17 Former D-League Players on 2005-06 NBA Opening Day Rosters

GREENVILLE, S.C., November 1 – Seventeen players who were on NBA Development League rosters over the last four seasons are members of NBA opening day rosters to begin the 2005-06 season.

The list includes two former NBA Development League Most Valuable Players, 2005 MVP Matt Carroll (Roanoke) with the Charlotte Bobcats and 2003 MVP Devin Brown (Fayetteville) with the Utah Jazz.

The Albuquerque Thunderbirds, formerly the Huntsville Flight, lead the way with four former players on NBA opening day rosters (Earl Barron, Miami; Mateen Cleaves, Seattle; Ronald Dupree, Minnesota; Mike Wilks, Cleveland), followed by the Fayetteville Patriots and Roanoke Dazzle with three each.

Following is the list of former D-League players on NBA opening day rosters:

The NBA Development League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).

The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA’s umbrella. Thirty-four (34) players have been called up to the NBA on 50 separate occasions. Eleven (11) former D-League coaches, six athletic trainers, 14 referees and 30 front office executives have also been called up since the start of the league’s inaugural season in November 2001.

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The D-League is a source of on-court talent for the NBA’s 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions.

*formerly Asheville Altitude **formerly Huntsville Flight ***formerly Columbus Riverdragons