PITTSBURGH, March 20, 2007 – Former heavyweight boxing champion Roy Jones, Jr. will headline a team of celebrity All-Stars slated to face the Steelers Basketball Team in a special exhibition game as part of a unique hoops doubleheader at Mellon Arena on Friday, March 23 at 7:00 PM. 

Among the 2006-07 Steelers who have tentatively committed to participate in the exhibition are Bryant McFadden, Ricardo Colcough, James Harrison, Ryan Wallace, Anthony Smith, Willie Reid, Jonathan Dekker, Max Starks and Nate Washington.  Additional players are expected to be added.  Others who have suited up for the Steelers Basketball team this season include quarterbacks Charlie Batch and Ben Roethlisberger.

Jones, the former heavyweight champion, highlights a celebrity All-Star team that will include Steelers Legends, members of the Pirates front office and local media personalities.  He is expected to be joined by former Steelers greats Franco Harris, Dwayne Woodruff , Louis Lipps and Edmund Nelson; NBA standouts Armon Gilliam and Mike Iuzzolino; Andrew Stockey and Demetrius Ivory from WTAE; Keith Jones and Jeff Verszyla from KDKA-TV; Tim Benz from The X and Fox Sports Radio, Wookie from the Y-108 Morning Show, WAMO’s J. Cruz, Dylan from 96.1 KISS and WQED’s Dave and Dave.

The contest will serve as the opening game of the doubleheader which will also feature the Pittsburgh Xplosion against the Minot SkyRockets.  Following the exhibition, Steelers players and legends will host a free autograph session and Xplosion players and coaches will be available for autographs courtside at the conclusion of both games. 

In addition, the first 300 fans in attendance will receive a free Pittsburgh Pirates cap; the first 500 fans will receive vouchers to Pittsburgh Xplosion Fireworks Night at PNC Park on Tuesday, April 10, when the Pirates take on the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals at 7:05 PM; and the first 2,000 fans will receive a Pittsburgh Xplosion poster. 

The evening will also feature the semifinals and finals of Pittsburgh’s Hottest Hooters Girl contest at halftime of the each game and the Pirates’ “Cannonball Crew” will also be in attendance distributing promotional items for the team’s upcoming season.

To purchase tickets, stop by the Mellon Arena box office, visit TicketMaster online or call 412-323-1919.  Special VIP Reserved Tickets for the game, which include a dinner buffet reception with the Steelers legends and Hooters girls, are available at Hooters Monroeville and Station Square locations.  For more information on the game call 877-410-9900 or visit the Xplosion at www.pittsburghxplosion.com.