Former NFL star Terrell Owens and PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber became the champions of the 7th annual CP3 Celebrity Bowling Invitational. The proceeds went to the Chris Paul Family Foundation.
“Everybody comes out to have a good time, which is fun, but at the end of the day it’s for a great cause and I’m grateful to everyone who’s here,” said Paul.
The CP3 Bowling Invitational consists of two different competitions. The first is a doubles tournament where celebrities partnered with professional bowlers to compete. The other competition was the Celebrity Super Clash, where the celebrity who knocked down the least amount of pins was eliminated in each round until one remained.
Celebrities in attendance included Boyz II Men singer Shawn Stockman, Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson, and three-time Olympian sprinter Allyson Felix. Paul partnered with Jason Belmonte, the three-time PBA Player of the Year. Paul and Belmonte won the tournament two years in a row in 2010 and 2011.
“He doesn’t like to lose at anything and he’s actually a pretty accomplished bowler,” Belmonte said about Paul. “Generally speaking, the guy knows what he’s doing on the lane.”
The tournament started with eight doubles teams, Paul and Belmonte fell to World Cup soccer goalie Hope Solo and international bowling star Clara Guerrero. Guerrero and Solo were the first all-female team to compete in the invitational.
Other teams that advanced to the semifinals were former MLB pitcher John Burkett and 2015 Rolltech PBA World Champion Gary Faulkner, Jr along with C.J. Anderson and 10-time PBA Tour winner Sean Rush. In the final round, Owens’ team battled against Solo’s team for the Invitational title.
Between the quarter and Semifinals, ten celebrities competed in the Celebrity Super Clash. With a strike, Former MLB pitcher John Burkett was the last player standing. Owens was a close runner up, knocking down nine pins. Black-ish star Anthony Anderson came in third place.
“Bowling is not easy, it’s not easy as one may think or it looks,” said Owens. “It’s just about the approach, it’s the technique.”
PBA Bowlers and celebrities have noticed the generosity Paul has for the community and the competitiveness he has during the tournament through the years.
“I think the work that him and his family are doing with his foundation is amazing,” said Felix “It’s really been a treat to see someone really give back and care about the work that he’s doing and be so hands on with it.”
