Basketball greats return to 25th American Century Championship

NBA superstars, legends and some of the best college and pro basketball coaches in the game will take to the tee box instead of the free throw line at Edgewood Tahoe July 15-20, aiming for pins and cups instead of buckets and nets.

Don't miss the one handed swing of Sir Charles at the 25th Annual American Century Championship. 

In its 25th year, the American Century Championship has a proud tradition of hosting some of the finest basketball players ever to grace the game. Among them, Charles Barkley will again return this year to the event after being sidelined in the 2013 tournament for an injury. The NBA Hall of Famer and gallery favorite served as the non-official tournament ambassador. This year he returns to snag the dubious honors as worst player, which was awarded in 2013 to Larry the Cable Guy. 

Among active NBA players to return to the tournament is Golden State Warriors All Star sharp-shooter Stephen Curry who set the NBA record in the 2013 season for three-pointers made in a regular season with 272 made three pointers. This season, Curry made his first All-Star appearance after he was voted by the fans as a starter for the Western Conference.  He finished the season averaging 24.0 points and 8.5 assists; both career bests. Also a first for this season, Curry was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.

Among the basketball lineup are NCAA and NBA coaches. New to the American Century Championship this year is Geno Auriemma, basketball coach for the University of Connecticut, who has led to the team to to nine NCAA Division I national championships, and has won six national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma was also the head coach of the United States women's national basketball team from 2009 to 2012, winning the 2010 World Championship, and the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Former NBA Head Coach Vinny Del Negro returns to the American Century Championship. He was the head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010, and the Los Angeles Clippers from 2010 to 2013. Del Negro is currently an analyst with NBA TV.

Finally, Digger Phelps, the straight-shooting former college basketball coach for Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team and since 1993 the analyst for ESPN and American Century Championship regular will return again this year. In spring 2014, Phelps announced that after 20 years with ESPN he is retiring. 

The 25th annual American Century Championship, July 15-20, 2014, is the premier celebrity golf tournament that airs on NBC Sports. American Century Investments is the title sponsor of the tournament.

What basketball greats are you looking forward to seeing?

Football legends and greats lineup for 25th American Century Championship

NFL greats know where to meet once a year for tee-to-green turf action without the helmets and pads. The 25th year, the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe July 15-20, 2014 will be represented by promising young athletes, Super Bowl team stars, Pro Bowl champions and NFL Hall of Fame legends who line up to take a swing and a piece of the $600,000 purse.  

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers quarterback signs autographs for the fans.

Two returning NFL players are in the American Century Championship winners' circle and will again compete in what promises to be one of the great showdowns. The question among the minds of many is can last year's runner-up, Mark Rypien, who was the very first American Century Championship winner at Edgewood Tahoe in 1990 repeat what he did 25 years ago? You can bet four-time American Century Championship winner and defending champion Billy Joe Tolliver will be in the hunt. 

Always the crowd pleasers, returning NFL Hall of Famers are Marcus Allen, John Elway, Marshall Faulk, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Steve Young.

Players and coaches, past and present who will return to the American Century Championship include: former NFL Pro Bowl running back Jerome Bettis; former NFL wide receiver Tim Brown; Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer; former NFL head coach Herm Edwards; Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox; Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould; former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Trent Green; former NFL Pro Bowl star and all-time sack leader Rodney Harrison; Green Bay Packers linebacker AJ Hawk; Oakland Raiders kicker Sebestian Janikowski; former NFL Pro Bowl star safety John Lynch; former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers; former NFL Pro Bowl great Sterling Sharpe; Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Alex Smith; former NFL Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor; former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Vinny Testaverde; former NFL MVP quarterback Joe Theismann; former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

The list of new NFL contenders to play in their first American Century Championship includes Denver Bronco punter Britton Colquitt; former Pro Bowl and NFL running great Terrell Davis; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee.

The 25th annual American Century Championship, July 15-20, 2014, is the premier celebrity golf tournament that airs on NBC Sports. American Century Investments is the title sponsor of the tournament.

What NFL great are you looking forward to seeing?