CBA alums to battle in NBA All-Star Game
Published on February 13, 2004 under Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release
Boise, ID (February 13, 2004) â Former CBA Head Coach Flip Saunders, the fifth winningest coach in CBA history, will lead the NBA's Western Conference All-Stars against former CBA player Rick Carlisle and the Eastern Conference Squad on Sunday, February 15 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The All-Star appearances are the first for both head coaches.
Saunders, who was 253-137 over seven seasons in the CBA, has led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 37-15 mark this season, earning him the Western Conference coaching honors. In eight seasons in Minnesota, he has compiled 359 career NBA coaching victories, ranking him 33rd on the NBA's all-time win list.
Before receiving his opportunity with the Timberwolves, the University of Minnesota alum was twice named the CBA Coach of the Year (1989, 1992 â both with La Crosse), won two CBA All-Star games (1994, 1995) and won two CBA Championships (1990, 1992 â both with La Crosse). His 253 wins and .649 winning percentage ranks him fifth all-time in both CBA coaching victories and top winning percentages, while his 35-26 CBA playoff record ranks him sixth in playoff victories. He led his teams to seven consecutive seasons of 30 or more victories and was also responsible for 23 CBA-to-NBA player call-ups.
Carlisle, who is 39-14 in his first season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, averaged 17.3 points and 2.3 assists per game for the Albany Patroons, in six games played in 1987-88, before he went on to play in 26 games for the New York Knicks that season. Now in his third season as an NBA head coach, Carlisle has compiled an overall record of 138-78 (.639 winning percentage), including back-to-back 50-win seasons with the Detroit Pistons, two Central Division Championships, a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, and a Coach of the Year honor in 2002.
Also taking part in this weekend's NBA All-Star festivities are former CBA guards Voshon Lenard and Earl Boykins, both from the Denver Nuggets. Lenard, who will be competing in the Footlocker Three-Point Shootout on Saturday night, February 14, played 18 games with the Oklahoma City Cavalry during the 1995-96 season, averaging 30.1 points while making 4.9 three-pointers per game before getting a call-up to the Miami Heat. In his eight seasons in the NBA, the University of Minnesota alum has made 801 of 2058 (.389 percent) career three-point attempts, and has an NBA career scoring average of 11.9 points per game. He is a Team Captain with the Nuggets this season and is averaging a career-high 15.8 points per game.
Boykins, who will compete in the 989 Sports Skills Challenge on Saturday, played for the Rockford Lightning during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons, holding career CBA averages of 12.9 points and 5.8 assists per game in 47 games played. The Eastern Michigan alum is currently having his best season as an NBA player with 10.6 points and 3.8 assists per contest.
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