FOR ASPIRING PROS, PATH TO EUROPE HAS PINEVILLE STOP
Pineville is known by many in the Charlotte region as the home of Carolina Place Mall.
But for dozens of former college basketball players from across the country, it’s known as the last stop before Europe. For two days last week, Pineville’s Belle Johnston Center served as the practice location for the 14 former college players that comprise this year’s Team USA Select Basketball roster.
Most of these players know the NBA is beyond their reach. For them, Team USA Select Basketball could give them the opportunity to latch onto a European basketball team and see the world.
“You can see Paris, you can see Prague, but you haven’t really seen the world until you’ve seen the Belle Johnston Community Center in Pineville or the Showmars (on Lancaster Highway),” said south Mecklenburg resident and team coach/general manager Sean Kilmartin.