Becomes Vipers’ All-Star Festivities Representative

February 5, 2009

HIDALGO, TEXAS - The NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced today that Ernest Scott has been selected to take part in the NBA Development League’s Dream Factory Friday night Three-Point Shootout during NBA All-Star festivities on Friday, February 13th in Phoenix. The event will take place at Center Court at NBA Jam Session presented by Adidas at 8:15 p.m.

Since being acquired in a trade with the Idaho Stampede on January 20th, Scott is shooting 46.7% (14-30) from behind the arc. Overall, he is at 41.5% (62-161) from downtown.

Scott is one of four NBA D-League marksmen who will take to the court for the Three-Point Shootout, including Blake Ahearn (Dakota), Gary Forbes (Tulsa), and Trey Johnson (Bakersfield), who is currently playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Each competitor will have 60 seconds to sink up to 25 three-pointers from five shooting stations assembled around the three-point line. The initial four stations will have four orange balls (worth one point each) and one multi-colored "money ball" worth two points while the competition kicks into high gear as the final station will for the first time consist of five two-point "money balls". The shooters will compete in two rounds of action with the top two scorers from the first round advancing to the final round.

A 6-7, 225 pound forward out of Valdosta State, Scott is averaging 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Since joining the Vipers, Scott is averaging 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a professional basketball team in the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams. The league has produced 15 percent of the players on 2007-08 end-of-season NBA rosters and continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, 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 this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast. The Vipers NBA affiliates are the Houston Rockets, and the New Orleans Hornets.