NBA D-League for Tulsa

[SoonerRiceGrad]

Sorry, this is really old news but here goes:


NBA D-League Team in Tulsa Announces Team Name and Identity

TULSA, Okla., July 28 - The NBA Development League team in Tulsa announced today that its nickname will be the "66ers". The Tulsa 66ers, a reference to the Route 66 highway that runs throughout the region, was chosen as the team's official nickname from numerous submissions in a contest to name the team. A unique logo, which features a highway leading to a basketball setting over the western mountains, helps give the team its new identity.

"It's great to finally announce our name and to let fans see our logo," said team  Joe Berry. "It's amazing how many submissions we received, but once we saw the 66ers submission, we realized it was the one. Joining the rich basketball heritage located in this area of Oklahoma with the significance of Route 66 just made perfect sense."

Often called, "The Main Street of America", Route 66 is more than a highway with the shortest cross-country travel time between the Midwest and the Pacific, connecting Chicago to Los Angles. American's first continuously paved link between the two cities, Route 66 represents the model of the modern American highway and gave way to an emerging automobile culture that stimulated a permanent mass relocation of Americans to the West resulting in the most comprehensive westward movement and economic growth in the history of the United States. Commissioned in 1926, Route 66 strengthened American's infatuation with rapid mobility and the ability to travel whenever or wherever one preferred.

Beginning at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Route 66 stretches 2,400 miles across America to Santa Monica, California passing through various US cities including St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Flagstaff, San Bernadino, and Pasadena.

Albuquerque (N.M.), also located on the Route 66 path, features the only other D-League team located along the historic route. Ironically, the 66ers will host the NBA's Development League team in Albuquerque for their home opener Friday, Nov. 18 at Expo Square Pavilion.

Game uniforms featuring the team nickname (66ers) on home jerseys and the city name (Tulsa) on road uniforms will be unveiled at a later date. In addition to distinctive D-League and individual team logos embroidered on the uniform, an NBA team logo will be affixed to the jersey of a player who is assigned to the 66ers to help identify his NBA affiliation.

The NBA Development League will tip off its fifth season on November 18, 2005. In addition to the 66ers, the league includes the Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), as well as teams from Albuquerque (N.M.), Austin and Fort Worth (Texas).

The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. Thirty-four (34) players have been called up to the NBA on 50 separate occasions. Ten (10) former D-League coaches, five athletic trainers, 11 referees and 29 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 fun, 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 resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions.

For more information about the Tulsa 66ers, call (918) 585-8444



http://www.nba.com/dleague/tulsa/logoname_release050729.html