Williams vs. Millsap in 2007 Rookie Challenge

The NBA announced that Utah Jazz second-year guard Deron Williams and rookie forward Paul Millsap will compete against each other in 2007 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, February 16 in Las Vegas.

The 18 participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, each team submitting one ballot.

The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2007 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.

The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be televised live nationally on TNT and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages.

Joining Millsap on the Rookie team this year are the Toronto Raptors’ Andrea Bargnani, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jordan Farmar, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Randy Foye, the Toronto Raptors’ Jorge Garbajosa, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Adam Morrison, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy and the New Jersey Nets’ Marcus Williams.

Teaming with Willilams on the Sophomore team are the Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Andrew Bynum, the Golden State Warriors’ Monta Ellis, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Raymond Felton, the Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger, the Houston Rockets’ Luther Head, the New York Knicks’ David Lee, and the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets’ Chris Paul -- the 2005-06 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year.

If any rookie or second-year player is selected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, he also will play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday evening.

As title partner of the Rookie Challenge and overall NBA Rookie Program, T-Mobile has teamed up with NBA Cares to create the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, a unique opportunity for Las Vegas youth to experience NBA All-Star 2007. During the event, thousands of T-Mobile Huddle Up All-Stars, representing the Clark County School District, Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas and After-School All-Stars programs, will watch the game from the best seats in the house and fill the lower bowl of the Thomas & Mack Center. In order to qualify for the program, middle school students, between the ages of 11-15, from all over the Las Vegas Valley pledged their commitment to leadership, community service, reading, and citizenship.

In last year’s contest, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Andre Iguodala scored a game-high 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting to lead the Sophomores to their fourth straight win over the Rookies, 106-96. He was named Most Valuable Player after scoring 24 of his 30 points in the second half. Chicago’s Ben Gordon added 17 points in the win. The Toronto Raptors’ Charlie Villanueva and the Houston Rockets’ Luther Head led the Rookies with 18 points each.

This is the eighth year of the rookie-sophomore format, with the Sophomores leading the series 5-2. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves, with each team allowed one full timeout and one 20-second timeout per half. There will be one mandatory television timeout in each half. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player cannot foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner. The Clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.

For the third consecutive year, NBA.com will provide basketball fans with the opportunity to have their vote count toward selecting the MVP of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, as part of the site's exclusive NBA All-Star 2007 coverage.

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. EST. The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and broadcast on NBA.com.

NBA All-Star brings together the top NBA players and performers for a week of competition, community service and world-class entertainment. Among the many events are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam; Sprite Slam Dunk; Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout; PlayStation® Skills Challenge; Haier Shooting Stars; NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, the league’s interactive event that attracts more than 100,000 fans each year; and the 56th NBA All-Star Game.

About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Building upon its already strong appeal to the nation’s youth and as Official Partner of the NBA, T-Mobile is showcasing the NBA’s youngest players -- the Rookies -- through the NBA’s Rookie Program. Highlights include the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star competition between NBA rookies and second-year players, and rookie awards presentations including the T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and T-Mobile Rookie of the Year. T-Mobile Huddle Up is T-Mobile’s community relations program that focuses on connecting kids across the country to positive people, places and programs. To learn more about T-Mobile’s partnership with the NBA, visit www.t-mobile.com/nba.

Below are the rosters for the 2007 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam:

ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER

Player | Team | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | School/Country

Andrea Bargnani | Toronto | F | 7-0 | 250 | Italy
Jordan Farmar | L.A. Lakers | G | 6-2 | 180 | UCLA
Randy Foye | Minnesota | G | 6-4 | 213 | Villanova
Jorge Garbajosa | Toronto | C | 6-9 | 245 | Spain
Rudy Gay | Memphis | G | 6-9 | 220 | Connecticut
Paul Millsap | Utah | F | 6-8 | 258 | Louisiana Tech
Adam Morrison | Charlotte | F | 6-8 | 205 | Gonzaga
Brandon Roy | Portland | G | 6-6 | 229 | Washington
Marcus Williams | New Jersey | G | 6-3 | 205 | Connecticut

Head Coach – TBD
Assistant Coach – TBD

SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER

Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country

Andrew Bogut | Milwaukee | C | 7-0 | 245 | Utah
Andrew Bynum | L.A. Lakers | C | 7-0 | 245 | St. Joseph’s HS (NJ)
Monta Ellis | Golden State | G | 6-3 | 177 | Lanier HS (Miss.)
Raymond Felton | Charlotte | G | 6-1 | 198 | North Carolina
Danny Granger | Indiana | F | 6-9 | 228 | New Mexico
Luther Head | Houston | G | 6-3 | 185 | Illinois
David Lee | New York | F | 6-9 | 249 | Florida
Chris Paul | New Orl./Okla. City | G | 6-0 | 175 | Wake Forest
Deron Williams | Utah | G | 6-3 | 205 | Illinois

Head Coach – TBD
Assistant Coach – TBD

PREVIOUS T-MOBILE ROOKIE CHALLENGE RESULTS

1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96