Oct. 30, 2001
SUWANEE, Ga., - Former Santa Clara guard Brian Jones is among the more than 150 players from around the globe invited by the The National Basketball Development League to its Central Training Camp in suburban Atlanta. The players will compete for one of 88 roster spots with the league's eight teams.
The NBDL's Central Training Camp is being held at the Suwanee Sports Academy in Suwanee, Ga. through Saturday, Nov. 3. Players who have been signed by the league will be attend four days of practice and tryouts (Oct. 27-30), which will be followed by the NBDL's Inaugural Central Training Camp Draft on Wednesday, Oct. 31.
Each team's 12 draft selections will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sports Academy. Teams of 16 (12 draft selections and four allocation players) will then practice for two days (Nov. 1-2) before coaches must cut rosters down to 11 players for individual team training camps beginning Nov. 6.
On Nov. 3 the league will conduct a Supplemental Draft which will include "last cuts" from NBA training camps. Players selected in this draft will join team training camps on Nov. 6 to compete for final roster spots.
NBDL teams will open individual training camps in their respective cities on Tuesday, Nov. 6, and must submit their final 11-player roster requests to the NBDL Office by 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 14. Final rosters will consist of at least one "allocation player" and two "first-year professional players."
The National Basketball Development League will tip off its inaugural season on Nov. 16, 2001. The Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), North Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Mobile Revelers (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.), Greenville Groove (S.C.), and Asheville Altitude (N.C.) will compete in a 56-game regular season schedule that runs from mid-November through March, followed by playoffs. A total of 24 games will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN, and 19 games will be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports Net South.
The NBA and ESPN have reached a three-year agreement to bring coverage of the NBDL to a global audience beginning November 2001. NBDL television and Internet game production will feature ground-breaking access to players and coaches including live-microphones on players and cameras in the huddles and locker rooms.
A total of 24 games will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN starting on opening night. Regular weekly coverage will begin in December 2001 and continue throughout the regular season and playoffs. Additionally, both NBA.com and ESPN.com plan to cybercast a select number of games each week via broadband Internet while offering real-time audio and video highlights and statistics.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the NBDL offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. In addition to being a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 29 teams, the NBDL will also serve as a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions in each NBDL city.