O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol to represent Grizzlies in Rookie Challenge at 2009 All-Star Weekend
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Memphis, January 28, 2009 – Memphis Grizzlies rookies O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol were named to the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, Feb. 13 in Phoenix at 8 p.m. CST during NBA All-Star Weekend, which will be televised nationally on TNT.
One of the leading candidates for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, Mayo leads all first-year players in scoring with a team-high 19.1 points per game and is on pace to break Shareef Abdur-Rahim’s franchise rookie record for points per game.
The 6-4, 210-pound guard scored in double figures in each of his first 25 professional games, the longest streak to start an NBA career since David Robinson (77-straight) in 1989-90. Mayo won the NBA Rookie of the Month Award for October/November after averaging 21.9 points in the month. His 210 points in his first 10 career games can be matched by just two active NBA players, Shaquille O’Neal (238) and Allen Iverson (224).
The 21-year-old currently ranks in the Top 5 among all rookies (meeting the same qualifiers as league leaders) in scoring average, assists (2.8, 4th), three-pointers made (80, 2nd), three-point percentage (.379, 5th), free throw percentage (.869, 3rd), steals (1.05, 3rd) and minutes (37.5, 1st).
Originally drafted third overall in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mayo’s draft rights were acquired by the Grizzlies in a draft-night deal along with Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner and Antoine Walker in exchange for the draft rights to Kevin Love (5th overall), Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins June 26, 2008.
In his first NBA season after winning the 2007-08 Most Valuable Player Award in the Spanish ACB league, Gasol leads all NBA rookies (meeting the same qualifiers as league leaders) in field goal percentage (.503) and ranks in the Top 10 in points (10.9, 7th), rebounds (team-high 7.1, 4th), blocks (0.98, 3rd) and minutes (30.1, 6th).
On Nov. 3 vs. Golden State, the 23-year-old recorded career-highs in points (27) and rebounds (16), becoming the first NBA player since Shaquille O’Neal (Nov. 12, 1992 vs. Washington) to post a 25-point, 15-rebound game within the first five games of his career.
The Grizzlies acquired the draft rights to the 7-1, 280-pound center on Feb. 1, 2008 in a trade package that sent his older brother, Pau Gasol, and a 2010 second round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, two future first round draft picks (2008, 2010) and cash considerations.
For the second consecutive year, the Grizzlies will have two rookies representing the team at the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam (Mike Conley and Juan Carlos Navarro last year).
Rounding out the Rookie team are Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Eric Gordon, Miami’s Michael Beasley, New Jersey’s Brook Lopez and Portland’s Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez.
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Al Thornton, Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young, New York’s Wilson Chandler, Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey and Houston’s Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks comprise the Sophomore team.
The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. For the first time in the game’s history, two current NBA players, All-Star starters Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat – veterans of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and part of T-Mobile’s “All-Star Faves” – will serve on the coaching staffs, Howard for the Sophomores and Wade for the Rookies. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2009 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.
Mayo and Gasol will be joined at All-Star Weekend by Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay, who will compete in the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition on Feb. 14, his second consecutive year in the contest.