KEY Magazine Fort Worth

Prepare for Take-off!
NBA Development League lands in Fort Worth

Home to the high school basketball coach with the most wins in the country, Fort Worth has long enjoyed a rich basketball tradition. In this spirit, Fort Worth has warmly embraced the city’s newest professional sports team, the Fort Worth Flyers. The Flyers’ inaugural season will tip off November 23, 2005 at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena.

The Flyers are one of four new NBA Development League (D-League) franchises owned by Southwest Basketball, LLC that will make their debut during the 2005-06 season. In addition to the Flyers, the D-League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).

The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA’s umbrella. Thirty-four players have been called up to the NBA on 50 separate occasions. Eleven former D-League coaches, six athletic trainers, 11 referees and 30 front office executives have also been called up since the start of the league’s inaugural season in November 2001.

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers family entertainment at affordable prices. The D-League is a source of on-court talent for the NBA’s 30 teams, and is a diverse human resource pool for the NBA and its teams with trained employees in management, operations, public relations, and sales and marketing positions.

In addition to bringing an exciting brand of basketball to the city of Fort Worth, the Flyers will also strive to make a positive impact in the community. As part of the Read to Achieve program, which serves as the centerpiece of the NBA Development League community relations efforts, the team will hold a number of reading-related programs and activities throughout the year such as Welcome Back to School events, Read to Achieve Day and monthly Reading Time Outs. In addition, the Flyers will actively pursue involvement in other important communityinitiatives and volunteer programs.

As an affiliate to four NBA franchises, the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, PortlandTrail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors, the Flyers are eager to share the excitementwith the city of Fort Worth. For information, call 817-698-8333 or go to www.fwflyers.com.

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