Travis Creed, who was the founder of the famous King Cotton Holiday Classic basketball tournament, is no longer with us. He passed away on September 23, 2025. He was 85.
The King Cotton Holiday Classic was founded almost 40 years ago. The tournament became one of the most respected high school basketball events in the U.S.
Creed was the son of a well-known basketball player from the 1930s. In addition, he was also a former bank executive.
The sad news was announced by King Cotton on Wednesday evening, September 24, 2024, via social media. They wrote that they are “heartbroken to share the passing of our beloved friend.”
In recent years, the tournament honored Travis Creed by naming one of its two brackets after him, giving teams a chance to win a championship in his name.
Organizers said, “Since 1983, Mr. Creed’s vision and passion have made this tournament one of the nation’s top high school basketball events. It has produced over 75 NBA players and inspired countless young athletes.”
Moreover, the organization believes that Travis Creed’s legacy continues to live on in Pine Bluff, across the nation, and in the lives of all who were touched by his kindness and passion for the game.
They shared how grateful they were to have him present at last year’s event, and extended their heartfelt thoughts and prayers to his wife Ann, his family, friends, and church community.
Travis Creed was the son of a well-known basketball player from the 1930s. In 2022, he said he wanted to carry on his father’s success by creating something special in basketball.
Back then, he suggested starting a national high school tournament in Pine Bluff and worked with the local high school’s athletic director, Dr. Sid Simpson, to make it happen.
The King Cotton Holiday Classic Started In 1983
Since its start, the tournament quickly became one of the most popular high school basketball tournaments in the country.
Between 1983 and 1999, it attracted top young players who would go on to play in college and the NBA, including Christian Laettner, Dennis Scott, Corliss Williamson, and Joe Johnson.
One of the most memorable moments was in 1991, when Williamson’s Russellville Cyclones beat Jason Kidd’s St. Joseph Notre Dame team in the championship.
Another historic moment came on December 28, 1987, when ESPN broadcast the Pine Bluff vs. Flint Hill Prep game. It became the first high school basketball game ever shown on national TV.
A famous photo from that night shows announcer Dick Vitale and the late John Saunders interviewing future NFL Hall of Famer Willie Roaf.
After 1999, the tournament started losing attention and sponsorships, and it eventually had to stop.
Travis Creed, who had started the event, explained that it became too hard to continue without enough support.
In 2018, the tournament was brought back by Go Forward Pine Bluff, with Samuel Glover as its director.
Since then, King Cotton has been held every year except in 2020, when it was canceled due to COVID-19.
Glover and Creed became close friends, even sharing Bible studies together. Glover remembered how he first tried to revive the tournament in 2013 on his own, but soon realized it would take teamwork.
The late founder encouraged him to create the tournament in a new way for a new generation, offering advice but letting the committee lead.
Today’s King Cotton has its own style. It features 14–16 teams, two championship brackets, and online streaming for fans.
Players enter the court with lights, smoke, and music, giving it a fun, exciting atmosphere. In 2023, rapper Waka Flocka Flame even performed between games.
At that same 2023 tournament, Creed told Glover, “You guys took it farther than I ever thought it could be.”
Glover said he was amazed to hear that from the man who started it all. Since the revival, the tournament has featured top young talent.
It includes McDonald’s All-Americans like Nick Smith (now with the Charlotte Hornets), Tounde Yessoufou (now at Baylor University, who scored 46 points in one game), and Caleb Wilson (now at the University of North Carolina).
Stephon Castle, the NBA’s 2025 Rookie of the Year, played in 2022. The 2023 NBA Draft also saw three King Cotton alumni—Brandon Miller, Jett Howard, and Nick Smith—picked in the first round.
A memorial service for Travis Creed will be held on October 2 at First Methodist Church in Pine Bluff. This year’s King Cotton tournament is scheduled for December 27, 29, and 30, with teams to be announced soon.
Additional Information
- Travis Creed was born on November 28, 1939, in Camden, Arkansas, to Travis Thompson “Pete” Creed and Evelyn Newton Creed, and he grew up there with his sister.
- Creed is survived by his loving wife, Ann Hall Creed, and their two children, Travis N. Creed Jr. and Ginger Creed Wade.
- His son, Travis N. Creed, Jr., is married to Lisa Cangemi Creed.
- His daughter, Ginger Creed Wade, is married to Steven C. Wade.
- Travis is also survived by his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a sister.
