Eighty-seven NBA D-League alumni highlight 2012-13 NBA opening-day rosters

NEW YORK – Eighty-seven players with NBA Development League experience highlight 2012-13 NBA opening-day rosters.  In just six seasons, the number of players boasting NBA D-League experience on NBA opening day has skyrocketed from 35 to start the 2006-07 season to the 87 this year. In two years, that number’s grown by 24 players, after 63 alums started the season in the NBA during the 2010-11 campaign.

Twenty-nine of 30 NBA teams feature at least one player with NBA D-League experience, while the Charlotte Bobcats, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves each have five former NBA D-Leaguers on their respective rosters.

Of the 87 former NBA D-League players in the NBA, 19 are members of teams in action tonight, including three members of the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat: Joel Anthony, Terrel Harris and Dexter Pittman.

Following is the list of players with NBA D-League experience on opening day rosters.

PLAYER             NBA TEAM

Cole Aldrich         Houston

Lou Amundson    Minnesota

Alan Anderson     Toronto

Joel Anthony        Miami

Luke Babbitt         Portland

Jose Barea            Minnesota

Matt Barnes          L.A. Clippers

Earl Barron           Washington

Brandon Bass       Boston

Rodrigue Beaubois   Dallas

Andray Blatche    Brooklyn

Eric Bledsoe         L.A. Clippers

Avery Bradley      Boston

Aaron Brooks       Sacramento

Shannon Brown    Phoenix

Will Bynum          Detroit

DeMarre Carroll   Utah

Matt Carroll          Charlotte

Earl Clark               L.A. Lakers

Will Conroy          Minnesota

Daequan Cook     Houston

Chris Copeland     New York

Ed Davis               Toronto

Devin Ebanks       L.A. Lakers

Jeremy Evans       Utah

Alonzo Gee          Cleveland

Marcin Gortat       Phoenix

Danny Green        San Antonio

Gerald Green        Indiana

Hamed Haddadi   Memphis

Jordan Hamilton   Denver

Luke Harangody   Cleveland

Terrel Harris         Miami

Chuck Hayes        Sacramento

Xavier Henry        New Orleans

Cory Higgins        Charlotte

Ryan Hollins        L.A. Clippers

Tyler Honeycutt   Sacramento

Ersan Ilyasova      Milwaukee

Reggie Jackson     Oklahoma City

Amir Johnson       Toronto

Ivan Johnson        Atlanta

James Johnson     Sacramento

Dahntay Jones      Dallas

Dominique Jones  Dallas

Cory Joseph         San Antonio

Kosta Koufos       Denver

Malcolm Lee        Minnesota

Travis Leslie         L.A. Clippers

Jeremy Lin           Houston

John Lucas           Toronto

Ian Mahinmi         Indiana

Cartier Martin       Washington

Josh McRoberts    Orlando

CJ Miles               Cleveland

Patty Mills            San Antonio

Darius Morris       L.A. Lakers

Marcus Morris      Houston

Byron Mullens      Charlotte

Gary Neal               San Antonio

Steve Novak         New York

Lamar Odom        L.A. Clippers

Patrick Patterson   Houston

Dexter Pittman      Miami

Samardo Samuels Cleveland

Larry Sanders       Milwaukee

Josh Selby            Memphis

Ramon Sessions   Charlotte

Donald Sloan        Cleveland

Greg Smith           Houston

Ish Smith              Orlando

Jason Smith          New Orleans

Greg Stiemsma     Minnesota

Julyan Stone         Denver

Hasheem Thabeet Oklahoma City

Lance Thomas      New Orleans

Jamaal Tinsley      Utah

Anthony Tolliver  Atlanta

PJ Tucker             Phoenix

Jeremy Tyler        Golden State

C.J. Watson          Brooklyn

Martell Webster    Washington

James White         New York

Lou Williams        Atlanta

Reggie Williams    Charlotte

Dorell Wright        Philadelphia

Luke Zeller           Phoenix

The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league. Featuring 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises, the NBA D-League is a proven developer of talent: 27 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season boasted NBA D-League experience, and 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 11th season, fans could watch all NBA D-League games online for free at nba.com/dleague.