Red Claws Announce Northeast Tryouts!

The Maine Red Claws, presented by Quirk Chevrolet, today announced that the University of Massachusetts Boston will be the site of the Northeast tryouts. The open tryout for Red Claws’ hopefuls is scheduled for October 3, 2009. The announcement was made by Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings.

The one-day tryout format will include team drills, individual skills work and scrimmages. Red Claws Head Coach Austin Ainge, along with the basketball operations and support staff from the Red Claws, will be on-hand to evaluate participants, with as many as three players receiving an invitation to Portland for the Red Claws training camp in November.

“We are thrilled that UMass Boston is welcoming the Red Claws to their campus for our Northeast tryouts,” said Jennings. “The facilities on the campus are first-class and offer everything we need to hold an event of this kind. Add in the beautiful water views, and it will almost be like being home for us!”

“UMass-Boston is pleased to host the inaugural try-outs for the Maine Red Claws,” said the UMass Vice Chancellor of Athletics & Recreation, Special Projects & Programs Charlie Titus. “Jon Jennings has been a friend for years, and we have had other successful partnerships with him and the NBA in the past. We are excited to be able to support this new initiative as we look forward to an ongoing relationship.”

“This will be a tremendous opportunity for players to showcase their talent to the Red Claws’ coaching staff and possibly earn a spot at the Red Claws’ training camp in November,” Jennings added. “By basing the camp in Boston, players from throughout the region will have an opportunity to come to the tryout. New England has an exceptional basketball tradition – our hope is that among those who attend the tryout, we will find a future Maine Red Claws’ player or two.”

The fee for the tryouts will be $150 in advance or $200 at the door. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.nba.com/dleague/maine/tryoutsnortheast.html, and the tryouts will be limited to the first 125 applicants who register and submit their registration fee. Participants must meet D-League player eligibility requirements as outlined on the registration form.

“This will be a chance for players who think that they have what it takes to be a professional athlete to display their talents and possibly win a spot on an NBA D-League team,” said Austin Ainge, head coach of the Maine Red Claws. “We will be looking for players to round out our roster in Maine as we get ready to launch our first season. My hope is that through each of our two regional tryouts, we will uncover talent that will make us an even stronger team.”

The Red Claws will also hold open tryouts in Charlotte, NC September 12-13 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Players interested in attending that camp can register at www.nba.com/dleague/maine/Tryout_Charlotte.html.

MAINE RED CLAWS: 2009-10 will mark the inaugural season for the Maine Red Claws. The NBA D-League team will begin play in November at the 3,009-seat Portland Expo Building. The franchise is owned and operated by Maine Basketball, LLC, which is principally owned by Bill Ryan Sr., the chairman of TD Banknorth Group, and Bill Ryan Jr., owner and operator of Oxford Plains Speedway. Jon Jennings, a partner in Maine Basketball, LLC and former Boston Celtics assistant coach, serves as the team’s president and general manager.

NBA Development League: The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2009-10 season, the league will feature 16 teams – including the debut of the Maine Red Claws and the Springfield Armor. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout the season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.