Fort Wayne's Ron Howard and Iowa's Othyus Jeffers Named NBA Development League's Co-Most Valuable Pl
April 24, 2014 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
NEW YORK, April 24, 2014 - Fort Wayne Mad Ants guard/forward Ron Howard and current Minnesota Timberwolves and former Iowa Energy guard/forward Othyus Jeffers were today named the 2014 NBA Development League's Co-Most Valuable Players, as voted by the NBA D-League's 17 head coaches.
Howard (6-5, 200, Valparaiso) played in 49 regular season games for the Mad Ants, averaging a team-high and career-best 20.5 points to go with 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Howard spearheaded Fort Wayne's offense, leading the team in scoring 24 times and serving as the high-assist man in 22 games. A seven-year Mad Ants veteran, Howard became the league's all-time leading scorer on March 29 when he scored 20 points to pass Renaldo Major's previous record of 4,252 points.
Selected as an All-Star in 2014 for the third time in his career, Howard led his Mad Ants to a franchise record and NBA D-League best 36-14 record, the East Division Championship and the top-overall seed in the 2014 NBA D-League playoffs. Fort Wayne won 13 of its last 15 regular season games and boast a perfect 4-0 record in the 2014 postseason having swept the Reno Bighorns and Sioux Falls Skyforce en route to the team's first-ever NBA D-League Finals appearance. In four playoff games, Howard is averaging 17.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds.
The recipient of back-to-back NBA D-League Jason Collier Sportsmanship awards, Howard and the Mad Ants begin their inaugural trip to the NBA D-League Finals tonight when the team takes on the Santa Cruz Warriors in California. Howard will be presented with his Co-MVP trophy on Saturday when the series moves to Fort Wayne for Game 2.
Jeffers (6-5, 210, Robert Morris) played in 44 of the Energy's 50 regular season games before earning a GATORADE Call-Up to the Timberwolves on April 8. He averaged a team-high 20.9 points, good for eighth-best in the NBA D-League, to go with 9.9 rebounds (fourth) and 2.2 steals (fifth). He led Iowa in scoring 20 times and was the team's high-rebounder in an additional 20 contests. Jeffers scored in double figures in 43 of his 44 games with the Energy, scoring 30 or more points twice.
A 2014 NBA D-League All-Star, Jeffers joins Howard as the only NBA D-League players to play in three NBA D-League All-Star Games. He was named NBA D-League Performer of the Week on Dec. 2 and was the season's first NBA D-League Player of the Month for games played in November and December. During the 2013-14 season, Jeffers appeared in six NBA contests following call-ups to Minnesota and the San Antonio Spurs. A five-time GATORADE Call-Up recipient, Jeffers owns NBA averages of 3.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 11.9 minutes over 37 games.
Jeffers led the Energy to the Central Division Championship and the third-overall seed in the 2014 NBA D-League playoffs before being signed by Minnesota. A five-year veteran of the Energy, Jeffers was the 2009 NBA D-League's Rookie of the Year and boasts career averages of 19.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 35.8 minutes in 185 games.
"I'm thrilled that our coaches honored both Othyus and Ron as Co-MVPs in our league this season," said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA D-League. "Both Ron and Othyus had impressive seasons, leading their teams to Division Championships while putting up the best numbers of their respective careers. I'm proud to honor them both, and congratulate each of them on the tremendous and well-deserved award."
All-Time NBA D-League Most Valuable Players:
2013-14: Ron Howard, Fort Wayne Mad Ants & Othyus Jeffers, Iowa Energy
2012-13: Andrew Goudelock, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2011-12: Justin Dentmon, Austin Toros
2010-11: Curtis Stinson, Iowa Energy
2009-10: Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley
2008-09: Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
2007-08: Kasib Powell, Sioux Falls Skyforce
2006-07: Randy Livingston, Idaho Stampede
2005-06: Marcus Fizer, Austin Toros
2004-05: Matt Carroll, Roanoke Dazzle
2003-04: Tierre Brown, Charleston Lowgators
2002-03: Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
2001-02: Ansu Sesay, Greenville Groove
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NBA G League Stories from April 24, 2014
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants Defeat Santa Cruz Warriors in Game 1 of 2014 - G League
- Mad Ants' Ron Howard Named 2014 NBA D-League Co-MVP - Indiana Mad Ants
- Fort Wayne's Ron Howard and Iowa's Othyus Jeffers Named NBA Development League's Co-Most Valuable Pl - G League
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