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2011 NBA Development League Showcase Tips off Monday

January 6, 2011 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2011 - The 2011 NBA Development League Showcase, the NBA's premier in-season basketball scouting event, tips off its 16-game schedule on Monday, Jan. 10, and runs through Thursday, Jan. 13, at the South Padre Island Convention Centre in South Padre Island, Texas. The seventh annual Showcase, hosted by South Padre Island, will feature all 16 NBA D-League teams playing two games each over a four-day schedule in front of professional scouts from all 30 NBA teams.

Four games will be played on each day of the Showcase, with the Slam Dunk and Three-Point Contests immediately following play on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The Showcase begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, and all 16 games can be seen live on TV or over the internet. Overall, 10 Showcase games will be broadcast live on NBA TV; four can be seen live, online, for free via NBA Futurecast at nba.com/dleague, and one can be seen online on AOL Fanhouse. Wednesday night's game between the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Erie BayHawks will be broadcast live on VERSUS, while the Slam Dunk and Three-Point Contests will air on Jan. 15 and Jan 29.

Expected to play in the Showcase are NBA veterans Antoine Walker and Luke Jackson (Idaho Stampede), Mario West (Maine Red Claws), and Joe Alexander and Sean Williams (Texas Legends); as well as top prospects Marcus Cousin (Austin Toros), Trey Johnson (Bakersfield Jam), Chris Johnson (Dakota Wizards), Ivan Johnson (Erie BayHawks), Darnell Lazare (Fort Wayne Mad Ants), Othyus Jeffers and Kyle Weaver (Iowa Energy), DeShawn Sims (Maine Red Claws), Shane Edwards (New Mexico Thunderbirds), Patrick Ewing Jr. and D.J. Strawberry (Reno Bighorns), Jeff Adrien, Jerel McNeal and Mustafa Shakur (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), JamesOn Curry and Scottie Reynolds (Springfield Armor), Robert Vaden and Latavious Williams (Tulsa 66ers) and Orien Greene (Utah Flash), in addition to numerous players on NBA assignments.

Last year, eight players earned GATORADE Call-Ups during or immediately following the NBA D-League Showcase, including Sundiata Gaines (Idaho Stampede to Utah Jazz), Cartier Martin (Iowa Energy to Golden State Warriors), Mario West (Maine Red Claws to Atlanta Hawks), Anthony Tolliver (Idaho Stampede to Golden State Warriors), JamesOn Curry (Springfield Armor to Los Angeles Clippers), Cedric Jackson (Erie BayHawks to Cleveland Cavaliers) and Will Conroy (Rio Grande Valley Vipers to Houston Rockets).

During the 2009-10 season, an all-time high 27 NBA D-League players earned a record 40 GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA, and 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season had NBA D-League experience.

"The NBA D-League Showcase affords NBA teams an opportunity to evaluate all of the NBA D-League's talented prospects in one location, and we've seen a number of NBA teams sign players both during and immediately following past Showcases," said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. "We're very excited to be in South Padre Island for this year's Showcase and are looking forward to another action-packed schedule."

The Showcase will welcome general managers, player personnel staff and scouts from each of the 30 NBA teams, who will converge on South Padre Island for four days to evaluate the league's talent. Many members of the international basketball community will also make the trip to South Padre Island to watch all the action.

The 2011 NBA D-League Showcase Three-Point Contest will have eight competitors, chosen from the current season's top three-point shooters, competing in a three-round competition. The Three-Point Contest will feature several innovations, including a moveable `Money Rack' consisting of all `Money' balls and increased points awarded for shots made from deeper shooting spots.

The 2011 NBA D-League Showcase Slam Dunk Contest will have four players competing in a two-round competition. The players may complete two dunks in each round, with five judges each awarding between five and 10 points for every made dunk. The player with the highest composite score after both rounds wins.

As part of the 2011 NBA D-League Showcase, the NBA D-League will host a FIT Clinic for schools and community organizations in South Padre Island at the South Padre Island Convention Centre. Participants will receive instructions and tips from NBA Cares Ambassador Felipe Lopez and NBA D-League players.

In preparation for the national and international stage of the NBA, NBA D-League players will receive off-the-court personal and professional development sessions in Business/Dress Etiquette, Money Management, Drug/Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Continuing Education and Career Development from national experts.

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