FORT WAYNES CONNER HENRY NAMED 2014 NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE COACH OF THE YEAR NEW YORK, April

17, 2014 Fort Wayne Mad Ants head coach Conner Henry was today named the winner of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award, as voted by his fellow NBA Development League head coaches. Henry led the Mad Ants to a franchise record and NBA D-League-best 34 victories during the 2013-14 regular season, winning the East Division by six games en route to the teams first East Division Championship. Fort Wayne won 13 of their last 15 regular season games under first-year head coach Henry, while securing a 15-10 road record, tied for the best in the NBA D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Henrys Mad Ants featured two players who finished the regular season atop the leagues best scorers, with Ron Howard and Tony Mitchell averaging 20.5 and 20.2 points, respectively. As a team, Fort Wayne ranked third in defensive rating, allowing 102.4 points per 100 possessions. During the season, Henry guided five NBA players who were assigned to the Mad Ants: Jamaal Franklin (Memphis), Solomon Hill (Indiana), Orlando Johnson (Indiana), Tony Mitchell (Detroit) and Peyton Siva (Detroit). Conner has done a terrific job in Fort Wayne this season, said Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA D-League. Not only was Conner able to develop five young NBA players, but his Mad Ants performed at a high level night in and night out, as evidenced by their impressive 34-16 record and top overall seed in the 2014 NBA D-League postseason. I congratulate Conner on this well-deserved honor and a successful first season in Fort Wayne. The Mad Ants advanced to the second round of the 2014 NBA D-League playoffs and will face the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the first game of the best-of-three Semi-Finals tonight in South Dakota. Drafted by the Houston Rockets in the fourth round of the 1986 Draft, Henry played with Houston, the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings during his two-year NBA career. A 13-year coaching veteran, Henry joined the Mad Ants after two seasons as an assistant coach with the NBA D-Leagues Los Angeles DFenders. The award is named in honor of the late Dennis Johnson, NBA Legend and former Austin Toros head coach who was

enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2010. In his playing career, Johnson won three NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics, played in five NBA AllStar games and was named to the All-Defensive First Team six times. He served as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2002, and was in his third season coaching in the NBA D-League when he passed away. All-Time Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award Recipients: 2012-13: Alex Jensen, Canton Charge 2011-12: Eric Musselman, Los Angeles D-Fenders 2010-11: Nick Nurse, Iowa Energy 2009-10: Chris Finch, Rio Grande Valley Vipers 2008-09: Quin Snyder, Austin Toros 2007-08: Bryan Gates, Idaho Stampede 2006-07: Bryan Gates, Idaho Stampede The NBA Development League is the NBAs official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the leagues research and development laboratory. Featuring 14 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises, the league offers professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Thirty percent of players in the NBA at the end of the 2012-13 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the leagues 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 DLeague Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com ###