Atlanta Daily World

Kinder, Gentler Mike Tyson Tells His Story at the Fox Theater

Mike Tyson, who is bringing his Spike Lee directed, one- man stage show "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth," to the Fox Theater on April 20, says Lee is a stern taskmaster.

"Spike is very demanding. He's going to try to get the best he can get out of you. I don't think many people can work with him. It's difficult," Tyson said in a recent telephone interview from his Las Vegas home.

After a successful run on Broadway, the one man show produced by James L. Nederlander embarked on a 36 city tour over three months and wraps up in New York in May.

Shows at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and in Los Angeles and Detroit brought out celebrities like Mike Epps, Tommy Hearns, Charlize Theron, David Arquette and Latoya Jackson,

Tyson's former boxing rival Evander Holyfield is scheduled to attend the show at the Fox.

The one-night only show lasts one hour and 45 minutes and is Tyson on stage sharing his life with a back drop displaying video and photos. The boxer, who retired in 2006, says the audience here should expect passion and emotion.

"They'll laugh and cry. I give them all of me," Tyson says.

After a history of violence, cocaine use, diagnosis of bipolar disorder, conviction and time served for rape, eight children, three wives and bankruptcy, having dissipated the more than $300 million made over his career, Mike Tyson is looking for peace.

Tyson, who will be 47 on June 30 and was ranked No. 1 on ESPN.com's list of the hardest hitters in heavyweight history, said his crazy, destructive and wild ways of the past are long gone.

The operative word for him now is "grateful."

"I'm very grateful to have a wife who cares about me. I don't deserve my wife. I'm at a place in my life where I am committed. She goes everywhere I go," he said of his current and third wife Lakiha "Kiki" Spicer who wrote the script for the show.

Tickets for the show range from $57.15 to $142.50 and can be purchased on line at FoxtAtlTix.com

Three Lady Bulldogs Selected In WNBA Draft

Georgia seniors Jasmine Hassell, Jasmine James and Anne Marie Armstrong were chosen in Monday night's WNBA Draft.

Hassell was taken in the second round by the Indiana Fever, while James and Armstrong were tabbed in the third round by Seattle and Atlanta, respectively.

"As a coach, it always makes you feel good to see players grow and mature," head coach Andy Landers said. "It makes you feel even better when you see them reach their goals and objectives. J.J., Anne Marie, and 'Jas' all aspired to play at the next level and now they'll have that opportunity."

All told, 16 Georgia players have been taken in the WNBA Draft over the past 13 years. That tally includes eight first-round selections.

Hassell, a 6-foot-2, forward from Lebanon, Tenn., was named first-team All-SEC by league coaches and second-team All-SEC in balloting of the Associated Press this season. She averaged a team-best 12.7 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. Hassell also ranked No. 14 in the nation in field goal percentage, connecting on 53.1 percent of her shots from the floor.

"It's something I've dreamed about since I was a little kid and now my dream has come true," Hassell said. "I've dreamed about it, but I didn't know if in a million years if it would come true. It's just a blessing from God. You're just sitting there waiting and then all of a sudden your name pops up and you think 'Is that really my name that just came up?' I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of the coaching staff here at Georgia and so many people who have helped me since I was a little kid. So many people helped develop and motivate me, and I'm just so very, very thankful for all of them."

James, a 5-9, guard from Memphis, Tenn., averaged 11.0 points per game as a senior and led the Lady Bulldogs in assists for the third consecutive season. She finished her career ranked among UGA's career leaders in five different statistical categories – No. 18 in points (1,434), No. 7 in assists (433), No. 7 in games started (123), No. 8 in steals (260) and No. 8 in FG attempts (1,428).

"It's a dream I've had ever since I was a little kid," James said. "You think about it and dream about it when you're little and now 14-15 years later, you hear your named called. I'm excited about the opportunity to go to training camp. Just to be a part of the WNBA is a great accomplishment and is really special to me."

Armstrong, a 6-foot-3, guard/forward from Norcross, Ga., was a consensus first-team All-SEC performer as a junior who was slowed for much of her senior campaign by a high ankle sprain. In stats for SEC games during her junior season, Armstrong ranked among the league's top-10 leaders in nine of 13 categories kept.

"Growing up, I think it's anyone's dream who plays basketball to be able to play in college," Armstrong said. "At the top of those dreams would be the opportunity to play professionally. To be drafted by my hometown team is something I don't think I could have fathomed. My dreams really are coming true. Just to have a chance to try out and make the team in Atlanta, where I've grown up my entire life and most of my family lives, is very exciting."

James, Hassell and Armstrong became the Lady Bulldogs' 32nd, 33rd and 34th 1,000-point career scorers. They also became only the second trio of classmates to reach the millennium mark in the history of Georgia Basketball.

Georgia finished the 2012-13 campaign with a 28-7 record overall and a 12-4 mark in SEC play. The Lady Bulldogs ranked No. 10 in the final edition of the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll after advancing to the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament.

Atlanta Dream Selects Bentley, Armstrong in WNBA Draft

The Atlanta Dream selected Penn State University guard Alex Bentley with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft on Monday night, and took University of Georgia guard/forward Anne Marie Armstrong with the 31st pick.

The 5'7" Bentley is a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a two-time member of the league's All-Defensive team. She became just the fourth player in Big Ten history to amass at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 300 steals, joining a group that includes WNBA vets Katie Smith and Tamara Moore.

Bentley averaged more than 14 points per game in each of her final three seasons at Penn State, finishing her career with 1,786 points scored, which is eighth in program history. She also finished her career ranked second in school history in steals (325) and tied for sixth in assists (567).

As a senior, Bentley was named one of seven finalists for the Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top Division I point guard, after averaging 14.1 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game, leading the Big Ten and ranking sixth nationally in steals. She was also the recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's outstanding female collegian 5'8"-and-under who excels athletically and academically. She also led the league in steals as a junior en route to earning honorable mention All-American honors.

"I'm very excited to join the Dream and to help them reach their goals," said Bentley. "I wasn't expecting to have the opportunity to play for such a great team. It will be an honor to play alongside Angel McCoughtry and the rest of their players. It's ironic that I'm going to the Dream, because I've been saying that this whole experience has been like a dream to me. I've been dreaming about having this opportunity since I was a little girl.

"I hope to be able to just be who I am as a player. I like to get up and down the court, and I like playing defense. I'm very competitive, and offensively I can distribute the basketball and look to get my teammates open shots, but I can score as well."

Armstrong, a 6'3" native of Norcross, Ga., helped Georgia reach the Elite Eight this season, averaging 7.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She became the 34th player in Georgia history to score 1,000 career points, and finished her career with 1,015 points.

As a junior, she earned first team All-Southeastern Conference honors by the league's coaches after averaging 11.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists. She also was a two-time Miss Georgia Basketball who helped Wesleyan School win three states titles in basketball, three in volleyball and four in track and field (three individual, one team).

The two-time Eastern Conference Champion Atlanta Dream will tip off its sixth season in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) on May 25 at Philips Arena.

Braves Honor Jackie Robinson Day at Tuesday Night's Game

The Atlanta Braves will celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of Jackie Robinson Tuesday in their game against the Kansas City Royals at Turner Field at 7 p.m.

Major League Baseball began its celebration of Robinson on Monday, in honor of the legendary infielder's first game in the majors, but the Braves did not have a game scheduled.

Braves and Royals players, and the teams' on-field staff, will wear Robinson's No. 42 to honor Robinson's life and contributions to the game.

Every year on April 15, the anniversary of Robinson's breaking the color barrier in 1947 at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, the baseball world spends a day to reinforce the importance of Robinson’s legacy and his importance and impact in baseball and throughout professional sports.

In his first season, Robinson won the newly created Rookie of the Year Award, hitting .297 and stealing 29 bases, which led all of Major League Baseball.

In 1997, under the direction of Commissioner Bud Selig, Robinson's No. 42 was retired across all of Major League Baseball in an unprecedented tribute, MLB.com adds.

Click here to access the Braves website and to view a video of Braves players discussing what Jackie Robinson has meant in their lives. The video will be found in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage and will start automatically.