Post by scooter on Mar 14, 2008 7:46:54 GMT -5
Erie to get NBDL team
BY DUANE RANKIN
duane.rankin@timesnews.com [more details]
Published: March 14. 2008 6:00AM
NBA superstar LeBron James isn't coming to Erie, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are.
Well, their NBDL team is.
A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to announce that Cleveland will have a National Basketball Development League team playing in Erie starting next season.
The Erie Downtown Improvement District sent an invitation to area businesses to attend a private meeting at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. A news conference is scheduled to follow the meeting.
The invitation states that Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry and executives from the Cavaliers and Erie County Convention Center Authority are scheduled to be present at the announcement.
Web Link
For more information about the NBDL, visit www.nba.com/nbdl
Ferry declined comment in an e-mail exchange Wednesday. "Any message from me would be at the press conference," he wrote.
Erie will become the easternmost team in the D-League. Erie has not had a pro basketball team since the Erie Wave of the World Basketball League folded in 1992.
The Erie Times-News first reported Dec. 28 that the Cavaliers would place a development league team in Erie. Games will be played at Tullio Arena, which can seat 7,000 people.
The Erie Otters major junior hockey team and Erie RiverRats indoor football team also play at Tullio Arena. The basketball, hockey and indoor football seasons will overlap.
The NBDL started its 2007-08 season Nov. 15 with preseason games. The regular season began Nov. 23 and is scheduled to end April 12. Playoffs will follow.
The Otters' regular season started in September and ends Saturday. The RiverRats opened their season Sunday.
The NBDL serves a purpose similar to minor league baseball or hockey. A pro team is able to call up a player from a D-League to the NBA.
At the same time, an NBA team can send a player down to play in the D-League to work on his game.
Earlier this NBA season, the Cavaliers sent their 2006 first-round pick, former Michigan State star guard Shannon Brown, to play for their current D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in McAllen, Texas.
The Cavaliers are one of three NBA teams now affiliated with Rio Grande Valley. Houston and New Orleans are the others.
The additions of Erie and Reno, Nev., as expansion teams will push league membership to 16 teams heading into next season.
The NBA has a goal to have all 30 of its team have their own NBDL squads. Only the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs presently have single-team affiliation agreements.
This will be the third team in Erie associated with a major sports league. The Erie SeaWolves are associated with Major League Baseball as the Class AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, while the Otters are in the Ontario Hockey League, whose alumni stock NHL rosters.
DUANE RANKIN can be reached at 878-2210 or by e-mail.
BY DUANE RANKIN
duane.rankin@timesnews.com [more details]
Published: March 14. 2008 6:00AM
NBA superstar LeBron James isn't coming to Erie, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are.
Well, their NBDL team is.
A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to announce that Cleveland will have a National Basketball Development League team playing in Erie starting next season.
The Erie Downtown Improvement District sent an invitation to area businesses to attend a private meeting at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. A news conference is scheduled to follow the meeting.
The invitation states that Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry and executives from the Cavaliers and Erie County Convention Center Authority are scheduled to be present at the announcement.
Web Link
For more information about the NBDL, visit www.nba.com/nbdl
Ferry declined comment in an e-mail exchange Wednesday. "Any message from me would be at the press conference," he wrote.
Erie will become the easternmost team in the D-League. Erie has not had a pro basketball team since the Erie Wave of the World Basketball League folded in 1992.
The Erie Times-News first reported Dec. 28 that the Cavaliers would place a development league team in Erie. Games will be played at Tullio Arena, which can seat 7,000 people.
The Erie Otters major junior hockey team and Erie RiverRats indoor football team also play at Tullio Arena. The basketball, hockey and indoor football seasons will overlap.
The NBDL started its 2007-08 season Nov. 15 with preseason games. The regular season began Nov. 23 and is scheduled to end April 12. Playoffs will follow.
The Otters' regular season started in September and ends Saturday. The RiverRats opened their season Sunday.
The NBDL serves a purpose similar to minor league baseball or hockey. A pro team is able to call up a player from a D-League to the NBA.
At the same time, an NBA team can send a player down to play in the D-League to work on his game.
Earlier this NBA season, the Cavaliers sent their 2006 first-round pick, former Michigan State star guard Shannon Brown, to play for their current D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in McAllen, Texas.
The Cavaliers are one of three NBA teams now affiliated with Rio Grande Valley. Houston and New Orleans are the others.
The additions of Erie and Reno, Nev., as expansion teams will push league membership to 16 teams heading into next season.
The NBA has a goal to have all 30 of its team have their own NBDL squads. Only the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs presently have single-team affiliation agreements.
This will be the third team in Erie associated with a major sports league. The Erie SeaWolves are associated with Major League Baseball as the Class AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, while the Otters are in the Ontario Hockey League, whose alumni stock NHL rosters.
DUANE RANKIN can be reached at 878-2210 or by e-mail.
