One of the smoothest players and most prolific scorers in NBA history will help Mercer gear up for the basketball season next month.

George Gervin, who played in both the American Basketball Association and NBA, will be the keynote speaker at Mercer's annual Tipoff Banquet on Oct. 25 at the Hawkins Arena.

Gervin played with Virginia in the ABA for two seasons before embarking on a long stint with San Antonio in both the ABA and NBA.

Gervin was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in in 1996, and was 45th among SLAM magazine's top 50 NBA players all-time. He is also a member of the ABA's all-time team.

Single tickets are $60, and 10-seat tables are $500. For more information, call the Mercer Athletic Foundation at 301-4003.