Over 100 former D-Leaguers featured on NBA Summer League roster
July 10, 2009 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
NEW YORK, July 10, 2009 - An all-time high 108 players with NBA Development League experience will highlight the rosters of the 22 teams competing at the 2009 NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports when the desert classic tips off in Las Vegas this afternoon. The event features 55 games played over 10 days at the Cox Pavilion and Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
The New York Knicks' summer league roster features eight players with NBA D-League experience, the most of any NBA team playing in Las Vegas, while the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs each have seven former NBA D-Leaguers on their summer league squads. Each of the other 19 NBA teams playing in Las Vegas have at least one player with NBA D-League experience on their summer league team. For the first time, a team comprised of 10 NBA D-League players, The NBA D-League Select Team, joins the NBA Summer League.
"The more than 100 players on Summer League rosters are a true testament to the successes the NBA D-League has seen over the last eight years," said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. "It is extremely encouraging to look at these rosters and see players who took advantage of the NBA D-League to further their professional basketball careers."
New Orleans Hornets center Courtney Sims, the 2009 NBA D-League Most Valuable Player headlines the list of players with NBA D-League experience. Sims, who played for the Iowa Energy last season, averaged 22.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 32 games and earned three GATORADE Call-Ups to the Phoenix Suns and the Knicks.
Of the 108 players, 26 earned GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA during their NBA D-League career, including three members of the Knicks (Blake Ahearn, Joe Crawford and Mouhamed Sene) and Raptors (Quincy Douby, Demetris Nichols and Smush Parker).
A number of coaches with NBA D-League experience will also be on the benches in Las Vegas. Current Austin Toros head coach Quin Snyder will work with the San Antonio Spurs, while Tulsa 66ers head coach Nate Tibbets will sit on the Oklahoma City Thunder's bench. Additionally, Los Angeles D-Fenders assistant coach Chucky Brown will helm the Lakers summer league team, and be assisted by fellow D-Fenders coach Rashid Hazard.
In addition, a total of 34 players with NBA D-League experience played for the six NBA teams participating in the Orlando Pro Summer League, 14 of whom also will play in Las Vegas. Standout performers in Orlando included Jeremy Richardson and Richard Hendrix, playing for the Magic, who averaged 12 and 10 points, respectively. A trio of former NBA D-Leaguers led the Boston Celtics team, as Coby Karl averaged 13 points, Bill Walker averaged 12.7 points and J.R. Giddens averaged 12.5 points during the event.
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