Malcolm Thomas has been absolutely dominant in two appearances for the D-Fenders so far this season, posting averages of 33.5 points and 15.5 rebounds. He was rewarded today by becoming the D-Fenders’ first GATORADE call-up of the season, and fifth overall, signing a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
This is the fifth time Thomas has been called up in his D-Fenders career and his second time being called up by the Spurs. He previously spent time with the team during the 2011-12 season. Last year he spent time with both the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls.
The D-Fenders will now have to completely re-adjust their team as the loss of Thomas, combined with the Lakers recall of Ryan Kelly, strips the team of its two top scorers.
Check out the press release below:
MALCOLM THOMAS RECEIVES NBA CALL-UP TO SPURS
EL SEGUNDO – Los Angeles D-Fenders forward Malcolm Thomas has earned a GATORADE call-up and signed an NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs, it was announced yesterday. Thomas becomes the first GATORADE call-up (15th in team history) for the D-Fenders this season. This also marks the fifth time Malcolm Thomas has been called-up from the Los Angeles D-Fenders in his career.
Thomas (6’9” / 225) posted league-leading averages of 33.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in his two appearances this season. The Columbia, Missouri native has previously spent time with the San Antonio Spurs, appearing in three games during the 2011-12 season. Thomas also played for the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls during the 2012-13 season, and has totaled 15 NBA appearances in his career.
A stand-out at San Diego State, Thomas finished his brief two-year career as the program’s second ranked all-time shot blocker (127). Thomas posted averages of 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during his senior season (2010-11) en route to earning MWC All-Defensive First Team honors. In addition, he earned MWC All-Conference Second Team in 2010 & 2011, and helped the Aztecs reach the Sweet 16 in 2011.
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The NBA Development League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders, the first franchise in D-League history to be owned by an NBA team (Los Angeles Lakers), will return for its seventh season of competition in 2013-14. The D-Fenders franchise has quickly established itself as a top producer of NBA-ready talent, totaling 15 NBA Call-Ups and developing 14 Lakers assignment players since the inaugural 2006-07 season. In addition, the D-Fenders became the first team in league history to win the Development Champion award (2011-12), which is an honor given to the team that best embodies the NBA D-League’s goals of developing NBA basketball talent via call-ups and assignments.
For the third consecutive season, the D-Fenders will play all home games at Toyota Sports Center, the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo, CA. Information on D-Fenders 2013-14 season ticket packages and single-game tickets can be found by logging onto the team’s website (www.d-fenders.com) or by contacting Benny Garcia at (310) 426-6043 / bgarcia@d-fenders.com.
