Bsousa81
11-11-2003, 05:25 PM
NBA LOTTERY PICK SIGNS WITH LONG BEACH JAM
LONG BEACH, CA The American Basketball Association (ABA) Long Beach Jam franchise announced today the signing of former NBA first round draft pick, DerMarr Johnson. Johnson arrived in Long Beach this morning and joins the Jam at training camp this afternoon.
Johnson, a 23-year-old guard from Washington, D.C., was the sixth pick (Atlanta Hawks) in the 2000 NBA Draft, following his freshman season with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats (1999-2000: 12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The former Conference USA League Champion and Freshman of the Year (2000) signed a three-year deal with the Hawks worth roughly $6.8 million. He played two seasons in Atlanta (2000-01: 5.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg & 2001-02: 8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg) before going on injured reserve for the entire 2002-03 NBA season due to severe injuries sustained in a car accident. Johnson came back this summer, playing with the Memphis Grizzlies in the Southern California Summer Pro League. The Phoenix Suns invited him to camp this fall, but released him just before the beginning of the NBA season. The 6-foot-9 guard brings versatility to the Jam back court with his ability to play both the point and off guard positions.
DerMarr (Johnson) is a big-time player with proven NBA guard skills, said Jam President Steve Chase. The opportunity to have a player of this caliber is very fortunate for our organization and we are pleased to showcase his level of talent to our fans and community.
Training camp practices and events are open to the media and public. The Jam will practice at the Lakewood YMCA (Lakewood, Calif.) twice per day (9 11 a.m. and 2:30 5 p.m.) Nov. 10-14 and 17-18. The team will also be at the Warrior Center (Cypress, Calif.) Saturday, Nov. 8 for practice (9 11 a.m. and 2:30 5 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 15 for a 7 p.m. exhibition game against Los Angeles area pros. Sunday, Nov. 16, Jam coaching staff and players will host clinics at Millikan High School (Long Beach, Calif.) for the Long Beach Chapter of the NJB (12 1 p.m. coaches clinic/1 3 p.m. youth clinic).
The Jam home opener against the Fresno Heat Wave tips off Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Long Beach State Pyramid. The team will feature the up-tempo, high-scoring style of former Los Angeles Lakers World Champion, former Loyola Marymount Lion and current Jam Head Coach Paul Westhead.
Individual game tickets are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting the Long Beach State Pyramid box office, or by phone at 562-985-4949 and 888-4-JAM-TIX. Prices range from $5 for children, senior citizens and military, to $10-15 for reserved seating.
For more information about the Long Beach Jam, call 562-799-8100.
LONG BEACH, CA The American Basketball Association (ABA) Long Beach Jam franchise announced today the signing of former NBA first round draft pick, DerMarr Johnson. Johnson arrived in Long Beach this morning and joins the Jam at training camp this afternoon.
Johnson, a 23-year-old guard from Washington, D.C., was the sixth pick (Atlanta Hawks) in the 2000 NBA Draft, following his freshman season with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats (1999-2000: 12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The former Conference USA League Champion and Freshman of the Year (2000) signed a three-year deal with the Hawks worth roughly $6.8 million. He played two seasons in Atlanta (2000-01: 5.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg & 2001-02: 8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg) before going on injured reserve for the entire 2002-03 NBA season due to severe injuries sustained in a car accident. Johnson came back this summer, playing with the Memphis Grizzlies in the Southern California Summer Pro League. The Phoenix Suns invited him to camp this fall, but released him just before the beginning of the NBA season. The 6-foot-9 guard brings versatility to the Jam back court with his ability to play both the point and off guard positions.
DerMarr (Johnson) is a big-time player with proven NBA guard skills, said Jam President Steve Chase. The opportunity to have a player of this caliber is very fortunate for our organization and we are pleased to showcase his level of talent to our fans and community.
Training camp practices and events are open to the media and public. The Jam will practice at the Lakewood YMCA (Lakewood, Calif.) twice per day (9 11 a.m. and 2:30 5 p.m.) Nov. 10-14 and 17-18. The team will also be at the Warrior Center (Cypress, Calif.) Saturday, Nov. 8 for practice (9 11 a.m. and 2:30 5 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 15 for a 7 p.m. exhibition game against Los Angeles area pros. Sunday, Nov. 16, Jam coaching staff and players will host clinics at Millikan High School (Long Beach, Calif.) for the Long Beach Chapter of the NJB (12 1 p.m. coaches clinic/1 3 p.m. youth clinic).
The Jam home opener against the Fresno Heat Wave tips off Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Long Beach State Pyramid. The team will feature the up-tempo, high-scoring style of former Los Angeles Lakers World Champion, former Loyola Marymount Lion and current Jam Head Coach Paul Westhead.
Individual game tickets are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting the Long Beach State Pyramid box office, or by phone at 562-985-4949 and 888-4-JAM-TIX. Prices range from $5 for children, senior citizens and military, to $10-15 for reserved seating.
For more information about the Long Beach Jam, call 562-799-8100.