Oct. 10, 2001
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Former Kentucky point guard Saul Smith has been allocated to the Columbus Riverdragons of the National Basketball Association’s Development League, it was announced on Wednesday by league officials.
Smith, who won a national title, three Southeastern Conference titles and three SEC tournament crowns while at UK, is the son of UK coach Tubby Smith. Smith joins former Georgia Bulldog Michael Chadwick on the Riverdragons.
The Riverdragons regular season opens Sunday, November 18, 2001 against the Huntsville Flight at the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, GA.
The Riverdragons will be featured three times on ESPN2 as part of the league’s national television contract. The Riverdragons first nationally televised game is Monday, December 24 against the Asheville Altitude at 2 p.m.
The National Basketball Development League will tip off its inaugural season in November 2001. The Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), North Charleston Lowgators (S.C.), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Mobile Revelers (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus Riverdragons (Ga.), Greenville Groove (S.C.), and Asheville Altitude (N.C.) will compete in a 56-game regular season schedule that runs from mid-November through March, followed by playoffs.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the NBDL offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA’s umbrella. In addition to being a source of on-court talent for the NBA’s 29 teams, the NBDL will also serve as a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions in each NBDL city.
NBDL players must be 20 years of age or older to play in the league. NBDL teams will not have a direct affiliation with specific NBA teams. Development league players will be eligible to play for any NBA team.
In addition to launching this new professional basketball league, the NBA and Clear Channel Entertainment, a leading producer and promoter of live entertainment, have formed a joint alliance to offer NBDL cities the opportunity to experience world-class live entertainment not traditionally available in their metropolitan areas.
