Detroit Lions Legends entertain fans and raise funds in annual charity basketball game

COLDWATER, MI. - The stands at Coldwater High School’s Coach Floyd Eby Gymnasium were filled with a sea of Honolulu blue and silver Wednesday night for the 30^th annual Branch County Deputy Sheriff’s Association All-Stars basketball battle with the Detroit Lions Legends.

For the 30^th year faces and names that are more familiar for their work on the gridiron came to play basketball, entertaining young and old alike with a fun night of hoops and hijinks. While the score was indeed kept, the scorekeeping was a little suspect throughout the evening as the two teams played in a game more suited to the Harlem Globetrotters. And while there was a winner on the scoreboard when the night ended, the real winners at the Coach Floyd Eby Gymnasium were those in attendance as well as the Branch County Deputy Sheriff’s Association All-Stars and the many community projects the group supports.

The game featured a great deal of crowd interaction, including local youth shooting free throws for the Lions on the many, and sometimes questionable, shooting fouls that were called; a handful of one-on-one battles; and even a flex off featuring former Lion fullback Corey “Sledge” Schlesinger versus a local young lady (The local young lady won by a landslide), just to name a few of the moments throughout an entertaining evening.

At halftime the Lions Legends signed autographs and sold memorabilia, with a portion of those proceeds going to the Tackle Life Foundation, which provides essential life skills and experiences for successful individual growth. Services include college preparation, financial aid planning and scholarships, career development and so much more. To find out more about the Tackle Life Foundation you can visit their website at tacklelife.org.

In the end it never really matters what the scoreboard says, each side leaves a winner and the fans usually go home happy after a fun night of watching some of their favorite Detroit Lions step on the hardwood to face some very familiar faces from home.

For the 30^th year a big thanks goes out to the Detroit Lions Legends for bringing the fun and to the Branch County Deputy Sheriff’s Association for putting together such an entertaining night of basketball.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Detroit Lions Legends face off with Branch County All Stars