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Dina Barsky – 212-843-8024/Kathy Lynn – 212-843-8023

58 Basketball Greats Support New York’s Bid For The 2012 Games

Includes NBA MVP Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio, Texas (June 21, 2005)-On the occasion of the NBA Finals, NYC2012 announced that 58 great basketball players support New York’s Olympic and Paralympic bid. This includes such celebrated international athletes as Argentinean Gold Medalist and NBA All-Star Manu Ginobili (2004, Gold), Chinese Olympian and NBA All-Star Yao Ming (2000, 2004), NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic from Serbia-Montenegro, NBA All-Star Zydrunas Ilgauskas from Lithuania, NBA 2005 MVP and 2000 Olympian Steve Nash of Canada, and WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson (2000 Silver, 2004 Silver) from Australia. Together these athletes have won 53 Olympic Medals.

“I enjoy being in Manhattan a lot because it is so special and so different from all the other cities,” said Ginobli. “My first time in the Garden was beautiful. It was my first time representing my country. It was in the Goodwill Games in 1998 and it was my first time in a big arena like that so I was very, very excited and very happy. Then when I am on the court there are Argentinean flags everywhere. You always feel that different kind of flavors from different countries. So it is beautiful.”

“I can still remember my first game at The Garden in February 2003,” said Yao Ming. “The whole arena was packed with fans, but listening to them cheer and scream, you wouldn’t know which was the home team. They cheered for both teams with the same passion and intensity. There were so many fans from New York’s Chinatown. They were wearing red and holding up signs in Mandarin urging the crowd to cheer for me. It was heartwarming to see so many familiar faces among the crowd.”

“I’d love to play in a New York Games,” said Nash. “Hopefully I wouldn’t be too old to play. I think New York would hold the Olympics unlike any other city, and it would be an incredible event to be a part of.”

Below is the list of basketball players who have been supportive of New York’s Olympic and Paralympic bid.

Steve Alford

1984 Gold

Michael Bantom

1972 Silver

Walt Bellamy

1960, Gold

Sue Bird

2004 Gold

Bill Bradley

1964 Gold

Swin Cash

2004 Gold

Tamika Catchings

2004 Gold

Charles Darling

1956 Gold

Kenneth Davis

1972 Silver

Terry Dischinger

1960 Gold

Anne Donovan

1980, 1984 Gold, 1988 Gold

Tim Duncan

2004 Bronze

Bill Evans

1956 Gold

Vern Fleming

1984 Gold

Manu Ginobili

2004 Gold, Argentina

Yolanda Griffith

2000 Gold, 2004 Gold

Ernie Grunfeld

1976 Gold

B.E.Haldorson

1956 Gold, 1960 Gold

Chamique Holdsclaw

2000 Gold

Jennifer Howitt

2004 Gold, Paralympian

Lauren Jackson

2000 Silver, 2004 Silver, Australia

Zydrunas Illgauskas

Lithuania

Robert Jeangerard

1960 Gold

Earvin “Magic” Johnson

1992 Gold

Shannon Johnson

2004 Gold

Robert Jones

1972 Silver

Kevin Joyce

1972 Silver

Arturas Karnisovas

1992 Bronze, 1996 Bronze, Lithuania

Thomas LaGarde

1976 Gold

Lisa Leslie

1996 Gold, 2000 Gold, 2004 Gold

Nancy Lieberman

1976 Silver

Rebecca Lobo

1996 Gold

Raymond G Lumpp

1948 Gold

Gail Marquis

1976 Silver

John McCaffrey

1964 Gold

Ann Meyers

1976 Silver

Debra Miller-Palmore

1980

Yao Ming

2000, 2004, China

Kim Mulkey

1984 Gold

Jeff Mullins

1964 Gold

Dikembe Mutombo from the Republic of the Congo

Steve Nash

2000, Canada

Ruth Riley

2004 Gold

Patricia Roberts

1976 Silver

Robert Robinson

1948 Gold

Charles Smith

1988 Bronze

Katie Smith

2000 Gold, 2004 Gold

Randy Snow

1996 Bronze, Paralympian

Dawn Staley

1996 Gold, 2000 Gold, 2004 Gold

Katy Steding

1996 Gold

Peja Stojakovic

2000, Serbia and Montenegro

Diana Taurasi

2004 Gold

Tina Thompson

2004 Gold

Ron Tomsic

1956 Gold

Renee Tyree

1992 Silver, 1996 Bronze, 2004 Gold, Paralympian

Teresa Weatherspoon

1988 Gold, 1992 Bronze

Stephanie Wheeler

2004 Gold, Paralympian

George Wilson

1964 Gold

For a complete list of the over 2000 Olympians and Paralympians who support New York’s bid please visit: http://www.nyc2012.com/en/team_circle_of_olympians.aspx

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