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September 3, 2008

The Milwaukee Bucks have joined the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers as the NBA parent clubs for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League for the 2008-09 season, the National Basketball Association announced today.

The Bucks were previously one of the parent clubs for the Tulsa 66ers but as a result of the purchase of the 66ers by the Professional Basketball Club, LLC, owner of the Oklahoma City NBA franchise on July 31, 2008, the Mad Ants became Milwaukee’s affiliate. Oklahoma City is the third NBA team to own and operate an NBA D-League affiliate, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders) and the San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros) as sole owners of their affiliates. Each NBA team has one NBA D-League affiliate to which it may assign players in their first or second NBA season.

The Mad Ants tip off the 2008-09 NBA D-League season with a road contest against the expansion Erie BayHawks on Friday, Nov. 28. Expanded to 16 teams for 2008-09, the NBA D-League will continue to have three divisions with the BayHawks and Reno Bighorns joining the Southwest and West divisions, respectively. The Central and Southwest divisions will feature five teams each and the West division six.

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.

2008-09 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE TEAM AFFILIATIONS

Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Dallas Mavericks
Miami Heat

Anaheim Arsenal
Atlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Clippers

Austin Toros
San Antonio Spurs

Bakersfield Jam
Golden State Warriors
Orlando Magic

Colorado 14ers (Broomfield)
Denver Nuggets
New Jersey Nets

Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, ND)
Memphis Grizzlies
Washington Wizards

Erie BayHawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Philadelphia 76ers

Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks

Idaho Stampede (Boise)
Portland Trail Blazers
Toronto Raptors

Iowa Energy (Des Moines)
Chicago Bulls
Phoenix Suns

Los Angeles D-Fenders
Los Angeles Lakers

Reno Bighorns (NV)
New York Knicks
Sacramento Kings

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (TX)
Houston Rockets
New Orleans Hornets

Sioux Falls Skyforce (SD)
Charlotte Bobcats
Minnesota Timberwolves

Tulsa 66ers
Oklahoma City NBA

Utah Flash (Orem)
Boston Celtics
Utah Jazz