Kumho Tire USA Inc. is sponsoring the National Basketball Association’s Development League (D-League) All-Star Game on Feb. 13, 2016. Twenty-four top NBA D-League prospects, including 16 with NBA experience, have been selected to play.
The game, which tips off at 2 p.m. ET at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 13, will air live on NBA TV and NBA TV Canada.
Eight current NBA players highlight the rosters of the Eastern and Western Conference teams, with the East squad boasting Keith Appling (Erie/Orlando), Rakeem Christmas (Fort Wayne/Indiana), Sean Kilpatrick (Delaware/Denver), Jordan McRae (Delaware), Jordan Mickey (Maine/Boston) and Jarnell Stokes (Sioux Falls/Miami). West All-Stars Jeff Ayres (Idaho/L.A. Clippers) and Erick Green (Reno/Utah) complete the list.
Four additional players with NBA experience join the East ranks: Lorenzo Brown (Grand Rapids), Jimmer Fredette (Westchester), DeAndre Liggins (Sioux Falls) and Ronald Roberts, Jr. (Raptors). An additional four such players are featured on the West team: Vander Blue (Los Angeles), Justin Harper (Los Angeles), Orlando Johnson (Austin) and Elliot Williams (Santa Cruz).
The East is rounded out by Tre Kelley (Sioux Falls) and Alex Stepheson (Iowa), while the West’s roster is completed with Brandon Ashley (Texas), Will Cummings (Rio Grande Valley), Micheal Eric (Texas), Vincent Hunter (Reno), Xavier Munford (Bakersfield) and Raphiael Putney (Rio Grande Valley).
The 2016 NBA D-League All-Stars were selected by a vote of the league’s 19 head coaches. Players were eligible to be selected if they competed in at least half of their team’s games through Jan. 24. They must be on an active NBA D-League roster at the time of the All-Star Game in order to compete. The league will replace any ineligible players prior to the game.
The Western Conference All-Stars will be coached by Austin Spurs head coach Ken McDonald and his staff, while the Eastern Conference All-Star squad will be led by Sioux Falls Skyforce head coach Dan Craig and his assistants.
NBA D-League All-Star 2016 gets underway with a pregame Three-Point Contest featuring six of the league’s premier long-range shooters. Six acrobatic dunkers will compete in NBA D-League Slam Dunk presented by Verizon during the All-Star Game’s halftime break.
Kumho attributes a 16.5% increase in brand awareness from 2013 to 2015 to its professional basketball sponsorship. The company began a three-year agreement to be the official tire of the NBA D-League in 2014. For more information on Kumho's plans for 2016, read: "New Tires, Marketing and Factory Mark a New Era for Kumho."
Here's a recap of the 2015 game presented by Kumho.
