Turner Sports' 26th Season Kicks Off in 84 Days

Does Michael Vick Deserve A Second Chance?

Everybody is fussing over the return of Michael Vick to the NFL. This country sends a clear message that if your not Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton or a Lindsey Lohan you don't deserve a second chance. The message is clear that if you are a black man and make a mistake, it's "off with your head." This country has a history of being forgiven to chosen few and treating others like a plague. I personally think he's worth a second chance, what do you think?

PRO SPORTS LEAGUES AND NCAA FILE

The four major professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL and the NHL) and
the NCAA today filed a complaint against the state of Delaware in federal
court in Wilmington, DE seeking to stop the state from offering single-game
betting on pro and college games.

The leagues and the NCAA assert that the state’s recently announced
decision to offer single-game betting as part of the 2009 Delaware Sports
Lottery violates federal law. The Professional and Amateur Sports
Protection Act (“PASPA”) became law in 1992 and prohibits states from
operating a lottery or betting scheme based on pro or college games.

Four states, including Delaware, were grandfathered in the legislation
since they had previously operated sports betting. The exception only
applies to the type of wagering scheme that occurred in the states from
January 1, 1976 through August 31, 1990.

Delaware did not conduct single-game wagering during its 1976 sports
lottery, which was limited to parlay bets on NFL games. The PASPA
exception does not permit Delaware to now conduct single-game wagers on the
NFL or wagering on sports other than the NFL, the lawsuit states.

The leagues and the NCAA recognize that Delaware has many pressing economic
issues but more legalized single-game wagering presents a direct threat to
the integrity of their games and long-term health of their sports.

Labron James gets dunked on by Jordan Crawford

HD: Jordan Crawford Dunks On LeBron James - Funny bloopers R us

Mike Krzyzewski To Return In 2010-2012 For Second Run With USA Basketball

USA Basketball Men’s National Team coaching staff of head coach Mike
Krzyzewski (Duke University), and assistants Jim Boeheim (Syracuse
University), Mike D’Antoni (New York Knicks) and Nate McMillan (Portland
Trail Blazers), a staff that led the American men to gold at the 2008
Beijing Olympics and a three year record of 36-1, will return intact to
lead the USA Basketball Men’s National Team program in 2010-2012.

USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo officially announced today
that Basketball Hall of Fame mentor Krzyzewski will return as head coach of
the USA Basketball Men's National Team program for 2010-2012, and that
Boeheim, D’Antoni and McMillan were returning as USA assistant coaches.
The coaching selections were approved by USA Basketball’s Board of
Directors and are pending final approval by the USOC Board of Directors.

Over the course of 2010-2012, USA Men’s National Teams will compete
in the 2010 FIBA World Championship (Aug. 28-Sept. 12 in Turkey); if
necessary the 2011 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and
site TBD); and if the USA qualifies, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games (July
26-Aug. 12 in London, England).

USA Basketball announced on June 25 that 25 top rising NBA players
had accepted invitations from to participate in the 2009 USA Basketball
Men’s National Team mini-camp that will be conducted July 22-25 in Las
Vegas, Nev. USA Basketball also previously announced that the coaching
staff for the mini-camp would be Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano,
Utah Jazz assistant coach Tyrone Corbin, Detroit Pistons assistant Dave
Cowens, former New Orleans Hornets assistant Kenny Gattison, and Minnesota
Timberwolves assistant Jerry Sichting.

The July USA Basketball Men’s National Team mini-camp will feature
practice sessions on July 23 and July 24 at Valley High School, and the
mini-camp will be capped by the USA Basketball Showcase, a Blue-White
intra-squad game, on Saturday, July 25, 8 p.m. (PDT) at the Thomas & Mack
Center on the campus of UNLV.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2009 USA Basketball Showcase, with
seats priced at $10 to $75. Tickets can be purchased through
www.UNLVtickets.com or 702-739-FANS.

NBA BASKETBALL RETURNS TO BEIJING IN OCTOBER

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports today announced that the NBA will return to Beijing when the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers tip off at the Wukesong Arena on Oct. 11. The game will mark the opening of the refurbished Wukesong Arena, formerly known as the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena. This will be the NBA’s eighth preseason game played in Greater China and the third game played in Beijing.

The game at the Wukesong Arena, capacity 17,022, will showcase two talented teams and some of the NBA’s best players. The Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals this past season and are led by two-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony and the 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups. The Pacers are led by NBA All-Star Danny Granger who was the winner of the NBA’s 2008-09 Most Improved Player award presented by Kia Motors and the fifth leading scorer in the league this season. The Denver Nuggets Dancers and mascot Rocky along with the Indiana Pacers Power Pack – a dunk and interactive squad, and mascot Boomer, will accompany the teams to Beijing to provide fans with an authentic NBA game experience.

As part of the league’s commitment to social responsibility, NBA Cares will conduct community events in Beijing designed to positively impact the city and its youth. Since it began in 2005, NBA Cares has built a total of 17 Learn and Play Centers in China and more than 425 places where kids and families can Live, Learn or Play in 20 countries across five continents.

The game in Beijing is the fifth preseason game the NBA has announced it will play outside the United States and Canada this October. The Nuggets and Pacers will play the NBA’s first-ever game in Taipei on Oct. 8. NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS will feature the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz in London on Oct. 6 and the Jazz against the Euroleague’s Real Madrid in Madrid on Oct. 8. NBA Mexico Game 2009 will feature the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers in Monterrey, Mexico on Oct. 18. To date, the NBA has staged a total of 93 games outside of the U.S. and Canada in 31 cities in 16 countries and territories.

In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to stage games in China, with two games between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing. NBA China Games 2007 featured three games between the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic and the Team China All-Stars in Shanghai and Macao. Last October, NBA China Games 2008 featured the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors playing in Guangzhou and Beijing.

NBA SUMMER LEAGUE 2009 - Las Vegas

NBA Summer League presented by EA SPORTS today
announced the launch of NBA SUMMER LEAGUE BROADBAND, a new subscription
service offering fans a full slate of live NBA Summer League game webcasts
on NBA.com/summerleague.

NBA SUMMER LEAGUE BROADBAND will allow fans to see some of the newest NBA
stars while following their favorite NBA teams as they compete in the
hottest summer basketball action in Las Vegas. For a price of $14.99 and
beginning on July 10, fans will have access to all 55 games on a live basis
as well as on a video-on-demand basis for up to one week following the
conclusion of the league’s final game.

To subscribe, fans may log onto NBA.com/summerleague beginning today and
follow the links for NBA SUMMER LEAGUE BROADBAND.

NBA.com’s on-line coverage of NBA Summer League will be complemented by
live studio programming on NBA TV. NBA GameTime will feature expert
analysis from NBA TV host Andre Aldridge and analysts Steve Smith and Eric
Snow who will showcase the players, stories and news that develop this
summer. NBA Insider David Aldridge will also contribute to the network’s
coverage. Shows will air beginning on Wednesday, July 8 and will air daily
beginning on Friday, July 10. On-demand video clips of the studio
programming will be available on NBA.com.

This year’s NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports will feature 21 NBA
teams, including the 2009 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, competing in a
55-game schedule. A team of NBA Development League Select players will also
participate in the action taking place at the Thomas & Mack Center and the
COX Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

NBA Updates (March 16, 2009)

JAMES, BRYANT EARN WEEKLY HONORS

The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played March 9-15. James was second in the league in points (34.0 ppg) and assists (10.8), and added 8.8 rpg, as the Cavaliers went 4-0 and clinched the Central Division title for the second time in franchise history (1975-76). Bryant paced the Western Conference in scoring (28.5 ppg) and added 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, leading the Lakers to a 3-1 week.

Stats & Stuff

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich will become the 24th head coach in NBA history to have coached in 1,000 games tonight when the Spurs play at Oklahoma City. Popovich is the third winningest coach at the 1,000-game mark (675-323), trailing only Phil Jackson (721-279) and Pat Riley (716-284). Popovich's .676 regular season winning percentage ranks third all time, sitting behind Jackson (.705) and Billy Cunningham (.698). Among those who have coached 1,000 NBA games, Popovich is one of seven to have reached the 1,000-game mark with the same franchise. The others are Jerry Sloan (Utah), Red Auerbach (Boston), John MacLeod (Phoenix), Red Holzman (New York), Al Attles (Golden State) and Gene Shue (Washington).

Phoenix recorded the highest point total in the NBA this season in a 154-130 victory over Golden State yesterday; the Suns scored 56 fast-break points, the most since 1997, when the league began to track the stat. The Suns and Warriors combined for league-high 284 points this season. Denver ranks sixth in the NBA in assists (21.9 apg), putting the Nuggets on pace for the fifth straight season in which they would rank in the top 10 in that category. The catalysts behind Denver's assisting success are Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter. Billups ranks 17th in the league in assists (6.2 apg), while Carter's 4.7 apg are the most in the NBA among players seeing fewer than 24.0 minutes per game. Portland is the only team with both members of its starting backcourt ranking among the NBA's top 20 in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Steve Blake is fifth in the league at 3.29, while Brandon Roy comes in at 2.65. Memphis' O.J. Mayo leads the Grizzlies and all rookies in scoring at 18.7 points per game and could become the ninth guard in the last 25 years to average 19 points per game in his rookie season. Mayo has made 115 of the Grizzlies' 301 three-pointers, 38.2 percent of the team's makes this season, which is the highest percentage in the NBA. Orlando's Dwight Howard leads the NBA in blocked shots (2.9 bpg) and in rebounding (14.0 rpg). Only four players in NBA history have led the league in both categories in the same season. (1973-74 was the first season blocks were kept as an official statistic.)

Howard is attempting to join: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, (1975-76 -- 16.9 rpg, 4.12 bpg), Bill Walton (1976-77 -- 14.4 rpg., 3.25 bpg), Hakeem Olajuwon (1989-90 -- 14.0 rpg, 4.59 bpg) and Ben Wallace (2001-02 -- 13.0 rpg, 3.48 bpg). The youngest player to pace the league in blocked shots since they were kept as an official stat was Marcus Camby in 1997-98 (24 years and 28 days old). If Howard should lead the league in that category, he would do so at 23 years and 128 days old. Since the 2004-05 season, Howard has recorded 21 20-point/20-rebound games. The next highest total during that span belongs to Kevin Garnett, who has recorded eight.

Should Chicago rookie guard Derrick Rose help lead the Bulls into this year's playoffs, he would become the sixth overall No. 1 pick since 1980-81 season to make his playoff debut as a rookie. Each of the previous times, the rookie was a big man: Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston in 1984-85), David Robinson (San Antonio in 1989-90), Chris Webber (Golden State in 1993-94), Tim Duncan (San Antonio in 1997-98), Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee in 2005-06) and Andrea Bargnani (Toronto in 2006-07). Atlanta's Joe Johnson has scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games.

During that stretch, Johnson is averaging 31.3 points, while shooting .527 from the field, .435 from the three-point line and .909 from the charity stripe. On the season, Johnson ranks 16th in scoring (21.6 ppg). Over his last four games, Denver's Renaldo Balkman is averaging 13.5 points and 12.3 rebounds (5.5 offensive), while shooting .575 from the field. Over his last 16 games, the L.A. Lakers' Lamar Odom is averaging 12.8 rebounds.





Today's Quote

TIGER WOODS, handicapping the NBA MVP race:

"D-Wade has now gotten himself into the conversation. He's doing more with less, obviously. But I think it's probably going to come down to LeBron and Kobe ... You can't take anything away from D-Wade. But MVPs are usually given to the guys who actually have a better supporting cast, for some reason."

David Stern on Bill Davidson's Passing...!

NBA COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN STATEMENT

REGARDING THE PASSING OF BILL DAVIDSON

NBA Commissioner David Stern issued thefollowing statement today regarding the passing of Detroit Pistons ownerBill Davidson:"Over the last 35 years, Bill Davidson's impact on the sports world and theNBA in particular has truly been legendary. From his seven championshipsin three different leagues during his Hall of Fame career to his incrediblebusiness successes to his extraordinary community service, Bill set astandard for ownership in sports that will be difficult for anyone tomatch. The NBA family has lost an innovative thinker, a visionarybusinessman and most importantly, a trusted friend. I want to extend ourcondolences to Karen and the entire Davidson family during this time.

Bill's influence on our league will never be forgotten."

Lakers Lamar Odom Suspended

LOS ANGELES LAKERS’ LAMAR ODOM SUSPENDED NEW YORK

Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers has been suspended one game without pay for leaving the immediate vicinity of the bench during an altercation, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with two seconds remaining in the third quarter of the Portland Trail Blazers’ 111-94 victory over the Lakers at Rose Garden in Portland last night. Odom will serve his suspension tomorrow night when the Lakers face the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

Mark BroussardSenior Director, NBA CommunicationsPh: 212.407.8580Fax: 646.264.4030Fan Night - The votes are in for NBA TV Fan Night: Dallas at Phoenix,Tuesday night 10 PM (ET). Log on to NBA.com each week to cast your votefor the game you want to see.

NBA TV - The Game Happens Here.http://www.nba.com/

AS WEATHER WARMS, RACES HEAT UP

Remember all those tight races in the Eastern and Western conferences last season? If you can't, don't worry, because they're taking place once more. With the regular season approaching its final month of games, a glance at the standings shows several thistight conference and divisional races. In the Western Conference's Northwest Division, one-half game separates the top three teams Utah (41-24), Portland (40-24) and Denver (41-25). The top four teams in the Southwest Division -- San Antonio (43-20), Houston (42-24), New Orleans (40-23) and Dallas (40-25) -- are separated by four games.

On this date last season, only 3 1/2 games stood between those same four Southwest teams, with the same one-through-four order -- San Antonio (44-19), Houston (43-20), New Orleans (42-20) and Dallas (41-23).

Also, on this date last season, Boston was 50-20 and attempting to fend off Detroit 46-17, which trailed the Celtics by 4 1/2 games, for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers (45-19) had a one-half game lead over San Antonio (44-19), and only five games stood between the first and eight seeds.

The top seed in the East is up for grabs, again, with 3 1/2 games separating Cleveland (50-13), Boston (49-16) and Orlando (47-17). And in jostling for seeding position in the Western Conference, Houston, the current third seed, has only a 1 1/2-game lead over Dallas, which is currently the eighth seed.





Stats & Stuff

The Los Angeles Lakers rank first in the NBA in scoring (108.3 ppg), while Golden State ranks second (108.0 ppg). Since moving to L.A., the Lakers have led the NBA in scoring four times (1965-66, 1971-72, 1985-86, 1997-98). Additionally, the Lakers rank third in point differential, winning by an average of 7.9 points.

On March 16 at Oklahoma City, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich will become the 24th head coach in NBA history to have coached in 1,000 games. He is the third winningest coach at the 1,000-game mark (672-322), trailing only Phil Jackson (721-279) and Pat Riley (716-284).

Popovich's .676 regular season winning percentage ranks third all time, sitting behind Jackson (.704) and Billy Cunningham (.698). Miami's Dwyane Wade, who scored 32 points in Miami's 107-99 win over Boston last night, broke his own franchise record by reaching double digits in scoring for the 79th straight game, and tied another team mark with his 20th straight game scoring at least 20 points.

Wade's 9,439 career points leave him 21 shy of passing Alonzo Mourning to become the Heat's all-time scoring leader ... By virtue of last night's win, the Heat owns a 20-game improvement over last season, besting the previous franchise record for biggest improvement in a season of 19 during the 1996-97 (61-21) season following the 1995-96 season when Miami registered a 42-40 mark. The Heat is the 23rd team to win at least 20 more games from one season to the next.

Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal ranks sixth all time in career scoring with 27,322 points. Moses Malone is next on the list with 27,409 points. Based on his current scoring average of 18.2 points, O'Neal will need five games to pass Malone for fifth place. Wilt Chamberlain ranks fourth all time with 31,419 points.

Charlotte's Raymond Felton is averaging 17.3 points and 9.0 assists over his last four games, recording back-to-back double-doubles on March 6-7. Felton has averaged 15.4 points and 7.8 assists over the 17 games played since the start of February. On the season, Felton is averaging 13.9 points and 6.8 assists in 64 games (63 starts). Milwaukee's Charlie Villanueva is averaging career highs in points (16.7 ppg; previous high is 13.0 ppg), rebounds (6.9 rpg; 6.4 rpg), and assists (1.9 apg; 1.1 apg). His average of 26.9 minutes is the second-highest total of his career (29.1 mpg).

In the 47 games that the Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon has started, he is averaging 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point land. In the first 13 games of the year when Gordon came off the bench, he averaged 4.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists in 13.6 minutes per game.






Today's Quote

ERIK SPOELSTRA, on Dwyane Wade:

"He's got an incredible will to win. You hear people throw that out there, not really sure what that means. But it's an absolute will to impact every possession to help the team win."

Miami Herald, March 12, 2009

INNOVATIVE 2009 PLAYOFF FORMAT

The NBA Development League announced today it has implemented an innovative new format for this year’s playoffs, which are set to begin as early as April 13.

For the first time, eight teams will qualify for the 2009 NBA D-League postseason, including the winners of the three divisions along with the five teams with the best regular season records, regardless of division.

New for the 2009 postseason, the three division winners will have the unique opportunity to select their first round opponent from the teams ranked five through eight. The top-seeded division winner will select its opponent first, with the second and third ranked division winners following in that order. The fourth seeded team will play the remaining team.

“One of our fundamental goals at the NBA D-League is to utilize our unique position to explore new and different ways to grow the game,” said Dan Reed, President of the NBA D-League. “We believe that these innovations will provide our fans with compelling matchups and action packed games.”

The first and second rounds of the 2009 NBA D-League playoffs will be one game each, while the Finals will be a best-of-three series. The first two rounds will be played on the higher seeds home floor, while the Finals will begin at the lower seed’s arena and finish at the higher seeds home court.

The 2008-09 NBA D-League regular seasons concludes on April 11.

The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams for the 2008-09 season. An expansion team will begin play in Portland, Maine for the 2009-10 season. Sixty former NBA Development League players were on 2008-09 NBA start-of-season rosters, and the league continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.

AND THE WINNERS ARE ...

The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade and the Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors, respectively, for games played during February. Wade led the Eastern Conference in scoring (30.7 ppg) while shooting .502 from the field, and ranked second in assists (8.7 apg) and fourth in steals (2.0 spg). Gasol averaged 20.9 points on .586 shooting and 10.9 rebounds ? second in the Western Conference behind teammate Lamar Odom (13.4 rpg).

The Cleveland Cavaliers' Mike Brown and the Utah Jazz's Jerry Sloan today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in February. Brown led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference (9-3, .750), including wins over the Pistons, Spurs and Suns. Sloan guided Utah to an NBA-best 10-1 (.909) mark, the best record in team history during February.

The New Jersey Nets' Brook Lopez and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook today were named the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in February. Lopez ranked first among Eastern Conference rookies in points per game (15.9), rebounds per game (8.5), field goal percentage (.610) and blocks per game (1.7). Westbrook ranked first among rookies in scoring for the month (20.6 ppg), second in assists (5.9 apg), fifth in rebounds (6.1 rpg) and fourth in double-doubles (2).

The New Jersey Nets' Devin Harris and the New Orleans Hornets' David West today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Feb. 23-March 1. Harris led the Nets to a 2-1 week, pacing the league in scoring (35.7 ppg), and was second in the Eastern Conference in assists (9.3 apg) and minutes (42.7 mpg). West helped the Hornets to a 4-0 week, averaging a team-best 28.5 points to go along with 10.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

Stats & Stuff

Detroit, which had lost eight straight games, has won its last two -- road contests at Orlando and Boston. The Pistons are 15-14 on the road. Including the losses to the Pistons, the Magic and Celtics are a combined 47-12 at home. Since Tracy McGrady was lost for the season (microfracture knee surgery), Houston is 6-1. Since McGrady went down, Ron Artest is averaging 21.1 points on .491 shooting. For the season, Artest is averaging 16.6 points and shooting .399 from the field. Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 49 points in the Lakers' loss at Phoenix Sunday. It was Bryant's 96th career 40-point game. Only Wilt Chamberlain (271) and Michael Jordan (173) recorded more 40-point games. Dallas' Jason Kidd, who ranks fourth all time in career assist dished out 15 dimes vs. Toronto Saturday, including his 10,000th career assist. With 10,002 assists, Kidd trails only John Stockton (15,806), Mark Jackson (10,334) and Magic Johnson (10,141). At his current pace of 8.4 assists per game, Kidd can pass Johnson and move into third place before the season ends. Four players are averaging a points-rebounds double-double: the Los Angeles Clippers' Zach Randolph, Minnesota's Al Jefferson, Orlando's Dwight Howard and San Antonio's Tim Duncan. Over the past six games, Philadelphia's Andre Miller is averaging 21.5 points after averaging 13.0 points the five games prior. Miller has scored at least 20 points in 10 of the past 26 games after doing so six times the first 32 games of the season. In 26 games since Jan. 1, the Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon is averaging 20.3 points, the most of any rookie in that time period.

Today's Quote

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, who has scored 78 points and converted 33-of-43 shots over his last two games:

"A lot of people thought I lost it. It's kind of funny to me. When I say I'm injured, no one really believes me. Last year I was injured. This year I'm feeling pretty good."

Arizona Republic, March 2, 2009







MIAMI'S WADE AND LOS ANGELES LAKERS’ GASOL NAMED
NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and the Los Angeles
Lakers’ Pau Gasol today were named the Eastern and Western Conference
Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors, respectively, for games
played during February.

Wade led the Eastern Conference in scoring (30.7 ppg) while shooting .502
from the field, and ranked second in assists (8.7 apg) and fourth in steals
(2.0 spg), as the Heat went 6-6. Wade scored at least 20 points in every
game and on Feb. 22, he tallied a career-high 50 points at Orlando. He
paced the Heat in scoring 11 times and in assists 10.

Gasol helped the Lakers to an 11-2 record in February that included
back-to-back wins at Boston and at Cleveland. Gasol averaged 20.9 points
on .586 shooting and 10.9 rebounds – second in the Western Conference
behind teammate Lamar Odom (13.4 rpg).

Here is a closer look at the month for Wade and Gasol:

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Feb. 22 @ Orlando: Scored career-high 50 points in a 122-99 loss.
Feb. 24 vs. Detroit: Tallied 31 points and a career-high 16 assists in a
103-91 victory.
Feb. 28 vs. New York: Recorded 46 points – 24 in the fourth -- 10 assists
and eight boards in a 120-115 win.

Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
Feb. 5 @ Boston: Recorded 24 points and 14 rebounds in a 110-109 victory.
Feb. 8 @ Cleveland: Tallied 18 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in a
101-91 win.
Feb. 17 vs. Atlanta: Recorded 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his
third career in a 96-83 win.

Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month
presented by Kia Motors were Boston’s Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo,
Charlotte’s Boris Diaw, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Golden State’s Stephen
Jackson, Houston’s Yao Ming, Milwaukee’s Ramon Sessions, New Jersey’s Devin
Harris, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Utah’s Deron Williams.

The Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia
Motors are part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA
Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The series, currently in its
second season, is part of a multiyear marketing partnership between Kia
Motors America and the NBA, and includes four of the league’s most
prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player
of the Year, Sixth Man Award, and Most Improved Player. As part of its
support of the Performance Awards, Kia Motors will donate a brand-new 2010
Borrego SUV or Sedona minivan to the charity of choice of each 2009 award
winner. For more information on the “The NBA Performance Awards Presented
by Kia Motors” visit www.NBA.com/performanceawards.


Tune in tonight as Dallas takes on Oklahoma City at 8 pm ET on NBA TV - The
Game Happens Here.

http://www.nba.com/




NEW JERSEY’S LOPEZ AND OKLAHOMA CITY’S WESTBROOK
NAMED T-MOBILE ROOKIES OF THE MONTH

The New Jersey Nets’ Brook Lopez and the Oklahoma
City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook today were named the Eastern and Western
Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in
February.

Lopez ranked first among Eastern Conference rookies in points per game
(15.9), rebounds per game (8.5), field goal percentage (.610) and blocks
per game (1.7). The first-year center, drafted 10th overall in 2008,
started all 10 games in February and posted three double-doubles.

Westbrook ranked first among rookies in scoring for the month (20.6 ppg),
second in assists (5.9 apg), fifth in rebounds (6.1 rpg) and fourth in
double-doubles (2). In addition, Westbrook scored 20 or more points six
times and 30 or more points three times. On Feb. 1, Westbrook had a
career-high 34 points at Sacramento including a career-high 20 free throws
made and on Feb. 21, had a career-high 13 field goals at Golden State.

Here is a recap of the month for both Lopez and Westbrook:

Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets

Feb. 3 vs. Milwaukee: Recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds, his first of
three double-doubles for the month, in a 99-85 win over the Bucks.
Feb. 4 Feb. 4 @ Washington: Tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds in a 115-88
win over the Wizards.
Feb. 8 @ Orlando: Posted 19 points and 12 rebounds in a 101-84 loss to the
Magic.
Feb. 17 @ Houston: Registered 21 points, nine rebounds and added four
blocks in an 88-114 loss to the Rockets.


Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Feb. 1 @ Sacramento: Scored a career-high 34 points and had six rebounds
and eight assists in a 122-118 OT loss to the Kings.
Feb. 11 @ Portland: Scored 21 points and added 12 assists in a 106-92 loss
to the Trailblazers.
Feb. 21 @ Golden State: Posted 31 points, five rebounds and 11 assists in
the Thunder’s 133-120 loss to the Warriors.
Feb. 27 @ Dallas: Registered 33 points, eight rebounds, and five assists
and two steals in a 110-108 OT loss to the Mavericks.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of
the Month were the Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Los Angeles Clippers’ Eric
Gordon, Memphis’ O.J. Mayo, and Miami’s Michael Beasley.

In support of a season-long effort to better the various youth communities
in Phoenix, the Host City of NBA All-Star 2009, T-Mobile will donate $20
per point scored on behalf of the players named the T-Mobile Rookies of the
Month. For the month of February, T-Mobile will donate $4940 on behalf of
the Thunder’s Westbrook and $3180 on behalf of the Nets’ Brook Lopez.

# # #

The donation is part of the overall T-Mobile Rookie Program and builds on
T-Mobile’s strong appeal to the nation’s youth as the official wireless
partner of the NBA. Other highlights of T-Mobile’s partnership with the NBA
include the T-Mobile Rookie of the Year, T-Mobile Rookie of the Month
Awards, and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star
competition between NBA rookies and second-year players. During NBA
All-Star 2009, T-Mobile and NBA Cares hosted more than 3,500 local students
from four school districts in Phoenix, to sit in the lower bowl of the
arena to watch this year’s T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday,
February 13.





NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE EXPANDS TO PORTLAND, MAINE
-TEAM TO BEGIN PLAY NEXT SEASON-

The NBA Development League has awarded an expansion team to Portland, Maine for the 2009-10 season, NBA D-League President Dan Reed announced today at a press conference at Portland High School. The team, which is the first expansion franchise awarded for the 2009-10 season, will play at the Portland Expo Center.

The franchise will be owned and operated by Maine Basketball, LLC, which is principally owned by Bill Ryan Sr., the chairman of TD Banknorth Group and Bill Ryan Jr., who owns and operates Oxford Plains Speedway. Jon Jennings, a partner in Maine Basketball, LLC and former Boston Celtics assistant coach, will serve as the team’s president and general manager.

Today’s announcement, the NBA D-League’s first foray into New England, was held in front of the school’s student body while featuring Reed, Celtics Team President Rich Gotham, the Celtics Dancers, and a speech by the Portland High Student Body President Brian Furey.

“Expansion to Portland is another example of the health and growth of the NBA D-League,” said Reed. “We are very pleased to add Bill Ryan Sr., Bill Ryan Jr., and Jon Jennings to our ownership ranks, as they bring a wealth of business, sports operations, and basketball experience on behalf of the team and the community. I’m confident that fans throughout the state of Maine will enjoy our world-class level of basketball featuring current and future NBA players, as well as appreciate the team's family-friendly environment, affordable prices, and positive impact on the Portland and Maine community."

“I’m overjoyed to bring NBA D-League basketball to Portland,” said Jennings. “We’ve already established strong relationships with the people of this community, and we can’t wait to get underway next season. I know that this team will have a long and exciting future in Maine.”

Portland will be affiliated with two NBA team parent-clubs, which will be able to assign their first and second year players to the club a maximum of three times during a season. Thus far, the 2008-09 NBA D-League season has had 22 NBA players assigned on 24 occasions to NBA D-League affiliates as players continue to develop their game. An announcement regarding Portland’s NBA team affiliations will occur during the offseason.

The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams. The league has produced 15 percent of the players on 2007-08 end-of-season NBA rosters and continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.






NBA AND WNBA HELP TEENS TAKE THEIR BEST SHOT AT HEALTH WITH
NEW VACCINES FOR TEENS EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN

- NBA All-Star Grant Hill and Three-Time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie Urge Teens
to Stay in the Game and Get Vaccinated -

The National Basketball Association (NBA)and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), in collaboration
with the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) and sanofi pasteur (the
vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group), today announced the
launch of Vaccines for Teens, a national multimedia campaign designed to
educate teens and their parents about the importance of vaccination
against serious, potentially life-threatening diseases.

Vaccines for Teens tipped off today at an event at Cordova Primary
School in Phoenix, Arizona with Grant Hill, a seven-time NBA All-Star
and member of the Phoenix Suns, who will serve as a spokesperson for the
campaign. Hill, who will appear in the nationally broadcast public
service announcement (PSA), was on hand for a special screening of the
initiative’s first PSA. The PSA will debut nationally during the Friday,
February 27 broadcast of the Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic game on
ESPN at 7:00 pm EST.

Along with the PSA featuring Hill, a version featuring Los Angeles
Sparks center Lisa Leslie will also air nationally while Detroit Pistons
guard Richard Hamilton and NBA Legend and Hall of Famer George Gervin
will appear in PSAs that will be distributed in Detroit and San Antonio
areas respectively.

“Just like on the basketball court, when it comes to protecting teen
health, the best offense is a good defense,” said Grant Hill, national
Vaccines for Teens spokesperson and Phoenix Suns guard. “Vaccination is
an easy way to help teens grow into healthy adults, so our hope is that
parents will speak with their child’s health-care provider about
immunization.”

Teens are at risk for meningococcal disease, influenza, and whooping
cough, which can spread from person to person during everyday
activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
other leading medical groups recommend vaccination for preteens and
teens against all three of these diseases.


“Although there are safe and effective vaccines available to help
protect preteens and teens from these serious and contagious diseases,
immunization rates still remain alarmingly low,” said Dr. Richard
Kreipe, President of SAM. “Clearly, educational programs are still
critical, and Vaccines for Teens will utilize the widespread popularity
of professional basketball to reach teens and their parents with these
potentially life-saving messages.”

Vaccines for Teens will roll out a series of additional initiatives as
part of the campaign, including educational materials distributed
through the league’s Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program, and a newly launched Web
site, www.vaccinesforteens.net, to educate teens and their parents and
encourage them to discuss immunization with their health care providers.

“Vaccines for Teens is a great complement to NBA Cares and WNBA Cares,
and our work with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that
support education, youth and family development, and health-related
causes,” said Kathy Behrens, NBA Executive Vice President, Social
Responsibility & Player Programs.

About Vaccine-Preventable Adolescent Diseases

Immunization is critically important for adolescents because they are at
risk for serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.
Additionally, immunity from some childhood vaccines, such as whooping
cough, may lessen over time, so teens who don’t receive a booster
vaccine may become vulnerable.

Meningococcal Disease / Meningococcal Meningitis

Meningococcal disease, including meningococcal meningitis, is a very
serious disease that strikes between 1,000 to 2,600 people each year in
the U.S., and can progress very quickly. The CDC recommends that all
preteens and teens receive one meningococcal vaccine shot at 11 through
18 years of age.

Influenza, or the “Flu”

Influenza is a viral infection that can become serious enough to keep
teens home from school, sports, and other activities. It can sometimes
result in a visit to the hospital or lead to serious complications like
pneumonia or even death. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months
through 18 years of age receive an annual flu vaccination.

Pertussis, Commonly Called “Whooping Cough”

Pertussis is one of the most common respiratory diseases in American
teens and adults and can be life-threatening if spread to infants. The
CDC recommends a single dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular
pertussis (Tdap) vaccine for people 11 through 64 years of age.

About the Vaccines for Teens Campaign
The NBA and the WNBA are collaborating with the Society for Adolescent
Medicine (SAM) and sanofi pasteur on Vaccines for Teens, a national
program designed to help educate parents and their teens about the
importance of getting vaccinated.

About NBA Cares

NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds
on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the
United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the
NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $97 million to
charity, provided more than 800,000 hours of hands-on service to
communities around the world, and created more than 350 places where
kids and families can live, learn, or play. NBA Cares works with
internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support
education, youth and family development, and health-related causes,
including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America,
UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on
HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

About WNBA Cares

Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs
that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis
on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image,
increase breast and women’s health awareness, support youth and family
development, and focus on education. For more information on the WNBA,
log onto www.wnba.com.

About the Society for Adolescent Medicine

The Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) is the only multi-disciplinary
organization of health professionals committed exclusively to advancing
the health of adolescents world-wide. We enhance public and
professional awareness of adolescent health issues through education,
research, clinical services, and advocacy activities. SAM also promotes
the training of professionals about the unique health needs of
adolescents. SAM’s members believe that pre-teens, teenagers and young
adults receive the most effective care from professionals who have
specialized training or experience in adolescent health issues. For
more information on SAM, log onto www.adolescenthealth.org.




NBA COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN STATEMENT
REGARDING THE PASSING OF LARRY MILLER

NBA Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement this evening regarding the passing of Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller:

"It is with great sadness that I offer condolences to Gail and the
Miller family on behalf of the entire NBA family. Larry's legacy extends
beyond the NBA as he touched many lives in the Salt Lake City region
through his business ventures and charitable endeavors. The NBA lost a
great leader, colleague and friend today. We will miss him."





LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS’ ZACH RANDOLPH SUSPENDED


Zach Randolph of the Los Angeles Clippers has been suspended two games without pay for striking Louis Amundson of the Phoenix Suns in the face, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, in which Randolph was assessed a Technical Foul and was also ejected, occurred with 32.3 seconds remaining in the first quarter of the Suns 140-100 victory over the Clippers at US Airways Center on Feb. 17.

Randolph will begin serving his suspension tonight when the Clippers host the Suns at Staples Center.

NBA All-Star 2009, Phoenix AZ

THIRD ANNUAL NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME PARTICIPANTS UNVEILED

Fifteen players with NBA experience highlight the rosters for the third annual NBA D-League All-Star Game which will be played on Feb. 14 at the NBA's All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. MT on Jam Session's Center Court and will be shown live on NBA TV.

Twenty of the NBA D-League's top players were selected to be All-Stars by a combination of fan balloting on nba.com/dleague and voting by the League's 16 head coaches. The selections were divided up into two 10-man teams, the Red Team and the Blue Team, by members of the NBA and NBA D-League's Basketball Operations staff. The Red Team will be the home team, while the Blue Team will be the visitors.

GATORADE Call-Ups Blake Ahearn, Cartier Martin and Courtney Sims highlight the Red Team roster. Ahearn, the NBA D-League Rookie of the Year last season, earned the season’s first call-up on Nov. 16, when he signed with the San Antonio Spurs. He ranks among the league’s leaders with scoring 21.3 points per game (5th in the league) while shooting a league-leading 94 percent (146-of-155) from the free throw line. Iowa teammates Sims, who earned a call-up to the Phoenix Suns, and Martin who is currently with the Charlotte Bobcats, are averaging 22.2 points (3rd in the league) and 20.6 points (9th in the league), respectively. Sims also leads the league in rebounds with 11.1 per game and blocked shots with 2.2 per game and is second in field goal percentage shooting 60 percent (150-of-250) from the field.

Members of the reigning NBA D-League champion Idaho Stampede, Lance Allred, Luke Jackson and Brent Petway, round out the Red Team’s roster. Petway is second in the league with 2.0 blocks per game, while Jackson is averaging a team-leading 16.7 points per game and Allred is averaging 14.3 points and 9.2 rebounds for Idaho.

The D-League’s leading scorers, Albuquerque’s Will Conroy and Anaheim’s James White headline the Blue Team. Conroy, who leads the league in scoring with 25.8 points and minutes played with 45.2 minutes is also fourth in the league in assists with 7.8 per game. White, the league’s second leading scorer is averaging 25.5 points per game and is also among the league’s leaders in minutes played and field goal percentage.

Joining Conroy and White on the Blue Team are six other players with NBA experience, including San Antonio’s Malik Hairston, who has been on assignment in Austin and Reno’s Antonio Meeking. Hairston, who was called-up to the Spurs earlier this season, is leading the Toros with 21.1 points per game, while Meeking leads Reno with 19.2 points per game.

Ten additional NBA D-League standouts will compete in the 2009 All-Star Game, including Blue Team members Walker Russell (Fort Wayne) and Josh Davis (Colorado), who have both been honored as NBA D-League Performers of the Week this season. The Red Team will also include Maurice Baker (Dakota), Derrick Byars (Bakersfield), Richard Hendrix (Dakota) and Trey Johnson (Bakersfield). The Blue Team will include Cedric Bozeman (Anaheim), Ronald Dupree (Utah), Chris Hunter (Fort Wayne) and Chris Richard (Tulsa).

The Red Team will be coached by Iowa Energy head coach Nick Nurse and his assistant Gary Garner, while the Blue Team will be helmed by Austin Toros head coach Quin Snyder and his assistant Wendell Alexis. Both coaching staffs were selected based on their teams having the highest winning percentage by Jan. 27. Prior to the game Nurse and Snyder will choose starting lineups for their respective teams.

Players who have been selected by coaches and fans must be on an active roster to compete in the NBA D-League All-Star game.

For more information on the NBA D-League, log onto nba.com/dleague.

About the NBA Development League

The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams. The league has produced 15 percent of the players on 2007-08 end-of-season NBA rosters and continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.

About NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas

NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas takes place at the Phoenix Convention Center. With over 500,000 square feet and encompassing two huge floors, Jam Session offers fans non-stop basketball action where they can shoot, slam, dribble and drive basketballs all day, compete against their friends in skills challenges, or get basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends. Young fans can hang out at the Kids Zone, where hoops and interactive activities are the perfect size for them to slam dunk, and shoot three-pointers and jump shots. Fans also have the opportunity to meet and collect free autographs from NBA Players and Legends and visit the 10,000 square-foot NBA Store that has more NBA All-Star 2009 merchandise than anywhere else. For fans who want NBA entertainment, NBA All-Star Jam Session features the NBA's favorite players, celebrities, mascots and dance teams as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the McDonald’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA All-Star Practice presented by Toyota.






FIELD SET FOR THE 2009 NBA D-LEAGUE
DREAM FACTORY FRIDAY NIGHT

- Top NBA D-League Prospects to Showcase Talent in Innovative Skills Competition -

The NBA Development League Dream Factory Friday night, an innovative skills competition modeled after the popular NBA All-Star Saturday Night, returns for the second straight year to Center Court at NBA Jam Session presented by adidas on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7:15 p.m. MT.

Twelve NBA D-League players, including six with NBA experience, four who were drafted by NBA teams and two returning champions from the 2008 NBA D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, will showcase their skills during the evening’s competitions. This year’s event includes a Slam Dunk Competition, a Three-Point Shootout featuring an all “money-ball” rack and the NBA D-League’s second annual game of H.O.R.S.E.

Brent Petway, the 2008 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Champion and a member of the Idaho Stampede, will defend his title against first-time NBA D-League Slam Dunk competitors Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Reno), Keith Clark (Tulsa) and James White (Anaheim). Ewing Jr. and White both participated in NCAA Slam Dunk competitions. Ewing Jr. finished as the runner-up in 2008 while White was a finalist in 2006. The competition will consist of two rounds of two dunks each with the two top scorers from the first round advancing to the championship round.

The second annual game of NBA D-League H.O.R.S.E. returns to Dream Factory Friday Night and will feature Idaho’s Lance Allred defending his 2008 title against Joe Crawford (Los Angeles), Erik Daniels (Erie), and Bobby Jones (Sioux Falls). Allred, who secured the title last year over Utah Jazz guard Morris Almond when he hit a bank shot from his knees, earned a GATORADE Call-Up to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2007-08 season and will also participate in the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star Game. Crawford was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Draft and will showcase his sharp shooting skills, while NBA veterans Jones and Daniels will unleash their on-court creativity on the competition. The competitors will engage the crowd with descriptions of their shots via wireless microphone.

Four NBA D-League marksmen will take to the court for the Three-Point Shootout, including Blake Ahearn (Dakota), Gary Forbes (Tulsa), and Trey Johnson (Bakersfield), who is currently playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ernest Scott (Rio Grande Valley). Ahearn and Johnson rank among the league’s leaders, shooting 46 percent from three-point range, while Forbes and Scott are shooting 42 and 41 percent, respectively. Each competitor will have 60 seconds to sink up to 25 three-pointers from five shooting stations assembled around the three-point line. The initial four stations will have four orange balls (worth one point each) and one multi-colored “money ball” worth two points while the competition kicks into high gear as the final station will for the first time consist of five two-point “money balls”. The shooters will compete in two rounds of action with the top two scorers from the first round advancing to the final round.

NBA D-League action in Phoenix continues on Saturday, Feb. 14, when the third-annual NBA D-League All-Star Game tips off on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas at 2 pm MT. The game features 20 of the D-League’s finest as selected by fans and NBA D-League’s 16 head coaches and will be broadcast live on NBA TV at 2 p.m. MT.

About the D-League

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League’s goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 14 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 17 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like the live web-streaming of all games available free to fans at d-league.com. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.

About NBA All-Star Jam Session

NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas provides fans the once in a lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement. Fans have the opportunity to meet and collect free autographs from NBA Players and Legends and see some of their favorite NBA players, mascots, dance teams, and celebrities as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the Legends Shootout, Celebrity Slam Dunk contest, and Mascot Skills Challenge. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone - with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kid’s slam dunks, three-pointers and jump shots. Jam Session is non-stop basketball action where fans can shoot, slam, dribble and drive all day, compete against their friends in skills challenges, or get basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends.

Tickets for Jam Session start at $12 and are available at 800-4NBA-TIX, Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster Outlets, or the New Orleans Arena Box Office. Visit www.nba.com/jamsession for more information.

The historic Celtics-Lakers rivalry continues this Thursday on TNT! Tune
in at 8 pm ET as the Lakers return to Boston for the first time since The
Finals. Where amazing happens.






FANS SELECT PORTLAND’S RUDY FERNANDEZ TO COMPETE IN 2009 SPRITE SLAM DUNK

- Fernandez Becomes the First International Player to Participate in the
Competition -

-More than 2 million videos viewed online and 500,000 votes received by
fans through NBA.com -Portland Trail Blazer rookie Rudy Fernandez, a
native of Spain, will become the first international player to participate
in the Sprite Slam Dunk competition to be held during NBA All-Star Saturday
Night Feb. 14, at US Airways Center (8 p.m. ET on TNT) in Phoenix, the NBA
announced today. Fernandez was selected as the fourth and final participant
exclusively through an online vote on NBA.com, marking the first time fans
have had a say in choosing a competitor for the Dunk contest.

More than 500,000 total votes were cast on NBA.com/dunk to determine one of
this year’s dunkers as part of Sprite’s “They Dunk. You Decide” campaign.
Fernandez received 251,868 votes, beating out fellow rookies Russell
Westbrook (147,279) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Joe Alexander
(114,963) of the Milwaukee Bucks. Fernandez, who is among rookie leaders in
scoring, assists, steals, three-point field goal percentage and free throw
percentage, will compete against the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, the
reigning Sprite Slam Dunk champion, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay, who
participated in last year’s contest, and the New York Knicks’ Nate
Robinson, winner of the 2006 contest in Houston.

Beginning today and running through the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk contest on
Feb. 14, the four participants will appear in a new series of videos
previewing what they have in store for the competition and urging fans to
vote for them during the contest. The videos will be available for fans to
watch on various sites including NBA.com/dunk, YouTube, Facebook, and
Yahoo! Sports. A series of videos featuring the three rookies eligible for
the fourth participant vote garnered more than 2 million views across the
same online sites over the course of the three week campaign.

For the second straight year, fans will have the final say in deciding the
winner of the competition. Following the concluding round of dunks, fans
will be able to cast their votes by sending an SMS TXT message to 38657
(“DUNKS) or by voting at NBA.com. The dunker with the most fan votes will
be named the winner of the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk.

The two dunkers with the highest first round scores will advance to the
final round. The dunker with the lowest total score from the first round
will compete first in the final round. Dunks then will alternate until each
player has completed two. Time limit rules still apply. In the final round,
fan voting polls will open via SMS TXT message and at NBA.com. The combined
results from SMS TXT voting and NBA.com will determine the champion.

The Sprite Slam Dunk is part of NBA All-Star 2009, which also includes the
T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam; Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout;
PlayStation® Skills Challenge; Haier Shooting Stars; NBA All-Star Jam
Session presented by adidas; and the 58th NBA All-Star Game.


Sprite is the world’s leading lemon-lime soft drink and has been the
official soft drink of the NBA since 1994.


About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing
consumers with more than 450 sparkling and still brands. Along with
Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's
portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®,
Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater, POWERade®, Minute Maid® and
Georgia® Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling
beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees.
Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more
than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion
servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable
communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the
environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the
communities where we operate. For more information about our Company,
please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.





2009 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE FOURTH RETURNS ANNOUNCED
--Dwight Howard Leads all Players, Kobe Bryant Tops the West --

Orlando’s Dwight Howard, the defending Sprite
Slam Dunk champion, is still Superman at the ballot box with 2,102,368
votes following the fourth returns of 2009 NBA All-Star Balloting
presented by T-Mobile. Cleveland’s LeBron James (1,940,162) is tugging
at his cape in the Eastern Conference, while Kobe Bryant of the Los
Angeles Lakers and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets are dueling it out
for the top spot in the West.

Phoenix will host the NBA All-Star Game for the third time when the
midseason classic is played for the 58th time on Sunday, Feb. 15. The
game will air live (8pm ET) on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200
countries and territories worldwide. The NBA All-Star Game was played
in Phoenix in both 1975 and 1995.

James, the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2006 and 2008, is followed at the
forward position in the East by Boston’s Kevin Garnett (1,375,814), the
leading vote-recipient in 2008. Miami’s Dwyane Wade, the NBA’s leading
scorer, leads all Eastern Conference guards with 1,818,717 votes,
followed by Detroit’s Allen Iverson (1,278,600). Philadelphia’s Samuel
Dalembert (257,527) is running second to Howard at the center position.

Bryant tops the Western Conference with 1,903,798 votes, followed by Yao
(1,758,499). The Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady follows Bryant at the
guard position with 1,216,224 votes. San Antonio’s Tim Duncan
(1,454,918) and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony (905,121) pace all Western
Conference forwards, with Shaquille O’Neal (1,006,383) of the Phoenix
Suns trailing Yao at the center position.

The 2009 NBA All-Star Balloting program, which also includes partner 2K
Sports, allows fans around the world to vote daily for their favorite
players as starters for the All-Star Game in a variety of ways,
including: at each NBA arena; in 20 languages on NBA.com; and through
mobile phones at t-zones® on T-Mobile phones or wap.nba.com for any
wireless carrier. A T-Mobile-branded All-Star Balloting widget is
available on NBA.com so that fans can "grab" the widget and place it on
their blogs, social network pages, or personal websites allowing others
to vote directly from the widget. Voting will continue through Jan. 11,
for paper balloting and Jan. 19, for NBA.com and wireless balloting.

NBA All-Star 2009 is a week-long celebration that enables fans to
experience the thrill of the world’s greatest athletes playing the game
they love and features a full slate of community-enhancing activities
including the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service and fan festivals such
as NBA All-Star Jam Session.

One hundred twenty players – 60 each from the Eastern and Western
conferences – are listed on the NBA All-Star ballot. Voters select two
guards, two forwards and one center from each conference. The 120
players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media experts who
regularly cover the NBA. This year’s panel included Paul Coro (Arizona
Republic), Ernie Johnson (TNT), Jack McCallum (Sports Illustrated),
David Moore (Dallas Morning News), Marc Spears (Boston Globe) and Marc
Stein (ESPN.com).

This is the final balloting update. The announcement of the All-Star
starters will take place on Thursday Jan. 22, prior to a TNT
doubleheader. Following the completion of fan voting and the starting
lineup announcement, the head coaches in each conference will vote to
determine the remaining All-Stars in their respective conference, which
will be announced Thursday, Jan. 29 prior to a TNT doubleheader.

As the presenting partner of the 2009 NBA All-Star Balloting program,
and in support of the NBA’s season-long effort to better the various
communities in Phoenix, T-Mobile will donate $1 for every ballot cast on
t-zones, T-Mobile's wireless Web portal, to help the youth of Phoenix.
The week leading up to the 58th NBA All-Star Game will feature a full
slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals, such as NBA
All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and the T-Mobile Rookie
Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 13.

In conjunction with All-Star Balloting, 2K Sports will give fans the
opportunity to experience Phoenix and the best of basketball by entering
the NBA 2K9 Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to NBA All-Star 2009
and to have their likeness as a digitized player incorporated in next
year’s game, NBA 2K10.

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the
fourth returns of the 2009 NBA All-Star voting program are attached:

2009 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: LeBron James (Clev) 1,940,162; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,375,814;
Yi Jianlian (NJ) 1,216,348; Chris Bosh (Tor) 751,927; Paul Pierce (Bos)
486,656; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 366,174; Shawn Marion (Mia) 264,888; Danny
Granger (Ind) 199,200; Josh Smith (Atl) 163,145; Michael Beasley (Mia)
157,286; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 144,337.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,818,717; Allen Iverson (Det) 1,278,600;
Vince Carter (NJ) 856,498; Ray Allen (Bos) 552,094; Devin Harris (NJ)
474,637; Gilbert Arenas (Wash) 403,577; Luke Ridnour (Mil) 379,806;
Derrick Rose (Chi) 293,483; Jose Calderon (Tor) 274,509; Joe Johnson
(Atl) 236,993; Jameer Nelson (Orl) 227,226.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 2,102,368; Samuel Dalembert (Phi) 257,527;
Rasheed Wallace (Det) 255,950; Jermaine O’Neal (Tor) 224,583; Andrew
Bogut (Mil) 198,811; Al Horford (Atl) 191,105; Brendan Haywood (Wash)
178,868; Ben Wallace (Clev) 159,132; Emeka Okafor (Char) 133,501;
Zyrdrunas Ilgauskas (Cle) 122,607; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 85,855.

2009 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Tim Duncan (SA) 1,454,918; Carmelo Anthony (Den) 905,121;
Amar’e Stoudemire (Pho) 894,690; Ron Artest (Hou) 890,992; Dirk Nowitzki
(Dal) 837,482; Pau Gasol (LAL) 618,943; Bruce Bowen (SA) 509,593; Shane
Battier (Hou) 482,724; Luis Scola (Hou) 281,372; Josh Howard (Dal)
255,698; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 212,651.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,903,798; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 1,216,224;
Chris Paul (NO) 1,059,161; Manu Ginobili (SA) 669,837; Tony Parker (SA)
614,939; Jamal Crawford (GS) 462,039; Steve Nash (Pho) 441,746; Jason
Kidd (Dal) 381,906; Rafer Alston (Hou) 372,130; Jason Terry (Dal)
323,279; Brandon Roy (Por) 267,053.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 1,758,499; Shaquille O’Neal (Pho) 1,006,383;
Andrew Bynum (LAL) 356,280; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 292,845; Greg Oden (Por)
195,552; Andris Biedrins (GS) 170,732; Tyson Chandler (NO) 128,086; Al
Jefferson (Minn) 121,944; Nick Collison (OKC) 105,534; Marcus Camby
(LAC) 74,638; Chris Kaman (LAC) 27,112.







TORONTO’S KAPONO AIMS FOR THREE-PEAT AT 2009
FOOT LOCKER THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT

- Six Participants to Battle for Title on NBA All-Star Saturday Night -

The Toronto Raptors’ Jason Kapono will seek to
become the third player to capture three consecutive titles in this year’s
Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14,
at US Airways Center, as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

Kapono, who tied Craig Hodges for most points in a single round (25 in the
final round last year), will look to join Hodges (1990-92) and Hall of
Famer Larry Bird (1986-88) as the only three-time winners of the event.
Mark Price, Peja Stojakovic and Jeff Hornacek each won two titles. Kapono
will be joined by Eastern Conference All-Star reserves Danny Granger of the
Indiana Pacers and Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic, Mike Bibby of the
Atlanta Hawks, Roger Mason of the San Antonio Spurs and Daequan Cook of the
Miami Heat.

The players will compete in the two-round competition with the top three
finishers from the first round advancing to the finals. Five shooting
stations will be set up around the three-point line, with four Official
Spalding NBA game balls worth one point each and one Spalding NBA All-Star
2009 commemorative purple and orange colored “money ball” worth two points
at each location. Each player will have one minute to shoot as many balls
as he can. In the final round, players will shoot in ascending order of
first-round scores. At the discretion of the referee, television instant
replay may be consulted for clarification of rules compliance.

The Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout will be televised live nationally as
part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which will also feature the
PlayStation® Skills Challenge, Sprite Slam Dunk and Haier Shooting Stars.
TNT and ESPN Radio’s national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from US
Airways Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, will air live on
TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 215 countries and territories worldwide in
44 languages.

All of this year's All-Star participants will join members of the NBA
Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 13. The
volunteers will participate in one of three projects in the Phoenix
community.

Foot Locker, in its sixth year as the sponsor of the three-point shootout,
is part of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates
approximately 3,600 stores in 21 countries in North America, Europe and
Australia. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids
Foot Locker and Champs Sports retail stores, as well as its
direct-to-customer channel Footlocker.com/Eastbay, the Company is the
leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.

The historic Celtics-Lakers rivalry continues this Thursday on TNT! Tune
in at 8 pm ET as the Lakers return to Boston for the first time since The
Finals. Where amazing happens.






NBA UNVEILS 2009 NBA ALL-STAR UNIFORM FROM ADIDAS

– Most Innovative basketball uniform system introduced for the first time –

– Design takes style cues from city of Phoenix –

The National Basketball Association and adidas today unveiled the most innovative basketball uniform ever, which will debut at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.

The NBA All-Star uniform features a number of technological enhancements and was in development for over two years by adidas. The uniform is 30 percent lighter than a traditional basketball uniform and features adidas' Formotion technology which reduces seams, decreases friction and optimizes the player’s natural movement. The jersey has strategically placed ClimaCool zones which conduct heat away from the body through a combination of ventilation channels, three-dimensional fabrics, and materials that disperse heat and moisture.

The uniform was designed to work hand-in-hand with adidas TECHFIT PowerWeb and Padded compression for optimal performance on the court. TECHFIT PowerWeb combines compression fabrics and a web of strategically placed Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) powerbands to boost power to key muscle groups, generating up to a four percent increase in vertical leap. TECHFIT Padded protects athletes with flexibility and impact resistance.

The uniform design was inspired by the aesthetics and history of the city of Phoenix with colors representing the earth, desert, sun and sky. The design elements will be integrated throughout the entire adidas NBA All-Star on-court and fan apparel collections. The jerseys feature various shades of horizontal lines that resemble Arizona’s iconic rock formations. The flame design on the shorts represents the story of the mythical bird, the Phoenix, for which the city is named. Holding with recent tradition, the All-Stars from the host team’s conference will wear white uniforms. The West All-Star uniforms will be white, gold and desert red, a color scheme inspired by the colors of the 2009 NBA All-Star logo and the uniforms of the host team Phoenix Suns. The East All-Star uniforms will be navy, silver and sunset blue.

“The 2009 All-Star uniform embraces the tradition of NBA All-Star, captures the spirit of the city of Phoenix, and respects the honor bestowed upon the players who are selected to the All-Star team,” said Vice President of NBA Global Merchandising Group Christopher Arena. “adidas understands our players and what it takes to be an All-Star, which is why they’ve put the best of their innovative performance technologies and their world-class design team into the development of this uniform.”

“The 2009 NBA All-Star uniform will be the first-ever fully integrated uniform system in the NBA, and represents adidas’ dedication to innovation to help athletes improve their performance,” said adidas Vice President of Global Basketball Lawrence Norman. “With the long list of featured technologies and subsequent benefits, athletes will have the opportunity to be quicker and jump higher.”

The NBA All-Star uniform and adidas NBA All-Star apparel is available at the NBA Store inside NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, online at NBAStore.com, at the NBA Store in New York City, and at adidas retailers globally.

About NBA All-Star 2009

NBA All-Star 2009 in Phoenix will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Among the many events that will reach fans in more than 200 countries in more than 40 languages are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, PlayStation Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars, McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, and the 58th NBA All-Star Game, played on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the US Airways Center and broadcast on TNT for the 24th year. This will be the third NBA All-Star in Phoenix. The city also hosted the event in 1975 and 1995.


About adidas

adidas has been providing innovative products for the world’s best athletes for more than 50 years, from past legends to today’s superstars, such as Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Candace Parker, Derrick Rose, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady. On April 11, 2006, adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA D-League beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.






FIELD SET FOR 2009 PLAYSTATION® SKILLS CHALLENGE
New Jersey’s Harris, Orlando’s Nelson, San Antonio’s Parker and
Chicago’s Rose to Vie for Title

A new PlayStation® Skills Challenge champion will be crowned as the New Jersey Nets’ Devin Harris, the Orlando Magic’s Jameer Nelson, the San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker and the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose will take the floor on Feb. 14, as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

The PlayStation® Skills Challenge was introduced at NBA All-Star 2003 in Atlanta and consists of four players competing in a two-round timed “obstacle course” consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. All players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course. The two players with the fastest times from the first round advance to the finals with the order of competition determined by inverse order of the first round times. At the discretion of the referee, television instant replay may be consulted for clarification of rules compliance.

A first-time NBA All-Star, Harris, who paces the Nets in scoring (21.5 ppg), assists (6.4 apg) and steals (1.7 spg), is one of only five players averaging at least 21.0 points and 6.0 assists. Another first-time All-Star, Nelson is averaging a career-high 17.0 points, while shooting .506 from the field and .456 from beyond the arc. Rose, a leading candidate for T-Mobile Rookie of the Year honors and a participant this year’s T-Mobile Rookie Challenge on Feb. 13, paces rookies and is among the league leaders in assists (6.3 apg); he ranks second among first-year players in scoring (16.7 ppg). Parker, an All-Star for the third time and a participant in the inaugural PlayStation® Skills Challenge in 2003, became only the second player in NBA history to record at least 55 points, 10 assists and five rebounds when he did it Nov. 5 at Minnesota, joining Oscar Robertson.

Last year in New Orleans, Utah’s Deron Williams covered the course in a record 25.5 seconds in the second round to capture the title.

The PlayStation® Skills Challenge will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Slam Dunk and Haier Shooting Stars. TNT and ESPN Radio’s national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from US Airways Center. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 215 countries and territories worldwide in 44 languages.

All of this year's All-Star participants will join members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 13. The volunteers will participate in one of three projects in the Phoenix community.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store. Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the PSP system and the PS3 system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.








KEVIN DURANT, DERRICK ROSE HEADLINE SELECTIONS FOR
2009 T-MOBILE ROOKIE CHALLENGE & YOUTH JAM

-- All-Stars Dwight Howard of the Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Heat to Serve on Coaching Staffs --

-- Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James to Serve as TNT NBA Analyst --

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the reigning T-Mobile Rookie of the Year, and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, Feb. 13 in Phoenix during NBA All-Star 2009.

The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. For the first time in the game’s history, two current NBA players, All-Star starters Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat – veterans of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and part of T-Mobile’s “All-Star Faves” – will serve on the coaching staffs, Howard for the Sophomores and Wade for the Rookies. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2009 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.

Forward Jeff Green, Durant’s teammate in Oklahoma City, joins him on the Sophomore team, which also includes Atlanta Hawks forward/center Al Horford, Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton, Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young, New York Knicks forward Wilson Chandler, Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey and a pair of teammates from the Houston Rockets – guard Aaron Brooks and forward Luis Scola.

Joining Rose on the Rookie team are two sets of teammates – guard O.J. Mayo and center Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies and center Greg Oden and guard Rudy Fernandez from the Portland Trail Blazers. Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Clippers guard Eric Gordon, Heat forward Michael Beasley and New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez round out the Rookie team.

The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages. Fans tuning in to TNT will also get a special treat, as NBA All-Star starter LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a participant in the 2004 and 2005 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, will join Kevin Harlan, Kenny Smith and Craig Sager as part of TNT’s broadcast as an analyst.

As title partner of the Rookie Challenge and overall NBA Rookie Program, T-Mobile has teamed up with the NBA and NBA Cares to create the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Phoenix students to experience NBA All-Star 2009. By successfully completing fitness, nutrition, and community service requirements, more than 3,500 “T-Mobile Stick Together All-Stars,” ages 11-15, from participating school districts in Phoenix will watch the game from the best seats in the house at US Airways Arena.

As a new element to the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, fans had the unique opportunity to design the official jerseys worn by the Rookie and Sophomore teams. Thousands of fans registered for the NBA LIVE Jersey Creator Contest hosted by EA SPORTS for the chance to win a trip for two to Phoenix, AZ for NBA All-Star 2009. The winning jersey is being produced by adidas, the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, and will be worn by all participating Rookie and Sophomore players, marking the first time that a fan designed jersey has ever been worn during an NBA game or event. In past years, Rookies and Sophomores wore their regular team jerseys during the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. The winning design was created by 18-year-old Tim Ahmed from East Meadow, Long Island. Ahmed attended East Meadow High School and is currently a first-year student at Baruch College in Manhattan.

In last year’s T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson earned Most Valuable Player honors, making 11 three-pointers en route to a game-high 33 points, as the Sophomores cruised to a 136-109 victory. Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay added 22 points and Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar tallied 17 points and 11 assists. Durant, then of the Seattle SuperSonics, led the Rookies with 23 points.

The contest began its current format pitting the Rookies against the Sophomores in 2000 and the Sophomores hold a 7-2 advantage over the first-year players. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player cannot foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner. The clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.

T-Mobile will provide basketball fans with the opportunity to have their vote count toward selecting the MVP of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam by voting on NBA.com or via SMS on mobile phones during the second half of the game.

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. EST. The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages and broadcast on NBA.com.

NBA All-Star brings together the top NBA players and performers for a week of competition, community service and world-class entertainment. Among the many other exciting All-Star events are Sprite Slam Dunk, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, PlayStation® Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars and NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas.

Building upon its already strong appeal to the nation’s youth and as Official Partner of the NBA, T-Mobile is showcasing the NBA’s youngest players -- the Rookies -- through the T-Mobile Rookie Program. Highlights include the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star competition between NBA rookies and second-year players, and rookie awards presentations including the T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and T-Mobile Rookie of the Year. To learn more about T-Mobile’s partnership with the NBA, visit www.t-mobile.com/nba.






CLEVELAND’S MIKE BROWN EARNS SPOT AS
EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAD COACH FOR THE 2009 NBA ALL-STAR GAME

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown will
coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game,
to be played on Sunday, Feb. 15, at US Airways Center in Phoenix. Brown
will join Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson who clinched the
best record in the Western Conference after defeating the Los Angeles
Clippers on Jan. 21.

Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams
with the best winning percentage in each conference through games played
on Sunday, Feb. 1. Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and New Orleans
Hornets head coach Byron Scott are not eligible to coach in the 2009 NBA
All-Star Game because they coached in last year’s All-Star Game.

Brown and the Cavaliers’ coaching staff earned the honor to coach the
East as a result of their 112-95 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers
tonight. At 36-9 (.800), the Cavaliers have at least tied for the best
winning percentage in the conference through Feb. 1, among eligible
teams. In the event that Orlando and Cleveland have the same winning
percentage through Feb. 1, Brown would earn the spot to coach the East
All-Stars since Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy has coached an All-Star
team most recently (2005). Brown will coach an All-Star team for the
first time in his career and is just the second coach in Cavaliers
history to fill that role (Lenny Wilkens 1989).

In his fourth year at the helm in Cleveland, Brown's Cavaliers remain
the only undefeated team at home in the NBA. Cleveland's 22 straight
wins at Quicken Loans Arena to open the season is a franchise best, and
is tied for sixth all time in NBA history. Entering tonight’s game,
Cleveland ranked first in point-differential (10.1 ppg) and points
allowed (90.8 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (.475) and 10th in
scoring (100.9 ppg). The Cavaliers are one of only three teams (Boston,
Orlando) to rank in the top 10 in points scored and points allowed.

Brown guided Cleveland to its first trip to The Finals in 2007, while
his 26-20 (.565) playoff record makes him the winningest playoff head
coach in team history. Brown led the Cavaliers to at least 45 wins in
each of his first three campaigns, marking only the second time the
Cavaliers have reached the feat in franchise history (1991-92 to
1993-94).

The NBA All-Star Game will broadcast live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in 215
countries and territories, and in 44 languages worldwide at 8:00 p.m. ET
on Sunday, Feb. 15 from Phoenix.





FIELD SET FOR THE 2009 NBA D-LEAGUE
DREAM FACTORY FRIDAY NIGHT

- Top NBA D-League Prospects to Showcase Talent in Innovative Skills Competition -

The NBA Development League Dream Factory Friday night, an innovative skills competition modeled after the popular NBA All-Star Saturday Night, returns for the second straight year to Center Court at NBA Jam Session presented by adidas on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7:15 p.m. MT.

Twelve NBA D-League players, including six with NBA experience, four who were drafted by NBA teams and two returning champions from the 2008 NBA D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, will showcase their skills during the evening’s competitions. This year’s event includes a Slam Dunk Competition, a Three-Point Shootout featuring an all “money-ball” rack and the NBA D-League’s second annual game of H.O.R.S.E.

Brent Petway, the 2008 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Champion and a member of the Idaho Stampede, will defend his title against first-time NBA D-League Slam Dunk competitors Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Reno), Keith Clark (Tulsa) and James White (Anaheim). Ewing Jr. and White both participated in NCAA Slam Dunk competitions. Ewing Jr. finished as the runner-up in 2008 while White was a finalist in 2006. The competition will consist of two rounds of two dunks each with the two top scorers from the first round advancing to the championship round.

The second annual game of NBA D-League H.O.R.S.E. returns to Dream Factory Friday Night and will feature Idaho’s Lance Allred defending his 2008 title against Joe Crawford (Los Angeles), Erik Daniels (Erie), and Bobby Jones (Sioux Falls). Allred, who secured the title last year over Utah Jazz guard Morris Almond when he hit a bank shot from his knees, earned a GATORADE Call-Up to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2007-08 season and will also participate in the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star Game. Crawford was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Draft and will showcase his sharp shooting skills, while NBA veterans Jones and Daniels will unleash their on-court creativity on the competition. The competitors will engage the crowd with descriptions of their shots via wireless microphone.

Four NBA D-League marksmen will take to the court for the Three-Point Shootout, including Blake Ahearn (Dakota), Gary Forbes (Tulsa), and Trey Johnson (Bakersfield), who is currently playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ernest Scott (Rio Grande Valley). Ahearn and Johnson rank among the league’s leaders, shooting 46 percent from three-point range, while Forbes and Scott are shooting 42 and 41 percent, respectively. Each competitor will have 60 seconds to sink up to 25 three-pointers from five shooting stations assembled around the three-point line. The initial four stations will have four orange balls (worth one point each) and one multi-colored “money ball” worth two points while the competition kicks into high gear as the final station will for the first time consist of five two-point “money balls”. The shooters will compete in two rounds of action with the top two scorers from the first round advancing to the final round.

NBA D-League action in Phoenix continues on Saturday, Feb. 14, when the third-annual NBA D-League All-Star Game tips off on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas at 2 pm MT. The game features 20 of the D-League’s finest as selected by fans and NBA D-League’s 16 head coaches and will be broadcast live on NBA TV at 2 p.m. MT.

About the D-League

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League’s goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 14 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 17 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like the live web-streaming of all games available free to fans at d-league.com. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.

About NBA All-Star Jam Session

NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas provides fans the once in a lifetime experience of participating in the NBA All-Star excitement. Fans have the opportunity to meet and collect free autographs from NBA Players and Legends and see some of their favorite NBA players, mascots, dance teams, and celebrities as they hit Center Court in a variety of basketball competitions, including the Legends Shootout, Celebrity Slam Dunk contest, and Mascot Skills Challenge. Young fans can hang out at Kids Zone - with hoops and interactive activities that are the perfect size for kid’s slam dunks, three-pointers and jump shots. Jam Session is non-stop basketball action where fans can shoot, slam, dribble and drive all day, compete against their friends in skills challenges, or get basketball tips from NBA Players and Legends.

Tickets for Jam Session start at $12 and are available at 800-4NBA-TIX, Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster Outlets, or the New Orleans Arena Box Office. Visit www.nba.com/jamsession for more information.







LAKERS-CELTICS -- TAKE 2

The first time Los Angeles and Boston met this season, on Christmas Day, the Lakers ended the longest winning streak in Celtics history at 19 with a 92-83 win at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 27 points while Pau Gasol added 20 points and three blocks. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 22 points while Paul Pierce added a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. The conference leaders meet again tonight, this time in Boston (TNT, 8 p.m. ET), and -- surprise, surprise -- the Celtics are on another double-digit winning streak. Winners of 12 straight, the Celtics, who have outscored opponents by an average of 13.9 points during the streak, own an NBA-best 41-9 (.820) record. The Lakers, who are tied with Cleveland at 39-9 (.813) for the league's second best record, aren't far behind. (This is the latest date three teams have had single-digit losses.) The Lakers are 4-0 so far on a road trip that has them playing six games in 10 days; overall, Los Angeles is a league-best 16-5 (.762) on the road. Boston, however, is 24-2 at home, which is the second best home mark after the Cavaliers' 23-0 record at Quicken Loans Arena. L.A. is pacing the league in scoring (108.9 ppg), while the Celtics are holding opponents to 91.5 ppg, second only to the Cavaliers, who are allowing 90.7 ppg.

Bryant, who scored 61 points -- a record at the current Madison Square Garden -- Monday against the Knicks, is 59 points shy of 23,000 for his career. Bryant (30 years, 166 days) can become the youngest player in NBA history to 23,000 should he reach the milestone before the All-Star break. Wilt Chamberlain (30 years, 176 days) is currently the youngest player ever to 23,000. In terms of games played, of the 20 players to score 23,000 points, Bryant (914 games) would become the 11th fastest to 23,000 points should he reach the milestone before the All-Star break. Chamberlain was the fastest in league history to score 23,000 points, doing so in 606 games. Chamberlain also holds the mark for most points at the old MSG, having scored 73 points in 1962.

Ray Allen Named All-Star Replacement

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen has been named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace injured East All-Star guard Jameer Nelson (torn labrum, right shoulder) of the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Allen will be making his ninth All-Star appearance. NBA All-Star 2009 on Media Central

Stats & Stuff

If Cleveland defeats Phoenix at Quicken Loans Arena Feb. 11, the Cavaliers will have secured the fifth best home start in NBA history.

With 10 assists in Dallas' 104-99 over Portland last night, Jason Kidd passed Oscar Robertson (9,887) for fourth position. Kidd now trails John Stockton (15,806), Mark Jackson (10,334) and Magic Johnson (10,141). At his current pace of 8.3 assists per game, Kidd would pass Johnson before the season ends.

Cleveland's LeBron James recorded a triple-double with 52 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 107-102 win at New York last night, becoming the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to have a triple-double in a 50-point game. James joined Michael Jordan as the only visitors with multiple 50-point games at the present Madison Square Garden ... On Feb 2, 1968 Wilt Chamberlain became the only player in NBA history to record a double-triple-double -- 20 or more in three offensive categories -- when he recorded 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists as 76ers beat Detroit 131-121.

Indiana's Danny Granger is on pace to become the first player to raise his scoring average at least five points a game for three consecutive seasons -- 7.5 ppg in 2005-06 to 13.9 ppg in 2006-07 to 19.6 in 2007-08 to 25.5 in 2008-09 (Feb. 5). Portland's Greg Oden leads the team and NBA rookies with 14 double-doubles, with the Trail Blazers going 11-3 in those games. Among rookie leaders, he ranks first in field goal percentage (.554), second in blocks (1.1 bpg) and third in rebounds (7.1 rpg). Houston is 18-2 this season when Yao Ming scores 20 or more points.

In the 21 games Milwaukee's Ramon Sessions logged 25 minutes or more, the second-year guard is averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds compared to his season averages of 10.5 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds. Sessions has hit double-figures in scoring in 19 of the 21 games. Atlanta's 28 wins is the most the organization has had prior to the All-Star break since 1997-98, when the Hawks entered the break with 29. In 24 games under Coach Tony DiLeo, Philadelphia has scored at least 100 points 13 times after doing so twice the 13 games prior.

The Sixers are 16-3 when scoring 100 or more points. The Sacramento Kings will retire Chris Webber's number (4) tomorrow when the Kings host the Utah Jazz. The Kings will retire Vlade Divac's number (21) March 1st when Sacramento takes on the New Orleans Hornets. Webber and Divac will be become the eighth and ninth players, respectively, to have their numbers retired in franchise history, and only the second and third players, respectively, of the Sacramento-Era. Mitch Richmond was the first Sacramento-era King to have his number retired.

Today's Quote



LARRY BIRD, on current Lakers-Celtics rivalry:

"I think they're both very talented, and I think whoever gets home-court advantage is going to win it. I also think Cleveland's very strong, and the Celtics are going to need to have home-court advantage against them. A lot of people don't put a whole lot of emphasis on that, but I do. And I think it's going to be very, very important for the Celtics to get home-court advantage if they're going to repeat."

The Boston Herald, Feb. 5, 2009





LAKERS’ BRYANT RECLAIMS NO. 1 SPOT ON LIST OF NBA’S MOST POPULAR JERSEY

–Los Angeles Lakers’ Team Gear Popular Among Fans –

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 11-time All-Star Kobe
Bryant has the most popular jersey in the NBA, moving past the Boston
Celtics’ Kevin Garnett to regain the No. 1 spot on the NBA’s Most Popular
Jersey list. With the Western Conference best record, the Lakers top the
list of Most Popular NBA Team Merchandise. The rankings are based on sales
at the NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com since the start of the
2008-09 NBA season through January 2009.

Garnett drops one spot to No. 2 while the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James
holds on to the No. 3 spot on the list. The New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul
and Detroit Pistons’ Allen Iverson round out the Top 5 at Nos. 4 and 5,
respectively. The Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose is the only rookie on the
list, debuting at No. 9, while the New York Knicks’ David Lee enters the
list for the first time at No. 14. Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers
moved to No. 6, up from No. 15 last year.

December was the best sales month in history for both the NBA Store and
NBAStore.com, with combined sales up 10 percent over the same time period
last year. This season marks the third with adidas as the official on-court
uniform and apparel provider for the NBA and since the start of the season,
jersey sales on NBAStore.com are up over 40 percent.






Please be advised of the following changes to the NBA regular season
schedule:

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Orlando at New Orleans game will now be televised by ESPN. The Denver
at Philadelphia game time will be changed to 7:00 PM ET and will no longer
be televised by ESPN.

National TV schedule for February 18:

Orlando at New Orleans 7:00 PM 8:00 PM ESPN
L.A. Lakers at Golden State 7:30 PM 10:30 PM ESPN


Friday, February 20, 2009

The Dallas at Houston game time will be changed to 7:00 PM local/8:00 PM ET
and will now be televised by ESPN. The Washington at New Jersey game will
no longer be televised by ESPN.

National TV schedule for February 20:

Dallas at Houston 7:00 PM 8:00 PM ESPN
New Orleans at L.A. Lakers 7:30 PM 10:30 PM ESPN


Friday, February 27, 2009

The Detroit at Orlando game will now be televised by ESPN. The Milwaukee
at New Orleans game time will be changed to 7:00 PM local/8:00 PM ET and
will no longer be televised by ESPN.

National TV schedule for February 27:

Detroit at Orlando 7:00 PM 7:00 PM ESPN
Cleveland at San Antonio 8:30 PM 9:30 PM ESPN


As of 1/28/09 8:10 PM ET


It's NBA Wednesday on ESPN! Tune in tonight as Golden State takes on Dallas
at 9 pm ET. Where amazing happens.

http://www.nba.com/





LOS ANGELES LAKERS’ PHIL JACKSON EARNS SPOT AS
WESTERN CONFERENCE HEAD COACH FOR THE 2008 NBA ALL-STAR GAME

Jackson Earns Fourth Nod as All-Star Head Coach

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will coach the Western Conference All-Stars for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 15, at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

With the Lakers’ 108-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers tonight, Jackson and the Lakers (33-8, .805) have at least tied for the best winning percentage in the conference through Feb. 1. In the event that the Spurs and the Lakers have the same winning percentage through Feb. 1, Jackson would earn the spot to coach the West All-Stars since Gregg Popovich has coached an All-Star team most recently (2005). This marks the fourth time Jackson will serve as an All-Star head coach (1992, 1996, 2000).

Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning percentage in each conference. Last year’s coaches – Boston’s Doc Rivers and New Orleans’ Byron Scott – are not eligible to coach in the 2009 All-Star Game.

This season marks Jackson’s ninth year at the helm of the Lakers and his 18th season as a head coach. Jackson’s 1,009-426 (.703) record gives him the best winning percentage in NBA history, with his win total ranking him sixth all-time. Jackson became the first coach in NBA history to lead a team to three consecutive championships three different times (Chicago, 1991-93 and 1996-98; Los Angeles, 2000-02), while his 193 postseason wins are the most by any head coach in league history. A member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, Jackson has led the Lakers to three NBA Championships and five Western Conference Championships. The Lakers’ 15-1 (.938) run in the 2001 NBA Playoffs marked the highest winning percentage by any team in a single postseason. From 1996 to 2003, Jackson led his teams (Chicago and Los Angeles) to an NBA-best 25 consecutive postseason series wins. With nine NBA championships over the last 18 years, Jackson is tied with Red Auerbach (Boston) for most NBA Championships in league history.

The NBA All-Star Game will broadcast live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide at 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 15, from Phoenix.



SHAQUILLE O’NEAL HEADLINES
RESERVES FOR 2009 NBA ALL-STAR GAME



Three First-Time All Stars, All From the Eastern Conference, Invited to Phoenix

Shaquille O’Neal of the hometown Phoenix Suns was named an NBA All-Star for the 15th time, as the NBA today announced the list of 14 players that have been selected by the coaches as reserves for the 2009 All-Star Game. The 58th NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 15, in Phoenix at US Airways Center.

O’Neal’s 15 All-Star selections are the second most in league history, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who received an invite 19 times during his Hall of Fame career. Joining O’Neal on the West bench are the Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Pau Gasol, the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki, the San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy and the New Orleans Hornets’ David West.

In the Eastern Conference, three first-time selections – Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets, Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers and Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic – are joined by the Toronto Raptors’ Chris Bosh, the Atlanta Hawks’ Joe Johnson, the Magic’s Rashard Lewis and the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce. Nelson and Lewis are the lone set of teammates named as reserves, and they join Dwight Howard as the only trio of teammates on either squad.

The 14 players selected -- seven each from the Eastern and Western Conferences -- were chosen by the 30 NBA head coaches, who were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences -- two guards, two forwards, one center and two players regardless of position. They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.

Selected to start for the East -- through the 2009 NBA All-Star Balloting Program presented by T-Mobile -- were the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, the Detroit Pistons’ Allen Iverson, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, Orlando’s Howard and Miami’s Dwyane Wade. The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, the Spurs’ Tim Duncan, the Hornets’ Chris Paul, the Suns’ Amar’e Stoudemire and the Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming, will start for the West.

The selections of Gasol (Spain), Nowitzki (Germany) and Parker (France) along with voted-starters Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands) and Yao (China), gives the 2009 NBA All-Star Game five international players.

Should any player be unable to participate in the All-Star Game due to injury, NBA Commissioner David Stern will select the replacement.

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and his coaching staff will be on the sidelines for the Western Conference All-Stars, as the Lakers previously clinched the best winning percentage through games of Feb. 1 among eligible Western Conference teams for All-Star coaching honors. The Eastern Conference coaching scenario has yet to be determined, with the staffs of the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-8, .814) and Orlando Magic (34-10, .773) still in contention. The coaching staff of either Cleveland or Orlando, depending on which owns the best winning percentage through games of Feb. 1, will lead the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers coached the East All-Stars last year and, therefore, is not eligible to coach in this year’s game.

All of this year's All-Star participants will join members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 13. The volunteers will participate in one of three projects in the Phoenix community.

NBA All-Star 2009 is a week-long celebration that enables fans to experience the thrill of the world's greatest athletes playing the game they love and features a full slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals such as NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas.

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages and broadcast on NBA.com.

Fans will have the opportunity to submit their vote on NBA.com and their mobile phones and have it count towards selecting the MVP of the 58th NBA All-Star Game, as a part of the site's exclusive 2009 NBA All-Star coverage.


SHOWDOWN IN DISNEY WORLD




Orlando's Dwight Howard and Cleveland's LeBron James have a lot in common. They are arguably the best players at their respective positions. They will both start for the East at this year's All-Star Game; Howard was the leading vote-getter, with James receiving the second most votes. They teamed up to help the U.S. National Team capture Olympic gold in Beijing. Each was the overall top pick in his Draft class. They share at least one other characteristic: Each anchors one of the league's best teams. Tonight they meet for the first time this season when the Magic (34-10) hosts the Cavaliers (35-8) at Amway Arena (8 p.m. ET, TNT). While Howard (20.0 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 3.17 bpg)and James (27.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.0 apg) are having MVP-caliber seasons, their teams are deep and play both ends of the floor equally well. Cleveland and Orlando rank first and fourth, respectively, in point-differential; second and third in defensive field goal percentage; first and seventh in points allowed; and third and eighth in offensive field goal percentage. The Magic has won six of the last eight matchups with the Cavaliers and eight of the last 12 games played in Orlando.
All-Star Notes: With a win tonight, Cavs head coach Mike Brown would become the Eastern Conference head coach for the All-Star Game. He would be only the second coach in Cavaliers franchise history to coach an All-Star Game. Lenny Wilkens was the coach in the 1989 All-Star Game and was joined on the East team by three Cavs players: Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance ... Reserves for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star teams will be announced tonight starting at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

Stats & Stuff

Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal needs six points to move into seventh place on the NBA's all-time scoring list, passing Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946). Steve Nash needs seven assists to pass Suns head coach Terry Porter (7,160) for 11th on the NBA's all-time list. Toronto's Jose Calderon needs to make 11 more consecutive free throws to tie the NBA record set by Micheal Williams in 1993. Boston's Eddie House has hit at least seven three-pointers in three of his last four games. For the season, House is 84-for-204 (.414) from beyond the arc. Over his last four games, he is 22-for-32 (.688). San Antonio's Roger Mason, Jr. is the only player in the league ranked in the top 10 in both three-pointers made and three-point field goal percentage. Mason is fourth in the league in three-point percentage (.457) and seventh in threes made (95). Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala has scored at least 20 points in 13 of his last 18 games after doing so just three times in his first 26 games. For the season, Iguodala is averaging 17.7 points. He is averaging 22.4 points in January after averaging 19.0 in December and 13.3 in November. Portland's Steve Blake (3.03), Brandon Roy (2.72) and Sergio Rodriguez (2.66) all rank among league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. Charlotte's Emeka Okafor has scored in double figures in 19 of his last 23 games, averaging 15.9 points on .577 shooting from the field and 11.1 rebounds during the stretch. Washington's Antawn Jamison surpassed 15,000 points versus the Phoenix Suns Monday, and earlier this season, he grabbed his 6,000th rebound. Jamison is one of only six active players to record at least 15,000 points and 6,000 rebounds, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Juwan Howard.

Today's Quote

DWIGHT HOWARD, on teammate Jameer Nelson:
"Jameer's the leader of our team. He pushes everybody to get better, and that's what I like about him. I would love to see him in the All-Star Game. He's playing great basketball, and I truly believe he's one of the best point guards in the game right now."

The News-Herald, Jan. 29, 2009



MAGIC BREWING IN ORLANDO

Memo to the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers: The Orlando Magic is a good team. Real good. The Magic and Lakers, both 33-8, are tied for the best record in the league, followed thisclosely by the Celtics (35-9) and Cavs (32-8). (The 33-8 mark matches the best record in Orlando history after 41 games, which was also achieved during the 1994-95 campaign when the Magic advanced to The Finals.) Orlando is riding a current league-best and team-high seven-game winning streak that included a wildly successful Western Conference road trip in which the Magic defeated the three division leaders; in beating the Lakers at Staples, the Magic swept the season series from the Lakers for the first time in franchise history. Orlando gets another chance to match itself against an elite team tonight when it hosts the Celtics, winners of six straight, on TNT (8 p.m. ET). The Magic is riding an 11-game winning streak at home (Nov. 24-present); the Celtics, winners of six straight, have won their last four by an average of 21.0 points.
Jackson to Coach West All-Stars

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson will coach the Western Conference All-Stars for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 15, at US Airways Center in Phoenix. With the Lakers' 108-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers last night, Jackson and the Lakers (33-8, .805) have at least tied for the best winning percentage in the conference through Feb. 1. In the event that the Spurs and the Lakers have the same winning percentage through Feb. 1, Jackson would earn the spot to coach the West All-Stars since Gregg Popovich has coached an All-Star team most recently (2005). This marks the fourth time Jackson will serve as an All-Star head coach (1992, 1996, 2000). Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning percentage in each conference. Last year's Eastern Conference coach - Boston's Doc Rivers - is not eligible to coach in the 2009 All-Star Game.



East…


West…



NBA Unveils All-Star Uniform

The NBA and adidas today unveiled the most innovative basketball uniform ever, which will debut at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. The NBA All-Star uniform features a number of technological enhancements and was in development for over two years by adidas. The uniform is 30 percent lighter than a traditional basketball uniform and features adidas' Formotion technology, which reduces seams, decreases friction and optimizes the player's natural movement. More
Stats & Stuff

New Orleans has allowed the fewest points in the paint in the NBA, allowing an average of 34.1 points and ranks second in fastbreak points allowed with 10.3 ppg. Toronto's Jose Calderon (Strained right hamstring) could be back in the Raptors' lineup as early as tomorrow in Chicago and the pressure will immediately be on the veteran point guard. Calderon has the third-longest streak of consecutive made free throws with 79 and is chasing Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (81) and Micheal Williams (97). Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala is averaging 20.7 points over his last 24 games after averaging 13.0 points the first 17 games of the season. Since the 1986-87 season, Andrew Bynum (42 points, 15 rebounds in L.A's 108-97 win over the Clippers) is the first Laker not named Shaquille O'Neal to have a 40-point, 15-rebound game. O'Neal did it seven times with Los Angeles. Detroit's Richard Hamilton came off the bench last night after starting his first 611 games, including the playoffs, in seven seasons with Detroit. It was Hamilton's first game as a reserve since Feb. 1, 2002, when he was playing for the Wizards. Hamilton scored seven points in the Pistons' 95-76 win over Toronto. The Pistons had a 403-208 record with Hamilton in the starting lineup. In scoring 20 points in the second quarter of Boston's 98-83 win over Miami last night, Eddie House became the third Celtic this month to convert his first five three-pointers in a quarter. Paul Pierce went 5-for-5 in the third quarter of a 118-86 victory over New Jersey Jan. 14, and Ray Allen was 5-for-5 in the first quarter of a 94-88 win at Toronto Jan. 11. Mo Williams connected on a career-high six three-pointers in Cleveland's 104-98 win over the Trail Blazers last night in Portland. The Cavaliers, who had lost four of five on the road prior to last night, improved to 12-8 away from home this season. Cleveland is the NBA's lone remaining undefeated team at home, sporting a 20-0 mark at Quicken Loans Arena. Houston's Yao Ming has three double-doubles in his past four games and 22 on the season.

Today's Quote

Orlando coach STAN VAN GUNDY, on tonight's game against the Boston Celtics:
"I'm sure guys get juiced up more for certain games. But you just can't get too high for one game when you play 82. You have to stay at an even keel, and our guys have done a good job at that. If they're going to give us two wins for the Boston game, I'll make it a big deal."

Orlando Sentinel, Jan. 22, 2009