LAKERS UPDATE: D-FENDERS OPEN QUIETLY.Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer Once the music stopped blaring and the ball went up at center court, the first home game in D-Fenders' history started Tuesday afternoon with a library-like silence filling Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. . No more than three dozen people were in the stands in the 19,000-seat arena for the opening tipoff at 3:30 p.m. as the D-Fenders played the Bakersfield Jam The Bakersfield Jam are an expansion franchise of the National Basketball Association Development League that began play in 2006-07. They play their home games at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California, United States. . The Lakers are part of a great experiment this season, becoming the first NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= team to own and operate an affiliate in the NBA Development League The NBA Development League, or D-League, is the National Basketball Association's officially sponsored and operated developmental basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL . The D-Fenders will run the triangle offense  This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers.Please [improve the article] or discuss this issue on the talk page. and might as well be a junior-varsity Lakers. ``I think everybody that follows sports likes to watch developing talent,'' said Lakers owner Jerry Buss Dr. Gerald Hatten “Jerry” Buss (born in 1934) is an American professional basketball team owner, former real estate developer, and poker player. Early life Raised near Kemmerer, Wyoming, Buss earned a B.S. , credited by Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. for being the D-Fenders' biggest advocate. ``To see if you can guess better than the other guy who's going to be the next big thing.'' The D-Fenders improved to 3-0 with a 96-92 victory. Newly acquired guard Brian Chase (14 points) in succession came up with a steal, made two free throws after a clear path foul and knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with three minutes left. The D-Fenders will play this season and possibly next season at Staples Center before moving into a new facility, likely the Citizens Business Bank Arena being built in Ontario. Buss was willing to put up with financial losses -- it costs between $1.2 million and $2 million to run a D-League team -- in the hopes that it would give the Lakers an edge in player development. ``We will lose money, that's for sure,'' Buss said. ``We look at it that you lose money in everything you do on the outside -- scouting, everything -- but it all comes back to feed the mother team. That's what we're trying to accomplish.'' The Lakers are the first NBA team to own an affiliate but are not expected to be the last. Cleveland and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of both have shown interest, according to a D-League spokesman. For the time being, the Lakers are not selling tickets to D-Fenders games. Admission comes with a ticket for a Lakers game later that night. Playing in an empty arena, meanwhile, presents a challenge for the team. ``We hope that it's temporary,'' D-Fenders coach Dan Panaggio said. ``We hope that people start to realize that there's a good product and they can beat the traffic by coming early, watching a ballgame, having a beer and waiting for the Lakers game.'' |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion