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New Mexico Thunderbirds Announce Local Open Tryouts

August 26, 2010 - NBA G League (G League)
New Mexico Thunderbirds News Release


Rio Rancho, NM, Aug. 25, 2010. The New Mexico Thunderbirds will offer athletes the opportunity to showcase their basketball talents in front of team representatives at this season's open tryouts, which will take place on October 23 and 24 at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho.

Participants will be competing for the chance to earn a roster spot on the Team. All interested players must fill out a registration form at www.nmtbirds.com and mail it in to the team front-office along with the registration fee. Athletes must participate on both days in order to be considered. The registration fee is $150.

"We are looking forward to holding our first open tryouts in Rio Rancho," said head coach Darvin Ham. "This a great way for us to get an up close look at potential undiscovered talent.

The New Mexico Thunderbirds have discovered several great players through open tryouts and I'm confident that this year will be the same."

Of particular note from last season was the discovery of Shane Edwards, who participated in open tryouts last season and was selected to join the Thunderbirds shortly into the 2009-10 season. He was able to remain on the roster for the remainder of that season, averaging 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He went on to participate in 2010 summer camp with the Denver Nuggets, where he made the starting lineup in all five games and averaged 10.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

"Shane is a great example of what can happen for a good player who works hard all season and has the combination of ability and desire to contribute to his team. He has continued to work on improving his game and the Nuggets took notice. We are very happy that the Thunderbirds were able to help Shane get a good chance at making an NBA roster...that's what the NBA Development League is all about," said Ham. "This season, we are particularly interested in seeing what some of our local New Mexico players can bring to the table...we would enjoy the opportunity to add a local player to our roster who can demonstrate the ability to play at the NBA level. This is their chance to be noticed, and it's a great opportunity to come out and show us what you can do."

"This is about athletes giving everything they have for their dreams," said owner Sam Bregman. "These tryouts are really where amazing begins."

During the tryout, athletes will participate in various shooting drills, full-court scrimmages, and fitness assessment drills. Players who stand out at tryouts will have the chance to be drafted by the Thunderbirds and earn a spot on the Team's training camp roster. The Team will be able to invite 14-17 players to training camp. The best of the best will be offered an NBA D-League contract.

The Thunderbirds' first home game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on November 26th, 2010 against the Utah Flash. Fans can purchase season ticket packages, flex pack ticket vouchers and individual game tickets for all Thunderbirds games by calling (505) 265-3865 or logging onto www.nmtbirds.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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