Professional basketball will be coming to Tattnall County for the first time today as the Georgia Knights host the Tru Hope Trailblazers from Norfolk, Va. at the Reidsville Middle School gym at 4 p.m.

    The game is an exhibition matching the Trailblazers — who were an expansion team that reached the championship game of the Eastern Basketball Alliance last season and who will be competing in the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League this season — against a Knights squad that will be joining the American Basketball Association this season after years of competing independently.
    “We are very excited to have this opportunity,” said Trailblazers owner and head coach Emory Addison. “We were excited to have come so close to a championship in our first year, and playing a good team like the Knights should make for good competition and an exciting game for fans.”
    This will also serve as a sort of Homecoming for Addison, who served as head coach of the Portal Middle School team and assisted on the Portal High varsity squad.
    “I remember coaching some great players like Cameron Sheffield and Fred Williams,” said Addison. “There is some great basketball being played in this part of the state.”
    Today will provide a unique opportunity for basketball fans in the Tattnall area. While travelling to Atlanta to take in a Hawks game can be a very expensive and time consuming event, today’s game brings high-level basketball right to their front door.
    “We wanted to give people in south Georgia another option for entertainment,” said Addison. “There are a lot of quality players that come through Georgia Southern and the local high schools, but most people around here never get to see those type of players compete at the next level. Hopefully, this game will give families an opportunity to watch pro ball and have fun at a very affordable cost.”
    Unlike the NBA — which is currently in the middle of its summer schedule — leagues like the ABA and ACPBL don’t have an official preseason.
    Because of this, teams in these leagues will take part in exhibitions like today’s game in preparation for the regular season, which depending on the league starts in November or December.
    “It’s always good to play these exhibitions,” said Addison. “It keeps players better prepared and it’s fun to travel to places like Reidsville where the people might not get to see professional basketball much.”
    For those who want to see both amateur and professional games, an AAU under-15 game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Reidsville Middle School and will be immediately followed by the professional game.
    Tickets will be available at the door. Adult tickets cost $10 and all fans 18 and under will be admitted for $5.

    Mike Anthony can be reached at (912) 489-9404.