senior year, he averaged 40 points per game scoring 70,54, and 62 in three consecutive games. Ausbie went to Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas where he earned All-Conference and All-American honors. He was one of the leading college scorers in the NCAA’s College Division (later being called Division II) averaging 30 points per game.

Ausbie was offered contracts from MLB and NBA however he chose to join the Harlem Globetrotters after his wife sent letters describing his play to the team’s founder and him attending an open workout in 1961. Ausbie become the “Crown Prince of Basketball” for his dazzling play and irrepressible pranks on the court.

Ausbie retired in 1985 and pursued other interests such as involvement in Drug-Free Youth Program and Traveling Museum showcase. He served on the advisory committee for the National Youth Sports Program. In 1994, he received a Globetrotters Legends ring, a recognition given to only a few elite former players. The next year, he became head coach and manager of operations for the Globetrotters. His jersey number 35 was retired by the Globetrotters in 2017.

NBRPA membership is comprised of a diverse group of former professional basketball players of the NBA, ABA, WNBA, and Harlem Globetrotters.

Each month, we'll spotlight NBRPA members from each league to recognize their career on the court as well as the impact they are now having in their communities.

From an electrifying college playing career after playing for legendary head coach Dean Smith and earning Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, All-America first team and All- ACC honors at North Carolina, Jerry Stackhouse was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the third overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. He was named to the 1995-96 NBA All-Rookie first team after leading all first-year players in scoring (19.8 points).

Stackhouse played 18 seasons in the NBA for 8 teams. He was selected to play in 2 All-Star games.

Stackhouse received his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina in the fall of 1999, and completed the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports at the Harvard Business School executive education program in 2017.

He was the head coach of Raptors 905 and an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. Additionally, he has worked as an NBA TV analyst. On April 5, 2019, Stackhouse was named as the Vanderbilt men’s basketball program, making him the program’s 28th head coach. The 2023-24 season is the fifth for Jerry Stackhouse leading the resurgence of the Vanderbilt men’s basketball program.

Stackhouse has guided the Commodores to back-to-back winning seasons and NIT quarterfinals berths in 2022 and 2023, sent four student-athletes to the NBA and coached two SEC Scholar Athletes of the Year in his first four seasons in Nashville.

For the 2022-23 season, he earned SEC Co-Coach of the Year, Tennessee Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year and Ben Jobe National Minority Coach of the Year honors. The team’s 22 wins in 2022-23 were the most since a 25-win season in 2011-12. Vandy also finished tied for fourth in the SEC regular season standings, the best finish for the Dores since 2011-12.

Greg Oden was born in Buffalo, NY and moved with his family to Terre Haute, IN at the age of nine. He attended Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, where he first played interscholastic basketball. Oden then relocated with his mother and brother and attended Lawrence North High school in Indianapolis, which he led to three consecutive Indiana Class 4A basketball championships before graduating in 2006.

He was named Parade’s High School Co-Player of the Year 2005 and 2005 National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. He repeated as Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2006. Oden was named the 2006 Indiana Mr. Basketball. He was also on the McDonald’s All-American Team and played in the All-American game, and earned first- team Parade All-American honors for the second straight year.

Oden, a 7'0" center, played college basketball at Ohio State University for one season, during which the team was the Big Ten Conference regular season champion and Big Ten Conference men’s basketball tournament champion with Oden as the tournament MOP.

On June 28, 2007, Greg Oden was selected first overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He signed with the Miami Heat in August 2013 and played with the team through the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

On April 12, 2016, Oden was hired by the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team to be the student manager for the team while he went back to finish his degree at the college. In 2019, Oden graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor's degree in sport industry.

On November 21, 2019, Edyoucore Sports & Entertainment announced that Oden had joined their team as an athlete advisor.

In April 2022, Oden joined Thad Matta’s staff at Butler University as director of basketball operations.

Oden married his wife Sabrina in 2017. They have one child, a daughter named Londyn, born in 2016.

Warren Lee Davis was born in Halifax, Virginia. After graduating from Mary M Bethune High School, he got a job but kept playing ball on the side. He was later recruited by Cal Irvin to play at North Carolina A&T on a perennial 20-win team.

In his first season on the Aggies varsity, Warren pulled down 381 rebounds to set a new school record. It still ranks third on the school’s all-time single season list. A&T captured the CIAA championship that season. The Aggies won the championship again in 1967.

In 1967, Warren began his pro career with the Anaheim Amigos of the newly formed American Basketball Association. In 1968–69, Warren played for the Los Angeles Stars under NBA legend Bill Sharman. He led the team in rebounding and played both forward and center for the Stars. Warren was selected to represent the West in the ABA All-Star Game.

The following season, the Stars acquired power forward Willie Wise, making Warren expandable. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pipers at midseason. He averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds a game playing for another pro hoops legend, Buddy Jeannette.

Warren then joined the Miami Floridians, his fourth team in as many seasons in 1970–71. At the conclusion of the season, he wrote a letter to the Carolina Cougars asking for a tryout –– Coach Tom Meschery gave him a shot and Warren made the club. Halfway through the season, he was traded to the Memphis Pros for Wendell Ladner.

Warren played his final year in the ABA with Memphis in 1972–73 and was out of basketball at the age of 30, but his name can still be found in the ABA record books. He is ranked among the Top 20 in career offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and rebounds per game. His name can also be found in the North Carolina A&T record books—and the A&T Hall of Fame. Warren was inducted in 2003, at the age of 60.

Stephen Chubin was born in New York City and played college basketball at the University of Rhode Island, where he became the school's all- time leading scorer.

He was inducted into the University of Rhode Island Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981.

He won a gold medal with Team USA in basketball at the 1965 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

While in his dorm room, Chubin got the call that he was drafted to the NBA’s San Francisco Warriors. At the same time, Chubin was offered Bill Bradley’s spot on Italy’s basketball team, the second-best squad in the world behind America. He immediately accepted, not confident that he would make the NBA that year.

The opening of the ABA drastically increased the amount of playing positions. Chubin returned to the United States and played his first two years in the ABA in Los Angeles, later playing in Indiana followed by two years on the New York Nets.

After retiring from the ABA, Chubin played basketball in Israel before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was there where he learned about his friend Warren Jabali’s Midnight Basketball program in Miami, which taught the game to inner-city youths. With the help of a government grant, Chubin opened a similar program in Fort Lauderdale in the ’90s called Broward County Under the Stars.

Chubin now lives in Denver, and though he is no longer involved in an organized program, he enjoys helping neighborhood children develop fundamental basketball skills, finding that he still has what it takes to offer helpful tips to young players.

Andrea Garner was raised in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, where she fell in love with the game and developed into a nationally known player for J.R. Masterman High School.

Throughout high school, Andrea earned numerous awards for her athletic and academic excellence, becoming the first and only student- athlete from Masterman High School to earn a full four-year athletic scholarship to a Division I University. Andrea accepted an athletic scholarship to play basketball at The Pennsylvania State University, where she was a four-year starter for the women’s team. She would go on to earn many accolades during her collegiate career at Penn State before graduating with a B.S. degree in Business Marketing.

Upon graduation, Andrea was drafted to the Houston Comets and also played for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. She played professionally in the US and abroad before ending her basketball career in 2005.

Andrea has been able to do what most people dream in combining her passion for sports into a successful and fulfilling career in education. Throughout Andrea's personal life and professional career, she has strived to be a tangible example of what true leadership looks like in her community and in her home. She has mentored hundreds of students and is the mother of two amazing children.

Andrea is a mother, a mentor, a leader, the Executive Director for Inspiring Minds Greater Philadelphia, an employee for Nike at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, and a proud serving member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association.

Chantelle Anderson is a former professional athlete and award-winning sales representative turned speaker, author, and minister. Chantelle attended Vanderbilt University on a basketball scholarship and majored in Human and Organizational Development. Four years later, she graduated as the school’s all-time scoring leader and its first 2-time Kodak All-American.

Chantelle Anderson was selected as the 2nd overall pick in the WNBA draft and played for six years in Sacramento, San Antonio and Atlanta, as well as professionally in Europe. She has been inducted into both the Vanderbilt Athletics and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

After 4 years in Corporate America, she started Anderson Consulting, a coaching and consulting firm focusing on proven performance strategies. Chantelle has taught her curriculum at companies such as Google, UnitedHealth Group, and Charles Schwab, and been featured on platforms and media outlets such as TEDx, CBS, and ESPNW.

In 2018, Chantelle chose to pursue ministry in addition to corporate speaking. She got her bachelors degree in ministry for women and was ordained as a pastor for women. She started her online brand, Confidently His, which is a platform to help women build their confidence, identity, and creativity with God. In 2020 she published her first book of devotionals entitled, "God, What The Heck?! 100 Devotionals for When Life Sucks," and has spoken at ministries from California to London on spiritual confidence.

Chantelle now lives in Los Angeles, California where she also serves as a proud member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association. In her free time, you can find Chantelle at an open mic night, eating Mexican food, or hosting a movie night with friends.

Greg Bell was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Through learning the fundamentals of the game and playing at various Cleveland Recreation Centers he became one of the top Jr. High School players in the Greater Cleveland Area.

In 1983 he became 1^st Team All-Ohio, All State, AAA Northeast Ohio player of The Year, 1^st Player from Shaw High School to play in the North/South Classic All-Star Game, and Nate Thurmond Recipient Award Winner.

Greg Bell attended Southeast Community College in Burlington, Iowa from 1983-1985 where he was 1^st Team All-Region and SCC Top 50 players.

Greg Bell transferred to Southwest Missouri State University from 1985-1987 where he continued to have a stellar career: 1986 AMCU All-Newcomer Team, SMS Coors Player of the Week five times in 1986, SMS Coor Player of the Week five times in 1987, SW Missouri State’s First ever NCAA Appearance 1987, and 2005 SW Missouri State Hall of Fame Recipient.

Bell joined the World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters and played from 1990-1992 with both National and International units as The Court Jester, and Showman.

Greg founded BELL SPORTS FOUNDATION in 2011. BSF mission is to “Inspire Youth through Sports” and build and enrich communities and lives of individuals by providing a safe, welcoming and rewarding environment for all participants, at all levels of wellness and recreation.

The Board of Governors of the American Basketball Hall of Fame Foundation announced this month that Cleveland’s own Greg Bell has been selected to the American Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.

Greg currently is the founder and owner of Fundamental Basketball Skills with G. Bell LLC. Greg Bell is married and has two daughters, and 3 grandchildren.

Lionel Garrett is like a "rolling stone," wherever he lays his hat is his home. He first laid his "basketball" hat at HBCU Southern University where he dominated the SWAC Conference from 75-79. He was named to the All-SWAC team 3 years leading the SWAC in Rebounding his senior season (15.8). He still holds several NCAA D1 records, including a single-game 30 point, 30 rebound effort, during the '79 season, when he finished tops in rebounding nationally. Garrett was a natural forward. He was the Leading rebounder for the Southern University Championship Team earning All SWAC and All American honors. In 2007 inducted into the Southern University Athletic Hall of Fame.

After signing with the San Diego Clippers when picked in the '79 NBA Draft, Garrett hung his brim with the with the Hall of Fame team the Harlem Globetrotters as their designated rebounder. Garrett then had a stint with CAI Zaragoza in Spain and then the Ohio Mixers and Wyoming Wildcatters of the CBA.

With over 30 years of basketball coaching and scouting experience in the NBA, NAIA, NCAA, CBA, WBA, ABA, and FIBA having coached in 3 countries Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Cyprus also 3 HBCU Colleges Miles, Talladega and Wilberforce. Also coaching Professionally for 12 years leading Pro Camps and player development helping many players achieve playing Professionally dreams.

Garrett is founder of Rebound DR Player Development, Don’t Foul Out Youth Awareness/ Playground League and Stay on The Ball Stay off Drugs youth programs.

Lionel is a natural born Goodwill Ambassador and proud Globetrotter for Life.

NBRPA membership is comprised of a diverse group of former professional basketball players of the NBA, ABA, WNBA, and Harlem Globetrotters.

Each month, we'll spotlight one NBRPA member from each league to recognize their career on the court as well as the impact they are now having in their communities.

Rodney Ray Rogers is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the NBA.

Rogers was the fourth and youngest child born to Willie Wardsworth and Estella Rogers. Rogers attended Hillside High School in Durham. As an athlete, he was known as "the Durham Bull." He was a two-time Greensboro News & Record All-State selection, and was named the 1990 North Carolina state Player of the Year. As a junior, he averaged 22.5 points and 9.7 rebounds, and in his senior year he averaged 28.3 points and 12.3 rebounds on a team that finished 27-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the state 4-A playoffs. He was named McDonald's All-American and scored 17 points in the game.

From 1990 until 1993, Rogers played college basketball at Wake Forest University, where he won the 1990–1991 season Rookie of the Year honor and was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1993, averaging 21.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. His final college statistics were 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds. Rogers's college jersey #54 was retired in February 1996 by the Demon Deacons.

Rogers was drafted with the 9th pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1993 NBA draft and spent his rookie year coming off the bench for a team which was the first 8th-seeded team in NBA playoffs history to beat a first-seeded team, the Seattle SuperSonics. Rogers had one significant game in his rookie year, against the Utah Jazz on February 8, 1994. Near the end of the game, Rogers hit three 3-pointers in a span of nine seconds to bring the Nuggets from a 94–86 deficit to a 95–94 lead. However, Jeff Malone hit a jumper with 12 seconds remaining to give the Jazz the 96–95 win.

Right after being drafted by the Denver Nuggets, in the summer of 1993, Rogers married Tisa White. They had three children together, two girls (Roddreka and Rydeiah) and one son (Rodney Rogers II).

After Rogers was traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1999, the family made Paradise Valley, Arizona their home until 2006. Tisa returned to Durham to take over her father's family real estate business, in which Rogers was an investor. He returned to Durham in 2006 and went to work for the City of Durham as a heavy equipment operator. Rogers was promoted to supervisor in the spring of 2008. Most of his Public Works Department co-workers did not know he had been in the NBA until his dirt bike accident later that year.

Rogers is the cousin of former New England Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain.

Rogers was a volunteer girls' basketball coach at Rogers-Herr Middle School, and he co-founded the Durham Eagles youth football team. He enjoyed hunting, riding motorcycles and ATVs, horseback riding and fishing. He is a NASCAR fan and loves big trucks and construction equipment.

On November 28, 2008, Rogers was involved in a dirt bike crash in rural Vance County north of Raleigh. Rogers hit a ditch while riding through a trail and flipped over his vehicle's handlebars. He was first flown to Duke University Medical Center, then on December 3 was moved by air ambulance to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which specializes in rehabilitating people with spinal cord and/or brain injuries. Rogers is paralyzed from the shoulders down as a result of the accident, and doctors have given him only a 5% chance of ever walking again.

On July 29, the Pittsburgh Pipers of the ABA announced the signing of their 11^th player, or more correctly they made their 11^th announcement of a player signing. Apparently, Kelly had been signed for several weeks, but legendary Pittsburgh Press sportswriter Roy McHugh let the cat out of the bag in a column the day before. He wrote that the 6-2 guard, a recent graduate of Lincoln University of Missouri, had been in town for weeks, and had already been competing in the Stanton Heights summer basketball league in Pittsburgh. He had been drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 8^th round, 85^th overall, of the NBA Draft, but chose the Pipers because, “he felt his chances were better in a new league.” He found out how rough street ball can be, especially when the opponents find out “you’re college or pro.” Arvesta said he felt like a “clay pigeon,” the standard treatment a target like that would receive in any street ball league in the country. Arvesta is still to this day, one of only two players from Lincoln to play in the NBA or the ABA.

Arvesta Kelly was drafted on May 2^nd in the 8^th round of the 1967 NBA Draft by the nearby St. Louis Hawks. Arvesta bypassed St. Louis and signed with the Pipers about a month after finishing his college track season which lasted until the end of May.

Arvesta held onto the No. 4 guard slot for the Pipers in 16 regular season games, played 9.1 MPG, and finished 3.9/2.1/0.8 and made three 3-pointers. His season high for points in a regular season game was 15 in a 135-118 win over Anaheim. He played in eight of the 15 playoff games which included two games in the Finals. He played 3.4 MPG and averaged 2.0 PPG. He scored seven points in the final game of the first round series win over the Indiana Pacers. 

Arvesta currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa and is involved in serving at the Community Life Church. He also serves with a local youth organization teaching basketball fundamentals and mentoring youth.

Rushia Brown was born in the Bronx, NY and raised in South Carolina. As a sophomore, she first picked up a ball and joined the Summerville High School Junior Varsity basketball team. Athletic, yet untrained, Rushia began a journey that would forever change her life. 

Through hard work and dedication, she was one of the top student-athlete recruits in the state of South Carolina as a senior; being courted by esteemed universities such as Harvard, Duke University and her then dream school, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.  However, after the loss of her father, Rushia chose to stay close to home and attend Furman University.  

As a Lady Paladin, Rushia pursued her education and competed on the court, attaining every accolade available including Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, multiple MVPs, Southern Conference Player of the Year, Edna Hartness Athlete of the Year and eventually having her jersey hang from the rafters as #34 was retired, never to be worn again. Rushia’s collegiate years lead to a 10 year professional career overseas, which spanned 5 countries; Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Korea and 7 years in the WNBA; 6 years in Cleveland and 1 year in Charlotte. 

When transitioning from the world of professional sports, Rushia decided that she would only pursue the passions that fed her spirit. She earned her Executive MBA from George Washington University to support her efforts. 

Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to be a part of starting several companies, including the Women’s Professional Basketball Alumnae, the only organization to assist women who have played professionally in the WNBA or Internationally as they transition into mainstream society; ServCom, a nonprofit organization that strives to improve its communities by providing educational and enrichment activities for its citizens; Hearts & Hands Catering, a family business offering health food alternatives; and Young Black Entrepreneur Magazine, a quarterly publication that serves as an educational platform encouraging minorities to start their own businesses.

Brown has made her mark in various sectors of business and continues to travel the world inspiring others to use their gifts and talents to pursue their dreams. Rushia spent 5 years as a WNBA executive. Her 1st experience was working in the NBA/WNBA front office in New York as a member of the Crossover Program. 

In 2018 Brown helped relocate the San Antonio Silver Stars to Las Vegas, where she served  as the Player Programs & Franchise Development Manager for the Las Vegas Aces for 2 years. Brown then served as the Director of Community Relations and Youth Sports for the Los Angeles Sparks for 2 years. She also serves as a catalyst for change for those looking to take their lives and professions to the next level.

Rushia has recently been appointed to position on the advisory board for the WBL, where she's doing groundbreaking work to help revamp the Cleaveland Rockers organization, a team that she played on for 6 WNBA seasons.

Amongst her many accomplishments, what she is currently doing as the latest team member for Edyoucore, may be her most impactful as she travels the country promoting financial literacy amongst high school, college, and professional athletes.

Rushia is the proud mother of one daughter, Morgan MacKenzie Brown, and a proud member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association. 

Respected tremendously amongst her peers within the NBRPA for past contributions to the Association, decades long dedication to women in, during, and after sports; in 2023 Rushia was voted onto the NBRPA's Board of Directors, where she now serves and represents membership with passion, and compassion at heart.

Dave Naves was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. He had always been enthusiastic about basketball, science, and technology. Making a living doing any of these would be a dream come true. That being his vision, he attended Lindblom Technical HS (a STEM school). His parents as well as teachers and coaches at Lindblom Tech were phenomenal and provided him with the guidance that would shape his future education and business endeavors. As a prep, Naves lettered twice on the hardwood for head coach Edward Bjankini at Chicago Lindblom. He led the team in scoring, plus made Chicago Public League All-Central Blue Division and Honorable Mention All-State in 1966-67. Mr. Naves was heavily recruited by some of the top colleges and universities in the country including the University of Iowa (Big 10), Vanderbilt University (SEC) and the University of Kansas (Big 8) and chose to stay close to home and play basketball at Division 1 Northern Illinois University.

A three-year Northern Illinois letter-winner (1967-71) for NIU Hall of Fame coach, Tom Jorgensen, Naves produced 577 points and 324 rebounds in 52 career appearances. Naves went 6-foot-6 and 183 pounds with a deft perimeter shooting touch for a big man. As a sophomore, he averaged 16.3 points per game and 9.7 rebounds.

In 1971, Naves had free agent tryouts with the American Basketball Association Indiana Pacers. The camp included George McGinnis, Darnel Hillman, and Randy Smith. Naves was also invited to try out for the Harlem Globetrotters. Of the 47 hopefuls, Naves was one of five that made the team. During the 1971-72 season Mr. Naves played for both the National and International Units. His National Unit teammates included Harlem Globetrotter legends Meadowlark Lemmon, Curly Neal, Bobby Joe Mason, Pablo Robertson, and Bobby Hunter. The International Unit teammates included Geese Ausby, Mel Davis, and Bobby “Showboat” Hall. The International Unit performed in Canada, Australia/Tasmania, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, and New Caledonia. Following the 1971-1972 tour, Mr. Naves was invited to the Dallas Chaparrals tryouts. After being cut, Mr. Naves opted not to return to Globetrotters and began a 47-year career in engineering.

Throughout his 47-year career, Mr. Naves has held engineering, management, or executive positions with Ford Motor Company/Body Engineering, CSX Rail, Jackson and Tull, Swales Aerospace, and SGT, Inc. Mr. Naves holds 4 patents for railcar designs. He was also the CEO and founder of EG&L Systems, Inc.

 Mr. Naves is currently the Manager-Mission Systems Engineering, for Alutiiq/Alcyon Technical Services (ATS). ATS has a $200M contract to provide systems engineering (mission, spacecraft, science instrument, ground systems, and project management) services to support the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. The GSFC focuses on space science that includes heliophysics, planetary science, earth science, and astrophysics programs and projects. In his 37 years providing engineering services at the GSFC, he has supported the Hubble Space Telescope mission; Landsat satellite missions in conjunction with the US Geological Survey; NOAA GOES weather satellite missions to predict changes in the earth’s climate, oceans, and coast as well as the affects of the Sun’s release of charged particles, Space Weather, has on the earth; the GSFC Tracking and Data Relay Satellite constellation’s  spacecraft and ground communication system engineering; and most recently, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/GSFC Mars Sample Return (MSR) Mission-Capture, Containment, and Return System (CCRS) which is a mission to bring soil samples from Mars back to earth.

Mr. Naves has been an active member of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) since 2011. He takes very seriously the mission of the NBRPA which is to assist former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters, and WNBA players in their transition from the playing court into life after the game. Mr. Naves served on the NBRPA Board of Directors for 6 years (2016-2021) representing the Harlem Globetrotters. According to Mr. Naves, “It was an honor and privilege to have served on the Board. I had the opportunity to work with other NBA, ABA, and WNBA Board members to make this organization the best it could be and be responsive to the needs of our members.” During his time on the Board, there was significant membership growth, expansion of programs to help members transition from playing to life after basketball, better transparency between the executive team and the members, increases in revenue, and better coordination with NBRPA Chapter’s. For two straight years, Mr. Naves received an invite from the Harlem Globetrotter Executive Management team to speak to players, during training camp, about planning for life after basketball.

Enthusiastic about giving back to the community, Mr. Naves has coached and given youth basketball clinics and is actively involved with his church. Mr. Naves has a fervent desire to encourage our youth to be the best they can be. He believes that with vision, passion, purpose, guidance, and planning, our youth can be successful in all their endeavors; be it academic, sports, business, or relationships. He really enjoys speaking to young people about careers in science, engineering, and technology. Mr. Naves obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Industry-Technology NIU. Mr. Naves is married and has 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren. He resides in Bowie, Maryland.