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NBA G LEAGUE USA TO FACE MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM IN

NBA G LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY KUMHO TIRE

AT NBA ALL-STAR 2018 IN LOS ANGELES

– Feb. 18 Game Will Be First International Exhibition at NBA All-Star –

MEXICO CITY, Dec. 9, 2017 – NBA G League USA, a team of top talent from the NBA’s official minor league, will play the Mexico National Team in the NBA G League International Challenge presented by Kumho Tire at NBA All-Star 2018 in Los Angeles.  The first international exhibition game at NBA All-Star will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  NBA G League President Malcolm Turner and Mexico Basketball Federation General Manager José Reyes Ronfini made the announcement today during a press conference at Arena Ciudad de Mexico. 

The NBA G League International Challenge will replace the traditional NBA G League All-Star Game, which debuted at NBA All-Star 2007 in Las Vegas. 

“We are thrilled to showcase an innovative international exhibition game between top NBA G League players and the Mexico National Team at NBA All-Star,” said Turner.  “This first-of-its-kind event will be an outstanding display of high-quality basketball and spirited competition for our fans around the world to enjoy.”

NBA G League USA players are also expected to compete for USA Basketball in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers against Cuba on Feb. 23 and Puerto Rico on Feb. 26.  Coached by Jeff Van Gundy and his USA Basketball World Cup Qualifying Team staff, NBA G League USA will be selected by the six-member USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Committee.  The committee is made up of appointees by USA Basketball and the NBA G League.  The 12-player team will be announced in advance of the game. 

The Mexico National Team is currently 15^th in the FIBA World Ranking and holds a 1-1 record in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.  The NBA G League International Challenge will help Mexico prepare for its 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers against Puerto Rico on Feb. 23 and Cuba on Feb. 26.    

“It is an honor for Mexican Basketball to partner with the NBA’s official minor league,” said Gilberto Hernandez, President of the Mexico Basketball Federation.  “The exhibition game between the Mexico National Team and the NBA G League USA team is a unique opportunity for the development of our game as well as a great motivation for the young Mexican lovers of this sport who dream of reaching the NBA one day.”

Fans around the world can follow the game on social media on Twitter @nbagleague and @mexbasquet.  Domestic and international broadcast information will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the NBA G League International Challenge presented by Kumho Tire will be available at a later date.  Fans can log on towww.NBAEvents.com to sign up for news and ticket sales information. 

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Week 8: Dec. 8, 2017 Vol. 72, No. 8 Media Central: Register

NBA News, a newsletter produced by the NBA Communications Group, highlights the latest storylines, key statistics, upcoming events and more from around the league.  WINNING WAYS  The Cavaliers have won 13 straight games since a 5-7 start. (NBAE via Getty Images) Cleveland looks to break the franchise record for longest winning streak tonight against Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass). The Cavaliers have won 13 consecutive games, which they also did during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. Cleveland’s 13-game winning streak follows Boston’s 16-game winning streak earlier this season. This marks the second time in NBA history that multiple teams have produced winning streaks of 13 or more games within their first 30 games of a season. In 1993-94, Houston and Atlanta had early-season winning streaks of 15 and 14 games, respectively. Here is more information on NBA winning streaks: Longest single-season winning streaks by team Longest single-season winning streaks in NBA history Longest overall winning streaks in NBA history (not limited to a single season) THE NBA ACADEMY LATIN AMERICA The NBA, CONADE (Mexico’s National Commission for Physical Culture and Sport) and the Mexican Basketball Federation have announced their plan to launch The NBA Academy Latin America, an elite basketball training center in Mexico City for the top male and female prospects from throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. The NBA Academy Latin America, the NBA’s seventh elite training center globally, is scheduled to open this winter. The announcement was made on Thursday before Brooklyn met Oklahoma City as part of the NBA Mexico City Games 2017 presented by Nike. The Nets and Miami will play on Saturday in Mexico City (6 p.m. ET, NBA TV), the 26th game in Mexico since 1992. During Thursday’s press conference, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed the academy as well as the potential of putting an NBA G League franchise in Mexico. A transcript is available in English and Spanish. NBA ON CHRISTMAS DAY The 70th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day is a little more than two weeks away. The league will play five games on Dec. 25 for the 10th consecutive year, with ABC televising three games for the first time and ESPN and TNT airing one game each. For information on this year’s matchups as well as a historical look at memorable games and performances, team records and statistical leaders on Christmas, check out Media Central’s NBA Christmas Day 2017 Guide. GET TO KNOW … FRED VANVLEET  Toronto guard Fred VanVleet is in his second NBA season. (NBAE via Getty Images) Toronto guard Fred VanVleet has helped the Raptors win their last four games and eight of 10. Here are some facts and figures about the 23-year-old VanVleet, who is averaging 6.4 points and 3.1 assists in 16.5 minutes per game in his second season:  Went undrafted in 2016 after a standout career at Wichita State, where he was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore and a senior.  His backcourt mate at Wichita State was the New York Knicks’ Ron Baker, who also went undrafted in 2016. They were part of Wichita State’s 2012-13 NCAA Final Four team and the 2013-14 team that went 31-0 in the regular season.  Has notched six double-digit scoring games this season after recording three as a rookie.  Split time between the Raptors and the NBA G League’s Raptors 905 as a rookie.  Scored 28 points and handed out 14 assists in Raptors 905’s championship-clinching Game 3 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the 2017 NBA G League Finals.  Grew up in Rockford, Ill., home of the Rockford Peaches women’s baseball team that was featured in the 1992 movie A League of the Their Own.  If he weren’t a professional athlete, VanVleet says he would be an entrepreneur. AROUND THE NBA  Houston has opened 11-1 on the road for the first time since the 1996-97 season. Overall, the Rockets have won eight consecutive games and 14 of 15.  Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his 23rd birthday on Wednesday. He is one of three players in NBA history with at least 5,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists before turning 23, joining LeBron James and Tracy McGrady.  New Orleans center/forward DeMarcus Cousins is the first player with multiple games of at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a season since Patrick Ewing in 1989-90.  Golden State forward Kevin Durant’s triple-double in Wednesday’s victory over Charlotte raised his career total to nine, tied with teammate Andre Iguodala and San Antonio center Pau Gasol for the eighth-most among active players.  New York guard/forward Courtney Lee is averaging 16.7 points and shooting 60.8 percent (59-of-97) from the field and 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from three-point range in his last nine games. For the season, Lee is averaging a career-high 13.1 points and shooting personal bests of 49.8 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three-point range.  Utah rookie guard Donovan Mitchell is averaging 26.1 points on 52.0 percent shooting from the field and 47.5 percent from three-point range in his last seven games. AROUND THE NBA G LEAGUE  Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors) drew an NBA G League-record 18,900 fans for Tuesday’s game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets) at Air Canada Centre.  The Vipers have won 12 consecutive games. The NBA G League’s longest single-season winning streak is 18 games by the Idaho Stampede during the 2007-08 season.  Golden State two-way player Quinn Cook made his first career NBA start on Wednesday, finishing with eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 22 minutesagainst the Hornets.  The Washington Wizards have unveiled the Capital City Go-Go as the name for the team’s NBA G League affiliate, which will begin play next season.

FBPUR reduce listado de la Preselección Nacional a 14 jugadores

El equipo estará participando de la primera ventana de los clasificatorios a la Copa del Mundo

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO. 15 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2017 - La Federación de Baloncesto de Puerto Rico (FBPUR) dio a conocer hoy, miércoles, el listado actualizado de la Preselección Nacional que incluye a 14 jugadores para la primera ventana de los Clasificatorios de las Américas a la Copa del Mundo de Baloncesto FIBA 2019. 

El grupo continúa encabezado en gran parte por jugadores que participaron del FIBA AmeriCup, además, de figuras veteranas que cuentan con experiencia vistiendo la camiseta internacional. 

“A pesar de la difícil situación que atraviesa el país, y que también ha impactado directamente a parte de nuestros jugadores, hemos logrado, con mucho sacrificio aglutinar a 14 jugadores que están comprometidos y dispuestos a darlo todo por Puerto Rico. Además de ser un partido importante, será una oportunidad para ofrecerle alegría a los fanáticos del baloncesto y a todos los puertorriqueños que viven o se están hospedando en Orlando y que esperamos poder saludarles personalmente en la cancha”, expresó el licenciado Yum Ramos, presidente de la FBPUR. 

Del grupo que fue al AmeriCup en Colombia, continúan en la Preselección, los jugadores Carlos Rivera, Ángel Rodríguez, Mike Rosario, Jorge Bryan Díaz, Carlos López, Gilberto Clavell, Emmanuel Andújar y Juan Ramón Rivas. 

Los experimentados jugadores, Ramón Clemente, Guillermo Díaz, David Huertas, Ángel Vassallo y Ricardo Sánchez, también forman parte de la Preselección. Mientras que Devon Collier, que no ha jugado en las pasadas ediciones debido a lesiones, completa el listado preliminar de la escuadra boricua. 

Varios integrantes del combinado boricua junto al cuerpo técnico y directivos de la FBPUR, salieron esta mañana hacia la Florida donde a partir de mañana jueves entrenarán en IMG Academy. 

“Estamos anunciando el corte de 14 jugadores para esta ventana. Nuestros jugadores están listos para aceptar el reto de representar a Puerto Rico en este momento tan trascendental para nuestra patria. Vamos a luchar como equipo, y estoy seguro que daremos lo mejor de nosotros en cada partido. Para ello necesitamos unidad de propósito como colectivo para acercarnos a nuestro objetivo final que es la clasificación al Mundial”, expresó el dirigente del Equipo Nacional, Eddie Casiano. 

En la primera ventana de los Clasificatorios de las Américas, Puerto Rico recibirá a Estados Unidos  el jueves, 23 de noviembre en el CFE Arena de la Universidad de Central Florida, que ubica en Orlando, para luego viajar a la Habana y enfrentar a Cuba el domingo, 26 de noviembre.

Los boletos para el partido en Orlando ya están a la venta en Ticketmaster (http://bit.ly/tixPURvUSA).

El 20% de las ganancias del partido serán donados a Unidos por Puerto Rico, como una aportación de parte de la FBPUR para ayudar en la recuperación y reconstrucción de la Isla.

CHICAGO TO HOST NBA ALL-STAR 2020

CHICAGO, Nov. 10, 2017 – The NBA announced today that Chicago has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2020.  The 69^th annual game will take place at the United Center, home of the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls, on Sunday, Feb. 16.  This will mark the third NBA All-Star in Chicago, which held the annual celebration in 1973 and 1988.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement during a press conference at the United Center.  He was joined by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Bulls President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Reinsdorf, Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson, Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. (27th Ward) and Chicago Sports Commission Executive Director Kara Bachman. 

“Chicago is an iconic city with a storied basketball history.  We are thrilled to bring the NBA All-Star Game back,” said Silver.  “We thank Mayor Emanuel, Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf and the entire Bulls organization and look forward to an exciting week of activities celebrating the game of basketball.”

Chicago will follow Los Angeles in 2018 and Charlotte in 2019 as All-Star host.  NBA All-Star Game 2017 in New Orleans reached fans in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages. 

“We are honored that the NBA has selected Chicago to host All-Star 2020,” said Michael Reinsdorf.  “Because the game of basketball has such deep roots and a rich history in this city, with some of the most passionate sports fans in the country, we know it will be a successful event for everyone involved.  Our expanded United Center campus and arena renovations with new restaurants and retail will provide visitors the opportunity to enjoy a fan-friendly environment.”

“Chicago is looking forward to hosting NBA All-Star 2020 and welcoming players and fans from across the country and around the world to our great city,” said Emanuel.  “Chicago is a global hub for sports, entertainment and culture.  Bringing the NBA All-Star Game back to the city for the first time in over three decades is a win for our city, our businesses and fans of all ages who will have the chance to be part of one of basketball’s biggest events.” 

In addition to the All-Star Game, the United Center will be the venue for the Rising Stars Challenge – an annual showcase for top rookies and second-year players – on Friday, Feb. 14, as well as State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, which features the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the JBL Three-Point Contest and the Verizon Slam Dunk.  In 2020, TNT will be televising the All-Star Game in prime time for the 18^th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 35^th year of All-Star coverage.   

The new Wintrust Arena, home of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky starting next season, will host the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and Rising Stars and All-Star Game practices.  In partnership with the Chicago Sports Commission, the NBA will also hold several events for fans of all ages at venues throughout the city, including Navy Pier.  These events will feature interactive programming that brings fans closer to NBA and WNBA players and legends. 

“It’s a true privilege, as well as a testament to Chicago’s great basketball history, to be selected to host NBA All-Star 2020,” said Bachman.  “Chicago’s dedicated and experienced hoteliers will welcome the NBA and NBA fans in true Midwestern spirit.   NBA fans will have the opportunity to experience the renovated and expanded United Center campus, the brand-new Wintrust Arena and Chicago’s landmark Navy Pier, which will host a variety of events for the local fans.”

During NBA All-Star 2020, the NBA will continue to celebrate its tradition and commitment to social responsibility with a full schedule of NBA Cares events.  Through partnerships with schools, government and local nonprofit organizations in Chicago and surrounding areas, the league will reach thousands of children and families and provide important resources to community-based programs.

NBA ALL-STAR HISTORY IN CHICAGO

Chicago last hosted NBA All-Star in 1988, when the Bulls’ Michael Jordan electrified his hometown crowd at Chicago Stadium.  He outdueled the Atlanta Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins to win a spectacular Slam Dunk Contest, and the next day Jordan scored 40 points to earn MVP honors in the Eastern Conference’s 138-133 victory over the Western Conference in the All-Star Game.  The weekend also featured a third consecutive Three-Point Contest title for the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird, who famously raised a finger in the air in celebration before his final, competition-clinching shot dropped through the net.  

During the Windy City’s debut as NBA All-Star host, the East defeated the West 104-84 in the 1973 midseason classic at Chicago Stadium.  Boston’s Dave Cowens was named MVP after leading the East with 15 points and 13 rebounds.  Los Angeles Lakers teammates Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, who combined for 27 All-Star selections, each appeared in an All-Star Game for the last time.

Piratas rumbo a la LDA 2018

Quebradillas, P.R – Los campeones nacionales, Piratas de Quebradillas anuncian que como parte de su preparación para la temporada 2018 del Baloncesto Superior Nacional, están auscultando la posibilidad de participar y ser sede de la Liga de las Américas 2018 (LDA).

“Nos comunicamos ya con Aníbal García, representante de FIBA Américas en Puerto Rico y nos envió parte de la documentación requerida para participar en este torneo”, aseguró el gerente general de los Piratas, Gabriel “Gaby” Miranda Ramos. 

Amistoso en Dominicana 

Adicional, los monarcas estarán planificando unos juegos de exhibición para el mes de marzo del año entrante con los campeones de Republica Dominicana, Metros de Santiago.

“Los juegos con los Metro serán visita y visita, uno aquí en Puerto Rico y otro en Dominicana. Estamos haciendo el acercamiento con César Sainthilair, gerente de los Metros”, comentó Gaby Miranda.

Refuerzos 

El apoderado del equipo de Guajataca, Roberto Roca, se encuentra evaluando jugadores en ligas internacionales y en la NBA como posibles refuerzos para su equipo desde sus oficinas en Orlando, FL. 

“Pronto podríamos estar anunciando la fecha proyectada para el inicio de la pretemporada 2018, donde defenderemos nuestro campeonato”, concluyó Roca   

BALONCESTO SUPERIOR NACIONAL FEMENINO

HABRÁ BSNF EN EL 2018  

La Junta de Directores del Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino (BSNF) se reunió esta tarde en Camuy por primera vez después del paso del huracán María por la Isla. 

El cónclave contó con la presencia de los apoderados de Yauco, Aguada, Manatí, Morovis, Carolina e Isabela, los seis equipos que eran parte de la suspendida temporada 2017. 

Luis G. Miranda Ramos, Director General del BSNF, dirigió los trabajos e informó que se estableció tentativamente comenzar un nuevo campeonato en el mes de septiembre de 2018.

“El torneo 2017 fue cancelado. La decisión fue comenzar uno nuevo. Tentativamente para el mes de septiembre”, explicó Miranda Ramos.

Aparte de los cinco conjuntos que participaron de la reunión, el BSNF cuenta con los quintetos que habían recesado en el 2017, Cangrejeras de Santurce e Indias de Mayagüez. Más adelante se espera conocer si estos regresarían para la nueva contienda.  

Para más información del BSNF pueden visitar la página oficial en el Internet a la dirección www.bsnfpr.com, así como todas las plataformas en las redes sociales, Facebook: www.facebook.com/bsnfpr y Twitter: www.twitter.com/bsnfpr.