On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive a Will Conroy player photo card. This is the first of four ABQ Journal Autograph sessions and cards. Conroy will be available following the game to sign autographs. Conroy is a leader on the Tbirds roster, as well as leading the NBA D-League in average points scored with 24.9 ppg and average free throws with 7.3 ftpg.

The Tbirds are 5-10 and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers are 7-10. During the recent NBA D-League Showcase in Orem, UT, The Vipers played and lost to the Reno Bighorns and Sioux Falls Skyforce and the Tbirds played and beat the Sioux Falls Skyforce and the Erie BayHawks. This was the fifth year of the NBA D-League Showcase, an event that serves as the premier destination for NBA general managers and scouts to check out the NBA D-League’s top prospects in action.

Other upcoming home games include games on Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24 at 7:00pm at Tingley Coliseum. The game on Saturday, January 24 is the Miami Heat night and the Tbirds will be wearing replica Miami Heat uniforms.

Tickets start at $5 and can be purchased by calling 505-265-DUNK (3865) or online at www.abqtbirds.com.

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Having recently completed its seventh season, the NBA D-League’s goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 16 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact 15 percent of players on 2008 end-of-season NBA rosters spent time honing their skills in the League. In addition, it has produced current NBA coaches and 25 percent of the NBA’s referees. The NBA D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like NBA Futurecast, the live web-streaming of all games available free at nba.com/futurecast. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.

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