Sports

UHart Alum Vin Baker Among Former NBA Players Taking Part in North Korea Exhibition

Baker's number was retired by university located in West Hartford, where he attended from 1989-93 before moving on to the NBA.

University of Hartford alum Vin Baker is among the former NBA players accompanying Dennis Rodman to North Korea for an exhibition game on Jan. 8.

Baker told CNN at the departure gate that he is “looking forward to playing and putting on a show in North Korea. This is strictly about the game and for the love of basketball.”

The game, which is in celebration of Kim Jong-Un’s birthday, will pit Baker and other former stars such as Kenny Anderson and Cliff Robinson against the North Korean Senior National Team, according to Sports Illustrated.

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The game has drawn its share of controversy and criticism due to, among other things, North Korea’s record of human rights abuses.

But Rodman told SI that the exhibition game is “his version of ‘basketball diplomacy.’”

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Baker starred at the University of Hartford from 1989 to 1993, averaging 28.3 points per game his senior season. According to the Seattle Times, Baker graduated as the Hawks’ all-time leader in points (2,238), field goals (860), free throws (9,445) and blocks (279).

He was selected 8th in the 1993 NBA drafted and was selected to four consecutive NBA All-Star games before alcoholism derailed his career.

A spokesperson for the University of Hartford did not have a comment on the matter.


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