ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 19, 2007 – Julius Hodge of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds is the NBA Development League Performer of the Week for March 19, 2007. He is the second Albuquerque player to earn the honor this season, the first being Dijon Thompson the week of December 11.

Hodge made his Albuquerque debut on Friday a memorable one, scoring 32 points, dishing out 14 assists, and grabbing nine rebounds to lead the Thunderbirds to a victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders in a game with crucial playoff implications. After narrowly missing a triple-double on Friday, Hodge completed the feat on Sunday. He scored 13 points while adding 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Bakersfield Jam. Hodge averaged 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 12.0 assists in two games for the week.

A 6-7 guard, Hodge is in his second season out of North Carolina State. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the first round (20th overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft. This season in the D-League he has played with the Colorado 14ers as an NBA-assigned player and the Idaho Stampede before joining the Thunderbirds. In 13 total D-League games this season Hodge is averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.

The NBA Development League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Anaheim Arsenal (Calif.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Bakersfield Jam (Calif.), Colorado 14ers (Broomfield), Dakota Wizards (Bismarck, N.D.), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Idaho Stampede (Boise), Los Angeles D-Fenders, Sioux Falls Skyforce (S.D.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.). Expansion teams in Orem, Utah, the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and Des Moines, Iowa have also been announced for the 2007-08 season.

The D-League continues to develop talent from across all disciplines for the NBA’s 30 teams and the entire NBA umbrella. Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the D-League also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices.

For information on premium seating and general information about the Albuquerque Thunderbirds call (505) 265-DUNK or log on to www.abqtbirds.com.