Thunderbirds coach to participate in Haier Shooting Stars competition
February 14, 2007 - NBA G League (G League)
New Mexico Thunderbirds News Release
Albuquerque, N.M., Feb. 14, 2007 - Albuquerque Thunderbirds head coach and Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper will represent Team Los Angeles in the Haier Shooting Stars competition will be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by EA SPORTSâ¢, Feb. 17 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Four teams of three players will compete for the title. In the first round, defending champion San Antonio will face Team Chicago, while Team Detroit and Team Los Angeles square off, pitting rivals Cooper and former Pistons great Bill Lambeer.
Team Los Angeles, the runner-up in last year's contest, consists of Lakers forward Lamar Odom, Sparks guard and 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year Temeka Johnson and Cooper, a member of five Lakers' Championship teams.
The San Antonio team consists of NBA All-Star Tony Parker, Silver Stars forward Kendra Wecker and Hall of Famer George Gervin. Team Chicago is comprised of Bulls guard Ben Gordon, Sky forward Candice Dupree and seven-time All-Star Scottie Pippen. Representing Detroit are All-Star and 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, Shock forward Swin Cash and Lambeer, the WNBA Shock head coach and four-time NBA All-Star.
The Haier Shooting Stars Competition features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one NBA legend on each team. There are six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time. Each team will select a specific player rotation to follow throughout the competition. Each shot must be made before the next player begins shooting in succession. Teams have up to two minutes to complete the entire shooting course and the team that completes all six shots in the least amount of time is the winner. In the case of a tie, a shoot-off will be used to determine the winner.
The Haier Shooting Stars will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by EA Sportsâ¢, which will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Slam Dunk and Playstation® Skills Challenge. TNT and ESPN Radio's national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from Thomas & Mack Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
The D-League All-Star game will be held on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session, presented by adidas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The game will tip off at 3 p.m. MT and will be televised live on NBA TV.
The 2007 Gillette D-League All-Star Game in association with 24 Hour Fitness will air live on NBA TV. NBA TV is available through several of the nation's top cable and satellite companies, including Comcast; Time Warner; Cox; Cablevision; Bright House; DIRECTV; and DISH Network. NBA TV can be seen in 65 other countries, including France, Russia, Spain, Israel, the Philippines and Uruguay, as well as in Hong Kong and throughout the Middle East.
The NBA D-League includes 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 D-Fenders, Sioux Falls Skyforce (S.D.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.). Expansion teams have already been awarded to Orem, Utah and the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas for the 2007-08 season.
The D-League continues to develop talent from across all disciplines' for the NBA's 30 teams and the entire NBA umbrella. Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the D-League also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. For additional information on the NBA Development League, visit NBADLEAGUE.com.
For information on premium seating and general information about the Albuquerque Thunderbirds call (505) 265-DUNK or log on to www.abqtbirds.com.
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