Thunderbirds announce home schedule
July 18, 2006 - NBA G League (G League)
New Mexico Thunderbirds News Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 18, 2006 The 2005-06 NBA Development League Champion Albuquerque Thunderbirds will begin the defense of their title with a pair of home games on Thanksgiving Weekend. Opening weekend will feature games on November 25th and 26th against the Austin Toros and Anaheim Arsenal (Coached by former Thunderbirds Assistant Coach Larry Smith).
I can hardly wait for the season to get started. Tingley Coliseum will definitely be rocking on November 24th as the Thunderbirds begin the defense of their Championship. Fans will be able to vote for All-Stars and we will have an extra game next season so more people will have a chance to cheer on the T-Birds. Team President, Billy Widner.
With seven new markets and 12 teams for 2006-07, the D-League will be divided into divisions for the first time. The Arkansas RimRockers, Austin Toros, Dakota Wizards, Fort Worth Flyers, Sioux Falls Skyforce and Tulsa 66ers will comprise the Eastern Division. The Albuquerque Thunderbirds, Anaheim Arsenal, Bakersfield Jam, Colorado 14ers, Idaho Stampede and Los Angeles make up the Western Division.
The expanded league will also expand their schedule to fifty games with 72 percent of the total scheduled home games being played on the weekend. Weekend games have proven to be preferable to D-League fans in their search for affordable, family entertainment options.
The 2006-2007 season will also include the MLK showcase once again at a yet to be determined location and the D-League will play the inaugural NBA Development League All-Star Game during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. The NBA D-League All-Star Game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 17 immediately following practices for the East and West NBA All-Star Teams. Teams representing the Eastern and Western Divisions of the D-League will be selected by a vote that includes fans, as well as D-League players and coaches. D-League All-Star Game voting procedures will be finalized and released in the near future. The head coach of the team with the best record in each division two weeks prior to the All-Star game will coach the teams. D-League fans will be able to watch their favorite stars live on NBA-TV.
Thunderbirds 200607 season tickets are already on sale and can be purchased at abqtbirds.com or at Thunderbirds Front Office. For premium or group seating call the Thunderbirds office at (505) 265-DUNK.
The D-League continues to develop talent from across all disciplines for the NBAs 30 teams and the entire NBA umbrella. This season, 19 NBA teams assigned 29 players to D-League affiliates. There were also 18 GATORADE Call-Ups from the D-League to the NBA. Additionally, every referee hired by the NBA since 2002 has worked in the D-League, while coaches, athletic trainers and front office executives are also being developed.
The NBA D-League is composed of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Anaheim Arsenal (Calif.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Bakersfield Jam (Calif.), Colorado 14ers (Broomfield), Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, N.D.), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Idaho Stampede (Boise), Los Angeles, Sioux Falls Skyforce (S.D.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. For additional information on the NBA Development League, visit NBADLEAGUE.com.
For more information about the Albuquerque Thunderbirds call (505) 265-DUNK or log on to www.abqtbirds.com.
NBA G League Stories from July 18, 2006
- Stampede release NBA development league schedule - Idaho Stampede
- Toros Announce 2006-07 Schedule - Austin Spurs
- Skyforce releases 2006-07 schedule - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Thunderbirds announce home schedule - New Mexico Thunderbirds
- Tulsa 66ers Release 06-07 Schedule - Tulsa 66ers
- Colorado 14ers, NBA D-League Unveil 2006-07 Schedule - Colorado 14ers
- All-Star Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend highlights D-League schedule - G League
- Stampede release NBA Development League schedule - Idaho Stampede
- Anaheim Arsenal Names Larry Smith as Head Coach - Anaheim Arsenal
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
