Detroit, MI – The Pro Basketball Association announced on Sunday that the Detroit Panthers had been awarded a franchise for the 2021 PBA Spring-Summer Season. Team Owner Cecil L. Hood is the founder of United Professional Basketball Association, one of the top basketball leagues in the city of Detroit that focuses on the growth of players in the inner city. UPBA16 was established in 2016 and has over 150 players in its organization. They are helping the youth get into college programs, search for opportunities overseas, and be an alternative program to keep them in a positive environment. UPBA’s leagues are played at “The Saint” , one of the most revered basketball courts in the country.

The Detroit Panthers have their own basketball training facility where players can work on their game which includes a half court gym, film room, and workout equipment. Personally Cecil is a Detroit native who played the game at a high level. He was a red shirt freshman on the 2001 Kent State elite 8 team. Cecil is familiar with being around a winning program. 

Cecil is the founder of The Detroit Panthers, a pro team that was created for the PBA. The Panthers will pull from Detroit and surrounding areas and will be built on the UPBA Elite foundation.

“Cecil and his Detroit Panthers are a welcomed addition to the PBA. He and PBA VP Director of Marketing and Strategic Development, Jai Pradia, go back a long time and it made Cecil feel like family to us immediately. Having good people that care about the right things is paramount to the foundation of the league. He was a terrific player and has given back a lot to the community over the years. The UPBA locally there in Detroit is a well known and respected program that has developed a lot of really high level players over the years. We’re excited about the impact they make in the community and the level of basketball that they’ll bring to the PBA. The City of Detroit fits perfectly in our Midwest division and will be a natural rival with Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Elkhart, and others.” PBA Commissioner Chris Terrell

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If you want Pro – You want the PBA

The Pro Basketball Association 2021 PBA Pro Combine and Draft will be held in two locations beginning with 3/27 in Rochester, New York and then 4/3 in Dallas, Texas. With pending announcements the PBA will have a minimum of 42 teams (From Seattle to New York City and everywhere in between – America) in the two round draft which means 84 draft eligible players will become a part of the Pro Basketball Association. Players and/or their representation is encouraged to email profile/video to [email protected] or visit Pro Basketball Association Combine and Draft – Pro Basketball Association (pbaplayers.com) or follow FB/IG @probasketballassociation