Nine NBDL Alumni Make NBA Rosters
October 28, 2003 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C., October 28, 2003 â Nine players who were on National Basketball Development League rosters over the last two seasons are members of NBA opening day rosters to start the 2003-04 season. Six were on NBDL rosters last season.
The list includes both players who have been named NBDL Most Valuable Players in the first two seasons, 2003 MVP Devin Brown at San Antonio and 2002 MVP Ansu Sesay at Seattle. Brown helped lead Fayetteville to the regular season title last season and Sesay led the way for Greenville to capture the 2002 NBDL Championship.
The nine players have played a combined total of 274 NBDL games, an average of just over 30 per player. Four of the current six NBDL teams have at least one former player on an NBA roster.
Six former NBDL stars are on active rosters and three are opening the season on the injured list. Those on the active roster include Bobby Simmons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Mike Wilks with the Houston Rockets, Chris Andersen with the Denver Nuggets, Rafer Alston with the Miami Heat, Anthony Johnson with the Indiana Pacers and Sesay.
The three players opening the season on injured lists include Jeff Trepagnier at Denver (left ankle sprain), Damone Brown at New Jersey (back spasms) and Devin Brown (left patella tendonitis).
Following is the list of former NBDL players on NBA opening day rosters:
Player NBA Team NBDL Team
Rafer Alston Miami Heat Mobile Revelers
Chris Andersen Denver Nuggets Fayetteville Patriots
Damone Brown* New Jersey Nets North Charleston Lowgators
Devin Brown* San Antonio Spurs Fayetteville Patriots
Anthony Johnson Indiana Pacers Mobile Revelers
Ansu Sesay Seattle Supersonics Greenville Groove
Bobby Simmons Los Angeles Clippers Mobile Revelers
Jeff Trepagnier* Denver Nuggets Asheville Altitude
Mike Wilks Houston Rockets Huntsville Flight
*on injured list
The NBDL, the NBA's minor league, includes the Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), North Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), 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 NBA's umbrella. Eighteen (18) players have been called up the NBA on 22 separate occasions. Four former NBDL coaches and six referees have also been called up to the NBA since the start of the league's inaugural season in November 2001.
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 NBA'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.
NBA G League Stories from October 28, 2003
- Wizards Invite Eight From Free Agent Camp - Dakota Wizards
- Staples Allocated to Dazzle - Roanoke Dazzle
- Nine NBDL Alumni Make NBA Rosters - G League
- Altitude Begin the Sale of Individual Game Tickets - Asheville Altitude
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