Press release from the Mad Ants:
Fort Wayne’s Lafayette named NBA Development League Performer of the Week
(NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2010) – Oliver Lafayette of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played during the week of Dec. 20.
Lafayette, a 6-2, 190-pound guard out of Houston who was in the Boston Celtics’ 2010 training camp, led Fort Wayne to a 2-0 record on the week, averaging 25.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.
In the Mad Ants’ 109-105 win over Springfield on Dec. 25, Lafayette scored a team-high 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting. The next day, Lafayette scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading Fort Wayne to a 109-102 victory over Iowa.
This week’s honorable mention selections were Dakota’s DeMarre Carroll, who, on assignment from the Memphis Grizzlies, had 23 points and 15 rebounds in one game; Erie’s Ivan Johnson, who had 31 points and six rebounds in one game; Iowa’s Othyus Jeffers, who averaged 18.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games; Maine’s DeShawn Sims, who had 33 points and 14 rebounds in one game; Rio Grande Valley’s Mustafa Shakur, who averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two games; Sioux Falls’ Anthony Mason Jr., who had 21 points and 10 rebounds in one game; Springfield’s Jerry Smith, who had 25 points and seven assists in one game; Texas’ Joe Alexander, who had 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Dominique Jones, who had 30 points, six rebounds and six assists, in one game.
The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2010-11 season, the league will feature 16 teams – including the debut of the Texas Legends. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 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 league’s 10th season, fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.
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