OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 2012 PLAYOFF MEDIA GUIDE This guide is designed to assist you with your coverage of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 2012 NBA Playoffs. If you need further assistance or additional information, please contact a member of the Thunder Basketball Communications Staff: Matt Tumbleson – Director of Basketball Communications Office: 405-208-4848 Cell: 405-443-8285 E-mail: [email protected] Michael Ravina – Manager of Basketball Communications Office: 405-208-4856 Cell: 405-618-7495 E-mail: [email protected] John Read – Manager of Basketball Communications Office: 405-208-4862 Cell: 405-618-3427 E-mail: [email protected] THUNDER CREDENTIAL POLICY FOR 2012 NBA PLAYOFFS All media members holding a 2011-2012 Thunder Full Season Media credential will have the same access to ALL Oklahoma City Thunder HOME playoff games through the FIRST THREE ROUNDS. Single game credential requests need to be made NO LATER THAN 12:00 pm the day BEFORE the game. Should a single game credential be granted to you by the Thunder Basketball Communications Department, credentials will be made available for pick-up at the Cheasapeake Energy Arena media entrance FOUR HOURS prior to tip-off. Due to the increased number of credential requests, this will be a hard deadline and requests received after this time will not be guranteed. PRESS SEATING We will do our best to accommodate as many media members as we can inside the Cheasapeake Energy Arena for all Thunder playoff games. Due to increased media coverage, we cannot guarantee media seating. Media seating charts can be found in the Thunder press room located on the event level of the Cheasapeake Energy Arena. PARKING Parking is extremely limited and will be filled on a first come first serve priority basis. In the event you receive a parking pass, parking can be found on the lower level of the Cox Convention Center located on Robinson Avenue just north of the Cheasapeake Energy Arena in downtown Oklahoma City. MEDIA AVAILABILITY: We will make every effort possible to schedule practice and shootaround media availabilities in cooperation with the opposing teams to ensure that you have an opportunity to cover both teams. Per NBA rules, the last 30 minutes of team practices will be open to the media for content gathering and interviews. Similarly, the last 15 minutes of team shootarounds will be open for content gathering and interviews (CONFIRM that this is still the case). Team locker rooms at the Cheasapeake Energy Arena will be open from 90 – 45 minutes prior to tip-off and 10 minutes after the conclusion of the game. As always, please contact the Thunder PR Hotline below for all media availability times. Thunder Public Relations Hotline: 405 -208 -4801 The Oklahoma City Thunder 2012 NBA Playoff Media Guide was written and edited by Matt Tumbleson, Michael Ravina and John Read. The information contained in this publication is provided as a courtesy to the fans and the press and may be used only for personal or editorial purposes. Any commercial use of this information is prohibited without the prior written consent of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Copyright © 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder 2011-12 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ROSTER NO. PLAYER POS. HT. WT. DOB PRIOR TO NBA/HOME COUNTRY YRS. 45 Cole Aldrich C 6-11 245 10/31/1988 Kansas/USA 2 4 Nick Collison F/C 6-10 255 10/26/1980 Kansas/USA 8 14 Daequan Cook G 6-5 210 04/28/1987 Ohio State/USA 5 35 Kevin Durant G/F 6-9 230 09/29/1988 Texas/USA 5 37 Derek Fisher G 6-1 201 08/09/1974 Arkansas-Little Rock/USA 16 13 James Harden G 6-5 220 08/26/1989 Arizona State/USA 3 11 Lazar Hayward F 6-6 225 11/26/1986 Marquette/USA 2 9 Serge Ibaka F/C 6-10 235 09/18/1989 Ricoh Manresa/Republic of Congo 3 7 Royal Ivey G 6-4 215 12/20/1981 Texas/USA 8 15 Reggie Jackson G 6-3 208 04/16/1990 Boston College/USA 1 6 Eric Maynor G 6-3 170 06/11/1987 Virginia Commonwealth/USA 3 8 Nazr Mohammed C 6-10 250 09/05/1977 Kentucky/USA 14 5 Kendrick Perkins C 6-10 280 11/10/1984 Clifton J. Ozen HS (TX)/USA 9 2 Thabo Sefolosha G/F 6-7 215 05/02/1984 Angelico Biella/Switzerland 6 0 Russell Westbrook G 6-3 187 11/12/1988 UCLA/USA 4 HEAD COACH: Scott Brooks (UC Irvine) ASSISTANT COACHES: Maurice Cheeks (West Texas State) Rex Kalamian (Cal Poly Pomona) Mark Bryant (Seton Hall) Brian Keefe (UNLV) ASSISTANT COACH/PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: Maz Trakh (Southern Utah) DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE: Dwight Daub (Evansville) ATHLETIC TRAINER: Joe Sharpe (Old Dominion) Numerical Roster: 0 Russell Westbrook 11 Lazar Hayward 2 Thabo Sefolosha 13 James Harden 4 Nick Collison 14 Daequan Cook 5 Kendrick Perkins 15 Reggie Jackson 6 Eric Maynor 35 Kevin Durant 7 Royal Ivey 37 Derek Fisher 8 Nazr Mohammed 45 Cole Aldrich 9 Serge Ibaka CAREER HIGHS SEASON HIGHS 45 COLE ALDRICH MIN 21 vs. GSW, 2/17/12 21 vs. GSW, 2/17/12 FGM 3 (2x) vs. CHA, 3/10/12 3 (2x) vs. CHA, 3/10/12 Position: Center FGA 5 at ATL, 3/3/12 5 at ATL, 3/3/12 Height: 6-11 3PM --- --- 3PA --- --- Weight: 240 FTM 4 (2x) vs. SAC, 4/24/12 4 (2x) vs. SAC, 4/24/12 NBA Years: 2 FTA 4 (3x) at ATL, 4/24/12 4 (3x) at ATL, 4/24/12 College: Kansas OR 5 at ATL, 3/3 /12 5 at ATL, 3/3/12 Birthdate: 10/31/88 DR 5 vs. DET, 1/23/12 5 vs. DET, 1/23/12 TR 7 at ATL, 3/3/12 7 at ATL, 3/3/12 Birthplace: Burnsville, MN AST 1 (7x) at MIL, 4/9/12 1 (3x) at MIL, 4/9/12 Acquired: Originally drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of STL 2 vs. DET, 1/23/12 2 vs. DET, 1/23/12 the 2010 NBA Draft (No. 11 overall) then traded to Oklahoma City along with TO 3 vs. PHI, 11/10/10 2 at ATL, 3/3/12 BLK 3 at ATL, 3/3/12 3 at ATL, 3/3/12 Morris Peterson in exchange for the draft rights to Craig Brackins (No. 21 PTS 6 (4x) vs. SAC, 4/24/12 6 (4x) vs. SAC, 4/24/12 overall) and Quincy Pondexter (No. 26 overall). 2011-12 AVERAGES: In 26 games averaged 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 6.7 minutes. 2011-12 NOTES: Career-high tying six points vs. SAC (4/24)…Recorded a career-high seven rebounds and three blocked shots on at ATL (3/3)….39 DNP – CD…One NWT – Personal. NBA CAREER: 2010-11: In 18 games averaged 1.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.9 minutes…16 DNP-CD…48 games on Inactive List. NBA D-LEAGUE: 2010-11: Assigned to Tulsa 66ers on three separate occasions during the 2010-11 season…With the 66ers, appeared in 21 regular season games for Tulsa (21 starts) and averaged 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in 29.3 minutes…In two playoff games (two starts), averaged 12.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 36.0 minutes…The 66ers went 17-4 in the regular season with Aldrich in the lineup. COLLEGIATE HIGHLIGHTS : Owns the Kansas school record for blocks in a season (125) and second on the career blocked shots list…Never lost in Allen Fieldhouse, posting a three-year record of 55-0…An AP Third Team All- American as a junior…The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and All- Big 12 First Team for the second straight season…Named Honorable Mention AP All-American as a sophomore…A member of Kansas’ national title team as a freshman in 2007-08…2009-10 (Junior Season): Averaged 11.2 points and 9.8 rebounds with 15 double-doubles…Ranked 25th nationally and second in the Big 12 in rebounds per game…Blocked 125 shots to record a Kansas single-season record and ranked fifth in the nation and second in the conference in total swats…Named All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year…Honored as Third Team All-America by the Associated Press… Helped lead Kansas to a 33-3 season in which it won the Big 12 regular-season, Big 12 postseason championships and was ranked No. 1 for 15 weeks… 2008-09 (Sophomore Season): An All-Big 12 First Team selection who averaged a double-double, 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds…Named the college basketball most improved player by Athlon and NBCSports.com…Other honors included Associated Press All- America Honorable Mention, Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 All-Defensive Team…Led the Big 12 in blocked shots with 2.7 per game (12th nationally)…His 94 blocked shots ranked second on the KU single-season list…Ranked second in the Big 12 in rebounding with 11.1 per game, which was 10th nationally…Finished second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at .598 (15th nationally) and 10th in free throw percentage at .792…Recorded the first official triple-double in KU history against Dayton with 13 points, 20 rebounds (tied a career high) and a career-best 10 blocked shots…2007-08 (Freshman Season): Averaged 2.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 8.3 minutes over Kansas’ national championship season… Ranked third on the team with 34 blocked shots.