NBA D-League to Hold Pre-Draft Camp June 27-29
Published on May 5, 2008 under NBA G League (G League) News Release
NEW YORK, May 5, 2008 - The NBA Development League, the official minor league of the National Basketball Association, will hold its annual pre-draft camp at the Suwanee Sports Academy in Suwanee, Ga., from June 27-29. The three-day camp is a combination of individual skill-based drills and five-on-five games that enables participants to showcase their skills in front of NBA D-League front office and team personnel with the hopes of gaining eligibility for the D-League Draft in November.
"Pre-Draft camp provides players with a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to team and league officials," said Chris Alpert, Vice President for D-League Basketball Operations and Player Personnel. "It allows our teams to evaluate top-notch talent in a highly competitive environment."
Following last year's camp in Dallas, 33 players signed D-League contracts with 14 of those players seeing significant playing time this past season. Headlining that group were, Ivan Johnson and Michael Cuffee who notched double figures in scoring this past year.
Johnson, a 6-8 forward from Cal State San Bernardino, appeared in 45 games (20 starts) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Anaheim Arsenal, averaging 13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Johnson, who recorded 10 point-rebound double-doubles, earned All-NBA Development League Honorable Mention accolades. A 6-5 guard from Middle Tennessee State, Cuffee played in 46 games (28 starts) for the Utah Flash and Bakersfield Jam. He scored in double figures 28 times, finishing his first D-League campaign with averages of 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Players wishing to participate in this year's camp must be 18 years old and meet D-League eligibility requirements. The application for the camp, player release and eligibility forms can be downloaded from the league's official website, www.d-league.com. Those completed forms along with a $500 money order need to be received in the League office by June 2. The participation fee includes lodging for two nights, transportation between the hotel and gym for the games and a uniform. All materials must be received by the deadline and completed in their entirety for the player to be considered for participation in the camp. The camp will be limited to 200 participants.
The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Having recently completed its seventh season, the NBA D-League's goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 16 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact 15 percent of players on 2008 end-of-season NBA rosters spent time honing their skills in the League. In addition, it has produced current NBA coaches and 25 percent of the NBA's referees. The NBA D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like NBA Futurecast, the live web-streaming of all games available free at nba.com/futurecast. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.
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