CLEVELAND, Ohio - Former Bradley star Anthony Parker played a pivotal role in helping Cleveland open the 2010-11 NBA season with a 95-87 victory against the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics Wednesday night.
Parker played a team-high 35 minutes, contributing 10 points, six assists and two rebounds and drained a pivotal 3-pointer late in the game to help seal outcome. The former Bradley star is twice featured in the NBA.com game recap video from Wednesday night's game.
Now beginning his eighth NBA season overall and his second year with the Cavaliers, Parker is one of 11 former Braves currently playing professionally around the world.
The veteran among the active Braves in the Pros is center Aba Koita, who has begun his 11th professional season overseas and currently plays for La Rochelle Rupella 17 in the French NM2 league. Koita is joined in France by Marcellus Sommerville, who has started his fifth pro season with Paris-Levallois in the ProA league.
Two former Braves are competing against each other in Finland's top pro division, the Korisliiga: Theron Wilson has begun his second pro season with the Salon Vilpas Vikings, while Lawrence Wright has opened his fifth pro season with UU-Korihait Uusikaupunki. The former Braves faced each other in the season-opener with Wright's squad prevailing, 81-68. Both players started and finished with seven points. Both players also now are averaging in double-figures nine games into the season and Wright is coming off a 31-points, 17-rebounds performance Wednesday night.
Germany has been a popular country for former Braves in recent years and this season sees Phillip Gilbert competing for SOBA Dragons Rhoendorf in the German ProA Division. Elsewhere in Europe, Eddie Cage has begun his fourth season in Spain's LEB Silver Division, and ninth pro season overall, with A.D. Tarrogona and David Collins is playing his second pro season in Cyprus for Ydra Asfalistiki ENAD Agios Dometios.
Former Bradley guard Will Franklin has opened his third pro season on the African continent, suiting up for Etoile du Sahel in Tunisia's Division 1. Two former Bradley centers have transitioned to Asia: Zach Andrews has opened his fourth pro season with Niigata Albirex in Japan's BJ League and Patrick O'Bryant is set to begin his fifth pro season in China, playing for Fujian SBS.
The Bradley Athletics Communications Office provides Braves in the Pros throughout the year on the athletic department's official website, BradleyBraves.com, and the basketball pros will be spotlighted during a weekly feature on The Jim Les Show during the 2010-11 campaign.
