Vipers to Host Championship Banner and Ring Ceremony Before Home Opener Thursday

MCALLEN, TEXAS – The defending NBA Development League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced Wednesday that they will be dropping the 2010 NBA Development League championship banner and handing out the championship rings during a special pre-game ceremony beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Thursday at State Farm Arena.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive replica championship banners, courtesy of Lone Star National Bank. The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive Vipers schedule key tags, courtesy of Academy Sports + Outdoors.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Houston Rockets Hall of Fame mascot Clutch the Bear and the Rockets Power Dancers will perform. There will also be a free pre-game tailgate party in the State Farm Arena parking lot beginning at 4:30 p.m., courtesy of Pepper’s at Uptown.

The game will be broadcast live nationally on VERSUS (Time Warner Cable channel 314 (SD)/1314 (HD), Dish Network channel 151 and DirecTV channel 603). Fans are encouraged to wear red.

The Vipers are facing the Texas Legends, with tip-off schedule to occur shortly after the conclusion of the championship ceremony. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling the Vipers at 972-1144, at the Vipers Pro-Shop, at the State Farm Arena Box Office, at any Ticketmaster outlet, or online through Ticketmaster by clicking here.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are the NBA Development League affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets. The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2010-11 season, the league will feature 16 teams – including the debut of the Texas Legends. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front-office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, 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 the league’s 10th season, which tips off Thursday, Nov. 18, fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.