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Huntsville Third NBDL Charter City

HUNTSVILLE, AL, - 04/11/01 (Revised)- Huntsville, Alabama has been awarded the franchise rights for the third team in the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).

Rob Levine, the NBA's Senior Vice President, New League Development made the announcement today at the Von Braun Center, the new home of Huntsville's NBDL team.

Playing in an arena named after the infamous German inventor of the first rocket engines, perhaps the "Buzz Bombs" might be a fitting name. No actual name has been designated as yet.

The NBDL begins operation in the Fall of 2001 with eight charter teams. Management and coaching announcements for all of the franchises will be made over the coming months. The NBA has vowed to make these franchises developmental for the skills of front office personnel as well. Early selections of management have backed up that claim in other cities.

Huntsville already has a healthy minor league sports community, with the AF2 Vipers, the Huntsville Tornado hockey team, and the Huntsville Stars baseball club. "This will finish out our [professional] sports needs," said Terry Hatfield, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and also Chairman of the Sports Commission.

"As a new member of the Huntsville community, we are pleased that the NBDL will be able to contribute to the city's ongoing economic growth," said Levine. "We look forward to adding to the Von Braun Center's reputation as the Tennessee Valley's sports and entertainment leader."

Ron Evans, the Director of the Von Braun Center (VBC) handled the negotiations with the NBDL to acquire the franchise. Complete terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the City of Huntsville, according to Hatfield "will enter into a [five year] agreement with the VBC to provide $150,000 per year for the maintenance and improvement of the arena." The city owns the VBC building. The city money is slated to come from "traceable taxes generated from sales of tickets, food and merchandise at sports events."

The NBDL franchises are directly owned by the NBA, and not by local ownership. This has proven to be an issue with local support for other leagues in the past. Whether the NBA mystique and marketing might can overcome that in the minors is still a question which remains to be answered.

The new team drops into the turf of the basketball programs at the University of Alabama and Alabama A&M, both of which have strong alumni programs.

"I think this league's connection to the NBA will give it strong crossover appeal," said Brian Hilson, President of the Huntsville and Madison County Chamber of Commerce. "Huntsville is a growing market, growing at 1-1/2% per year, twice the national rate of growth for cities this size."

"We are delighted to have been selected by Arena Ventures as one of the locations for the NBDL-SFX alliance," said Mayor Loretta Spencer. "We are excited about the addition of yet another major entertainment opportunity for the citizens of Huntsville."

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