ATLANTA’S AL HORFORD NAMED T-MOBILE ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

New York, NY (Apr. 1, 2008) -- The Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford and the Seattle SuperSonics’ Kevin Durant today were named the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in March.

For every point scored by the players named the T-Mobile Rookie of the Month, T-Mobile will donate $20 to the New Orleans Recovery School District. This month T-Mobile will donate $4,060 on behalf of Horford and $6,980 on behalf of Durant. This philanthropic component is new to the T-Mobile Rookie Program and builds on T-Mobile’s strong appeal to the nation’s youth as the official wireless partner of the NBA. Other highlights of T-Mobile’s partnership with the NBA include the T-Mobile Rookie of the Year, T-Mobile Rookie of the Month Awards, and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star competition between NBA rookies and second-year players. During NBA All-Star 2008, T-Mobile Huddle Up and NBA Cares hosted more than 5,000 local students in the lower bowl of the
arena to watch this year’s Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam.

Among Eastern Conference rookies in March, Horford ranked first in scoring with 11.9 points per game, as well as rebounds with 8.7 per game. He tied career highs of 20 points and six assists on March 19 at New Jersey, while pulling down 15 rebounds. In addition, Horford recorded six double-doubles. Horford has had double-figure rebounds in 37 games and scored 10-plus points on 32 occasions this season.

Among rookie qualifiers in March, Durant ranked first in scoring with 21.8 points per game. He also ranked second in the league in free throw percentage with .903 and sixth in field goal percentage with .526. For the season Durant ranks first among rookies in scoring with 19.9 points per game, second in steals, third in three-point percentage and fourth in blocks.

Here is a recap of the month for Horford:

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
March 7 @ Charlotte: Posted 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 108-93 loss to the Bobcats.
March 19 vs. New Jersey: Registered 20 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists in a 125-117 loss to the Nets.
March 30 @ New York: Recorded his sixth double-double of the month, with 18 points and 13 rebounds in a 114-109 victory over the Knicks.
March 31 @ Memphis: Tallied 19 points, along with six rebounds in a 116-99 win over the Grizzlies.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month were Houston’s Luis Scola, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Al Thornton, Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young and Toronto’s Jamario Moon.