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.