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Florida's Smush Parker Earns NBA Call-up With Phoenix Suns

January 19, 2005 - NBA G League (G League)
Florida Flame News Release


Fort Myers, Fla., January 19, 2005 – The Phoenix Suns have signed Florida guard Smush Parker to a 10-day contract, making him the first ever GATORADE Call-up for the Florida Flame. Parker becomes the fifth NBDL player this season to earn the NBDL-to-NBA promotion.

“It is a good-bad situation,” said Head Coach Dennis Johnson. “We are always happy for a player when he gets called up into the league. It is a credit to the team, the coaches, and the players he played with. But he will be missed. He came in and stabilized our point guard position and picked up our offense almost instantly. He helped everyone else on the team improve their game and performance on the court as well.”

Parker is the 44th overall GATORADE Call-up and the 33rd player to be promoted since the NBDL began play in November 2001. Parker joins the likes of AshevilleÂ’s Brandin Knight (Houston Rockets), ColumbusÂ’ Obinna Ekezie (Atlanta Hawks), RoanokeÂ’s James Thomas (Portland Trail Blazers), and AshevilleÂ’s Kirk Penney (Los Angeles Clippers) who have signed contracts with NBA teams this season.

“I am sad that the people in Southwest Florida did not get to see him play, and I think they would have been really impressed with his talents. We wish him luck and hope he shows the Phoenix organization exactly what he showed us: how good of a player he really is.”

Parker played in four games (one start) for Florida after being acquired on January 11, 2005. For the Flame, he averaged 17.3 points, 7.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 steals while shooting 44-percent from the floor (24-54) and 84-percent from the foul line (21-25). He scored 24 points, dished out 10 assists, and recorded three steals in MondayÂ’s win over Roanoke (01/17).

Parker, a member of the Detroit Pistons earlier this season, played in 11 games (one start), averaging 3.0 points, 1.0 assists and 0.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. In his only start of the season, he scored a season-high 14 points (5-13 FG, 1-4 3FG, 3-6 FT) with a season-high six assists and four rebounds vs. Charlotte (11/21).

Parker was also a member of the 2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers, playing in 66 games and starting 16 times. With the Cavaliers, Smush averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steals in 16.7 minutes of action. He shot 40-percent from the floor and an impressive 83-percent from the free-throw line.

The NBDL, the NBAÂ’s minor league, includes the Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.) and Asheville Altitude (N.C.).

The league offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBAÂ’s umbrella. In addition to 33 players, nine former NBDL coaches, five athletic trainers, 11 referees and 29 front office executives have also been called up to the NBA umbrella since the start of the leagueÂ’s inaugural season. Six additional front office executives have earned positions with other major league sports.

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The NBDL is a source of on-court talent for the NBAÂ’s 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions.

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