Reno, Nevada has been awarded an NBA Development League franchise and will begin play during the 2008-09 season, it was announced today at a press conference at the Boys and
Girls Club of Truckee Meadows.

?We?re thrilled to be bringing an NBA Development League team to Reno, one of the truly remarkable economic success stories in America the last several years,? said the team?s owner David Kahn, who also operates Southwest Basketball LLC. ?With the increase in population and the diversification of the economy, we believe the market is primed to support high-quality family entertainment at affordable prices.?

The announcement featured 300 local children, Kahn, Fat Lever, a two-time NBA All-Star and current Director of Player Development for the Sacramento Kings, and Dan Reed, the president of the D-League.

?There?s no doubt our league is thriving,? said Reed. ?Attendance is up over 20%, our team sponsorship numbers and team season ticket sales numbers are up as well, and we continue to provide NBA teams with high-quality players. I expect Reno will be very happy with the brand of basketball we feature, and also the positive impact our players make in
the communities that we serve.?

Although the NBA teams Reno will be associated with will not be determined until this summer, the team will be the affiliate of two or three NBA teams that can assign their first and second year players to Reno a maximum of three times per season.

This season there have been 30 players assigned to the D-League by NBA teams in order for the player to gain valuable playing time and enhance skills.

Kasib Powell of the Sioux Falls Skyforce was today named D-League.com Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Feb. 18.  Powell averaged 27.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in two games.  Powell is the first member of the Skyforce to earn the Performer of the Week honor this season.  

Powell, a 6-7 forward from Texas Tech, scored a season-high 37 points on Sunday to lead Sioux Falls to the team?s fourth straight victory, a 130-116 win over the Iowa Energy.

Fort Wayne?s Jeremy Richardson, a two-time GATORADE Call-Up this season, led six players in double figures with 22
points as the Blue Team defeated the Red Team 117-99 in the second annual D-League All-Star Game presented by Spalding which took place on Center Court at NBA Jam Session presented by Adidas at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Richardson, who was waived by the Miami Heat during training camp and spent time  this season with the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs, shot 9-for-15 from the field and added four rebounds on his way to capturing MVP honors.

The Seattle SuperSonics announced today that the team has recalled guard Mickael Gelabale from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League.

Originally assigned to Idaho on Jan. 28, Gelabale appeared in six games with the Stampede and averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 32.5 minutes per game.

The Mavericks assigned Maurice Ager to Tulsa of the D-League on Sunday, according to a Yahoo Sports report.

Ager, the 28th pick of the 2006 draft, has seen action in 12 games this season, averaging 1.3 points and 0.3 rebounds.

Thirteen players with NBA experience highlight the rosters for the second annual D-League All-Star Game presented by Spalding. The game will be held Feb. 16, on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and will tip off at 2 p.m. CST and will be shown live on NBA TV.

The two 10-man rosters were selected by a combination of fan balloting on D-LEAGUE.com and voting of the league?s 14 head coaches.  The Red Team will be the home team, while the Blue Team will be the visitors.  

GATORADE Call-Ups Eddie Gill and Billy Thomas highlight the Red Team roster.  Gill, selected first in the 2007 D-League draft by the Colorado 14ers, earned the season?s first call-up Nov. 15, when he signed with the New Jersey Nets.  He ranks among D-League leaders with 7.9 assists per game and 2.5 steals per game.  Thomas, Gill?s teammate in Colorado, earned a Dec. 24 call-up by the Nets and is among league leaders with 2.5 steals per game.  

Reigning D-League Most Valuable Player Randy Livingston joins the Red Team, as does Dallas Mavericks assignee Nick Fazekas.  Fazekas is averaging 18.9 points for the Tulsa 66ers while Livingston sits atop the league?s leader board with 11.3 assists per game for the Idaho Stampede.  

NBA-assigned players Morris Almond, Kyrylo Fesenko and Ian Mahinmi headline the Blue Team.  Almond and Fesenko, teammates on the Utah Jazz and their D-League affiliate Utah Flash, have both seen multiple assignments during the season.  Almond most recently joined the squad on Jan. 25, while Fesenko headed to Orem on Dec. 13.   Mahinmi is in his second stint with the Austin Toros from the Spurs.  Almond is second in the league with 26.4 points per game, while Fesenko is averaging 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.  Mahinmi ranks among the league?s best, shooting .639 (163-255).  

Los Angeles D-Fenders center Jelani McCoy, Austin Toros guard Keith Langford and Fort Wayne Mad Ants guard Jeremy Richardson, all GATORADE Call-Ups this season, round out the Blue Team?s roster.  McCoy, who earned a call-up from the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 29, is averaging 2.2 blocks, ranking him among the league?s best defenders, while Langford, who earned a call-up from the Spurs on Dec. 28, is averaging 24.1 points, ranking him among the league?s top five scorers.  Richardson has twice been called up this season, first by the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 20, and then by the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 10.  Richardson is averaging a league-high 28.2 points to go with 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 40.8 minutes in nine games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

C.J. Watson, the 100th GATORADE Call-Up in league history, and member of the Golden State Warriors, was selected to the Blue Team by the fans and coaches. Since he is with the Warriors, he will be replaced on the D-League All-Star roster by NBA veteran and Bakersfield Jam guard Andre Barrett.  Watson, who played 16 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before earning a call-up from the Warriors on Jan. 8, had his NBA contract renewed through the end of the 2007-08 season.  

Nine additional D-League standouts will compete in the All-Star Game, including three D-League Player of the Month and D-League.com Performer of the Week honorees.  The Red Team will include Lance Allred (Idaho), Elton Brown (Colorado), Kaniel Dickens (Colorado), Dwayne Mitchell (Iowa), Kasib Powell (Sioux Falls), and Cory Violette (Idaho). The Blue Team will include Sean Banks (Los Angeles), Rod Benson (Dakota) and Carlos Powell (Dakota).

Carlos Powell of the Dakota Wizards was today named D-League.com Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Jan. 28.  Powell averaged 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in two games.  Powell is the third member of the Wizards to earn the Performer of the Week Honor this season.  

Powell, a 6-7 forward from South Carolina, scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out eight assists in Friday?s win over the Albuquerque Thunderbirds.  In the second game of the week, Powell netted 17 points to go with seven rebounds and 10 assists in a loss to the Bakersfield Jam on Saturday.  Powell recorded only three turnovers while dishing out 18 assists during the week.  

The second overall selection in the 2007 D-League Draft, Powell currently ranks third among current D-League players with 22.8 points while adding 6.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the 18-10 Wizards.  Prior to joining Dakota, Powell played with the Golden State Warriors in their preseason training camp after spending the 2006-07 season with Australia?s National Basketball League.  

Other top performers in the D-League last week included Dakota?s Blake Ahearn, who averaged 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in two games; Utah?s Morris Almond who set a D-League record with 53 points in Wednesday?s win over  Bakersfield, and is averaging 27.5 points in four games on assignment from the Jazz; Bakersfield?s Andre Barrett, who averaged 19.0 points, 10.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds in three games; Nick Fazekas, on assignment in Tulsa from the Dallas Mavericks, who averaged 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two wins for the 66ers; and Austin?s Keith Langford, who averaged 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two games.

Elton Brown today was named NBA Development League Player of the Month for games played in January.

In  10  games, Brown averaged 17.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.  During  a  14ers'  five-game  winning  streak,  the  6-9 forward from the University  of  Virginia  averaged  19.8 points on .571 (32-56) shooting from  the  field. Brown also recorded seven double-doubles and grabbed a season-high  18 rebounds twice ? Jan. 15 against Albuquerque and Jan. 21
vs. Rio Grande Valley.

Through  25  games  this season, Brown is averaging 20.0 points and 11.0 rebounds.

The  14ers?  (14-11)  next game is tonight in Broomfield, CO, against the Iowa Energy (11-15) and can be seen for free via live streaming video the league?s official website d-league.com.

Others  receiving  consideration for D-League Player of the Month honors were  Brown?s  teammate  Kaniel  Dickens,  Randy Livingston of the Idaho Stampede,  Ian  Mahinmi  of  the  Austin  Toros, and Carlos Powell of the Dakota Wizards.