New York, USA, January 9, 2002 (Ticker) - Memphis Grizzlies forwards Shane Battier and Pau
Gasol are among the nine first-year players selected Wednesday to play in
the Rookie Challenge at the NBA's All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia.
Orlando Magic swingman Mike Miller, the 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year,
leads the Sophomores, a squad that also includes Memphis forward
Stromile Swift.
Gasol and Battier rank 1-2 among rookies in scoring, with both above 15
points per game. They will be joined by Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko.
The centers will be Brendan Hatwood of Washington and Yugoslav Zeljko Rebraca of
Detroit and the backcourt will be manned by Jamaal Tinsley of Indiana,
Tony Parker of San Antonio, Jason Richardson of Golden State and Joe
Johnson of Boston.
Miller scored 11 points in a loss with the Rookies last year. He is joined by
just two holdovers - guard Quentin Richardson of the Los Angeles Clippers
and forward Kenyon Martin of the New Jersey Nets. Richardson scored a
team-high 20 points in last year's game.
The six newcomers to the Sophomores are forwards Swift, Marcus Fizer of
Chicago, Lee Nailon of Charlotte and Hedo Turkoglu of Sacramento; guard
Desmond Mason of Seattle; and center Chris Mihm of Cleveland. Mason
won last year's Slam Dunk Contest.
Toronto Raptors swingman Morris Peterson also was selected for the
Sophomores but has a broken finger and is not expected to play.
There are a record five foreigners among the 19 players - Gasol (Spain),
Kirilenko (Russia), Parker (France), Rebraca (Yugoslavia) and Turkoglu
(Turkey).
This will be the eighth Rookie Challenge, which has had a change of format
and rules changes since its inception in 1994. For the last two years, a team
of rookies has taken on a squad of second-year players.
In last year's game, the Sophomores cruised to a 121-113 victory behind 27
points from Most Valuable Player Wally Szczerbiak of Minnesota.
Last year, the game was extended 10 minutes to 40. It consists of two
20-minute halves. No player can foul out and an overtime period would be
two minutes.
Players such as Elton Brand, Allen Iverson and Damon Stoudamire have
parlayed the Rookie Challenge MVP into the Rookie of the Year award.
The game is February 9 at the First Union Center.
