truebluefan

Albuquerque, N.M., October 25, 2006 - The NBA Development League Champion Albuquerque Thunderbirds invite you to attend their second annual draft party on Thursday, November 2 at Kelly's Brew Pub. Kelly's is located at 3222 Central Ave. SE.

The party gets started at 4 p.m. with a live broadcast of The Ian Martin Show on 610 AM The Sports Animal. The NBA Development League Draft will begin at 7 p.m. and Erik Gee will provide live updates on 96.3 The Buzzard FM as the Thunderbirds make the final selection in the odd numbered rounds and the first selection of the even numbered rounds. Head Coach Michael Cooper and assistant Joe Harge will be on hand to discuss the new Thunderbirds and sign autographs.

The draft is conducted via conference call from the D-League draft headquarters and at locations in each of the 12 D-League cities. Each team will select one player in each of the 10 rounds. Teams will have up to two minutes to make a selection in each round. No trades will be permitted during the draft and only players signed to an NBA Development League Standard Player Contract are eligible to be selected.

The draft party is also a great opportunity for parents to find out more about their children between the ages of 9 and 17 becoming "Ball Kids" for the team. Season ticket holders can also stop by and pick up their tickets that have already been purchased.

For directions to Kelly's Brew Pub for the T-Birds Draft party, or to book a party, call 262-2739.

Be sure to keep up to date on the Thunderbirds website, www.abqtbirds.com, for new pictures and bio's on this years Storm Chasers dance squad as well as player and ticket information. Thunderbirds 2006-07 season tickets are already on sale and can be purchased at abqtbirds.com or at the Thunderbirds Front Office. For premium or group seating call the Thunderbirds office at (505) 265-DUNK.

The D-League continues to develop talent from across all disciplines for the NBA's 30 teams and the entire NBA umbrella. This season, 19 NBA teams assigned 29 players to D-League affiliates. There were also 18 GATORADE Call-Ups from the D-League to the NBA. Additionally, every referee hired by the NBA since 2002 has worked in the D-League, while coaches, athletic trainers and front office executives are also being developed.

The NBA D-League is composed of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Anaheim Arsenal (Calif.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Bakersfield Jam (Calif.), Colorado 14ers (Broomfield), Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, N.D.), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Idaho Stampede (Boise), Los Angeles D-Fenders, Sioux Falls Skyforce (S.D.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. For additional information on the NBA Development League, visit NBADLEAGUE.com.

For additional information about the Albuquerque Thunderbirds call (505) 265-DUNK or log on to www.abqtbirds.com.