Bosh, Durant to serve on Rookie Challenge coaching staffs

NEW YORK -- Two NBA All-Stars, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder -- will serve on the coaching staffs for the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, Feb. 12 in Dallas during NBA All-Star 2010. Bosh will assist the coaching staff for the Sophomores and Durant will assist with the Rookies.

The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams -- the Nuggets' Adrian Dantley (Rookie Team) and the Magic's Patrick Ewing (Sophomore Team) -- are assistants from the 2010 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs, which were determined by the best record in each conference through games played Jan. 31.

First-time NBA All-Star and former University of Texas standout Durant was named T-Mobile Rookie of the Year in 2008 and was the MVP of the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, when he scored a record 46 points during last year's competition to lead the Sophomores to a 122-116 win. Bosh, a five-time NBA All-Star, was a participant of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam in 2004 and 2005. As a Dallas native, Bosh came up through schools in the Dallas Independent School District, giving him a special connection to the 4,000 local students who will be in attendance at the game.

A six-time All-Star, Dantley was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, accumulating 23,177 points during his 15-year career and averaging over 30 points for four straight seasons. Currently in his fourth season as an assistant coach, Dantley earned Rookie of the Year and NBA Comeback Player of the Year honors during his playing career. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, Ewing joined the Magic coaching staff prior to the 2007-08 season, and also has been an assistant coach with both Washington and Houston. The 11-time All-Star averaged 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in a 17-year NBA career. He earned Rookie of the Year honors and was a two-time Olympic Gold medalist. Ewing was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Fans tuning in to TNT will also get a special treat, as NBA All-Star starters Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, will join TNT's broadcast as analysts. Wade and Howard will join play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan and NBA TV analyst Kevin McHale courtside during the first half. During halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, Howard will offer his dunking insights as an analyst for the first NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In, a single-round slam dunk competition that will determine the final participant for the Sprite Slam Dunk the following night.

The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, which features this year's top rookies taking on the league's best second-year players, will be televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages.

As title partner of the Rookie Challenge and overall NBA Rookie Program, T-Mobile has teamed up with the NBA and NBA Cares to create the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Dallas students to experience NBA All-Star 2010. By successfully completing academic, reading, school attendance, and community service requirements, nearly 4,000 students ages 11-15, from schools within the Dallas and Arlington Independent School Districts will watch the game from the best seats in the house at American Airlines Center.

NBA All-Star brings together the top NBA players and performers for a week of competition, community service and world-class entertainment. Among the many other exciting All-Star events are Sprite Slam Dunk, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars and NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas.

Building upon its already strong appeal to the nation's youth and as Official Partner of the NBA, T-Mobile is showcasing the NBA's youngest players -- the Rookies -- through the T-Mobile Rookie Program. Highlights include the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star competition between NBA rookies and second-year players, and rookie awards presentations including the T-Mobile Rookie of the Month and T-Mobile Rookie of the Year. To learn more about T-Mobile's partnership with the NBA, visit www.t-mobile.com/nba.