Three NBDLers in NBA Playoffs
April 18, 2002 - NBA G League (G League) News Release
NEW YORK, N.Y., April 18, 2002 - Three players who competed in the National Basketball Development League's inaugural season have been included on NBA team rosters for 2002 NBA Playoffs. NBA teams are required to submit a list of players eligible to compete in playoff games on the day following the end of the regular season. There is no injured list for NBA playoff teams. Each team must designate the 12 players eligible for the playoffs from all of its regular season rosters.
At the end of the 2001-02 regular season, NBA teams had called up eight NBDL players, and seven NBDL players were on NBA rosters (both active and injured).
NBDL Players in the 2002 NBA Playoffs:
New Jersey Nets guard Anthony Johnson from the NBDL's Mobile (Ala.) Revelers:
· Johnson averaged 11.9 ppg on .462 shooting with 2.9 apg and 3.1 rpg over 26.3 mpg in 15 games (13 starts) with the Mobile Revelers
· Johnson signed the first of two consecutive 10-Day Contracts with the New Jersey Nets on January 7 becoming the first player to sign a 10-Day Contract with an NBA team this season
· The Nets signed Johnson for the remainder of the NBA Season on January 28, 2002
· He was the third player called up to the NBA from the NBDL during the inaugural season
· Johnson averaged 2.8 ppg on .411 shooting with 1.4 apg over 10.8 mpg in 34 games with New Jersey
Seattle SuperSonics forward Ansu Sesay from the NBDL Champion Greenville (S.C.) Groove:
· Sesay, the NBDL's MVP, averaged 13.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.5 apg over 30.1 mpg in 45 games (41 starts) with the Greenville Groove
· The Seattle SuperSonics signed Sesay to a 10-Day Contract on March 29 and signed him for the remainder of the season on April 8
· Sesay averaged 6.4 ppg on .500 shooting with 2.2 rpg over 15.8 mpg in nine games with the Sonics
Utah Jazz guard Rusty LaRue from the NBDL's Asheville (N.C.) Altitude:
· LaRue averaged 12.1 ppg on .442 shooting with 2.8 apg and 2.6 rpg over 28.0 mpg in 26 games (17 starts) for the Asheville Altitude
· LaRue, a member of the 1998 NBA Champion Chicago Bulls, signed the first of two 10-Day Contracts with the Utah Jazz on January 28, 2002
· He was signed for the remainder of the 2001-02 season on February 21, 2002
· LaRue was the fourth NBDL player called up to the NBA this season
· LaRue averaged 5.8 ppg on .395 shooting with 2.2 apg and 1.5 rpg over 16.4 mpg in 33 games with the Jazz
The NBDL, the NBA's minor league, includes the Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), North Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Mobile Revelers (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.), Greenville Groove (S.C.), 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. Eight NBDL players were called up to the NBA during the NBDL's inaugural season. The NBDL serves as a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 29 teams and as a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions in each NBDL city.
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