ORIGIN:
In 1977, McDonald'sŪ selected the best high school basketball players in the country and named them to the first McDonald's All American High School Basketball Team. The Team competed in the Capital Classic Game (started in 1974) against the best players in the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia area.

In 1978, McDonald's launched its own all-star high school game -- the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game, featuring an East and a West team of the best high school boy players in the country. It was the first national high school basketball all-star Game. The Inaugural Game was played in 1978 before a crowd of more than 13,000 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.

In 2003, McDonald's will host the second annual Girls Game, to be played just before the Boys Game -- both will take place at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio in front of a 20,000+ audience.

The first McDonald's All American Boys Team in 1977 included future NBA greats Magic Johnson, Albert King, and Gene Banks.