October 19, 2018
Bleacher Report and Carmelo Anthony’s Crea7ive Team Up to
Introduce B/REAL Inspirational Miniseries Celebrating Real-Life Heroes with Star Athletes and Life-Changing Surprises
Looking for some uplifting stories? How about Carmelo Anthony enlisting A-list athletes to visit young sports heroes from across America? How about Chris Paul showing up in Iowa to play HORSE in a 15-year-old’s backyard?
Introducing B/REAL presented by Cricket Wireless, a groundbreaking franchise from Bleacher Report—in partnership with Carmelo Anthony—that connects real-life heroes with influential athletes to show that star power can be found in all of us. B/REAL is made up of five short films that tell the stories of some of the most inspiring young people from your newsfeed, combined with their superstar role models. Each connection continues with B/R making a donation to a local charity or college fund on behalf of each hero.
Bleacher Report teamed up with Anthony, who served as the Chair of the Board for this new thought-leadership series, and created the B/REAL Board of Trustees: Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Candace Parker and Chris Paul.
Anthony worked closely with B/R to select five real-life heroes from more than 1,000 viral videos. Then, in partnership with Anthony’s Crea7ive and producing partner Asani Swann, B/R produced five unforgettable moments as these standout athletes showed up in backyards, living rooms and schools across America to illuminate the resilience and strength these young sports fans have shown in their everyday lives.
“These stories represent what it means to persevere against all odds,” said Anthony, the Houston Rockets star who serves as B/REAL executive producer and surprises a college football team in the Season 1 finale. “At a time when we’re so divided, B/REAL’s young heroes show how sports culture can bring us all together. Bleacher Report and I just decided to give them some extra shine.”
“B/REAL is built for sharing uplifting stories that transcend sports,” said Joe Yanarella, Bleacher Report senior vice president of content and B/REAL executive producer. “The internet can make everyday people as popular as their celebrity role models, but there’s life after going viral. We wanted to offer these young fans the same platform as the All-Stars and Pro Bowlers participating in this project, while giving back in the process.”
“Cricket Wireless is proud to be a part of the B/REALseries as the presenting sponsor to help share these amazing stories with the world,” said Tiffany Baehman, chief marketing officer for Cricket Wireless.
B/REAL premieres today, simultaneously on Bleacher Report’s massive social channels and award-winning app. Each Friday at noon ET, over the next 5 weeks, B/R will drop a short film showcasing a new hero. This evening, Anthony, Parker and Paul will join the heroes at an event sponsored by Cricket Wireless at La Peer Hotel in Los Angeles, where life-changing donations will be made to push it forward for each real-life hero’s journey, as the following five individuals are inducted into the inaugural B/REAL Class of 2018:
ALEXANDRIA BUCHANAN • Honolulu, Hawaii
She made history as one of the first female starting varsity QB in America. Now Alexandria is fighting for her starting job as a junior at McKinley High, fending off critics while excelling both on and off the field.
ZACK DOBSON • Knoxville, Tennessee
His brother, Zaevion, died shielding friends from gunfire, leaving Zack as a largely forgotten survivor of gun violence. Three years later, Zack is a freshman wearing his brother’s number as a wide receiver with Middle Tennessee State.
BREHANNA DANIELS • Charlotte, North Carolina
She broke barriers as the first black female pit-crew member in NASCAR history. Next up for this former college hooper: winning a Cup event and continuing to push the racing community into the future.
JASON SEAMAN • Noblesville, Indiana
He was hailed as a national hero when he stopped a school shooting in his science class. Five months later, the teacher and football coach at Noblesville West Middle School tells his full story to B/REAL for the first time.
TRASHAUN WILLIS • Washington, Iowa
He went viral for dunking with one arm, but Trashaun is a star in basketball and football while overcoming a disability—amniotic band syndrome, a condition shared with Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin.
Watch the B/REAL trailer and Part 1 now at BREAL.BLEACHERREPORT.COM
About Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is the premier digital destination for millennial sports fans creating and collaborating on the culture of sports for the next generation of fans. Its vision for making sports bigger than games has led to unmatched engagement on social media, where it consistently ranks as a top publisher on each platform. Bleacher Report also provides an industry-leading fan experience on mobile devices through Bleacher Report, the top-rated smartphone and tablet app. Find Bleacher Report at www.bleacherreport.com and on Instagram @BleacherReport. Bleacher Report is a division of Turner Sports.
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