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NBA EUROPE LIVE TOUR MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 27, 2008

CHRIS WALLACE: Welcome everyone to the conference call announcing NBA Europe Live 2008 presented by EA Sports. Joining us on our call we have New Jersey Jets head coach Lawrence Frank who is joined by Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter. The Nets will be taken on the Miami Heat in October, playing two games in Paris and London.
Today we will begin with opening statements from Coach Frank, Richard, and Vince, then we will open the call up for questions from the media.
We'll start with Coach Frank.
COACH FRANK: Thank you very much. Hope everyone is doing well. On behalf of the Nets, we're extremely excited about making the trip overseas. This is just another example of the NBA's commitment to growing the game of the basketball throughout Europe. I know this is the third consecutive year of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports. We're extremely excited to be a part of it. Obviously we have a little bit extra incentive with our relationship with Barclays. It's an opportunity for us to spend some quality time with them in London, as well.
Without further ado, I'll pass it off to the guys you really want to speak with, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.
CHRIS WALLACE: Opening statements from Vince Carter.
VINCE CARTER: Like coach said, it's a great opportunity. We're just looking forward to gaining experience. First and foremost, go out there and put on a show for the fans.
CHRIS WALLACE: Richard?
RICHARD JEFFERSON: Vince and coach said it really great. I think a lot of guys are looking forward to going over to London and Paris. I've never been to London. I've been in Paris. I'm looking forward going back to that beautiful city. London, I think it's great to be ambassadors for the game of basketball, to be a part of helping it spread, hopefully having it be one day the No. 1 sport in the world.
CHRIS WALLACE: Thank you. We'll now open the call up for questions from the media.

Q. Last time Vince came to Europe, you jumped over a 7' 2" guy from my country. Do you miss the opportunity to play against European players? I think that's the most important news we are talking about today. NBA teams are going to come, but not play against Euro league teams like the last two years, but just play against other NBA teams. What do you think about this and if you would have liked to have the opportunity to play against Euro league teams?
VINCE CARTER: Yeah, Frederic and I have somewhat of a close relationship yet so far. You know, I think for us, just going out there, being ambassadors of the game, gaining the experience, enjoying our time there in both places is what it's all about. Of course, getting the opportunity to play against the Euro league teams would have been great. But at the same time for us, the game there is just as good.
COACH FRANK: We have a great deal of respect for the Euro league teams. From a coach's perspective, it's great to watch those guys play and pick up things.
The one thing now in the NBA is 60% of the international players we have are from Europe. Obviously last year, the MVP was European, in Dirk, and the MVP of the finals was Tony Parker from your country. We have a great flavor for, obviously, European individual players, but the teams as well we have a great deal of respect for.

Q. Richard, we've spoken in the past about your friendship with Tim Howard here in England. Do you still keep in touch with Tim and hoping to catch one of his games when you're over in London in October?
RICHARD JEFFERSON: Yes, we're still good friends. I actually was planning on going to London this summer earlier just on my own. Luckily found out that the team had planned a trip over there for the pre-season. So I'm excited. I've never been able to see him play, even though they play in front of thousands and thousands of fans.
Hopefully we'll be able to be over there and catch a game.

Q. Coach, obviously people here are very aware of the trade that took Jason Kidd away from you guys. Perhaps people aren't so conversant with what you got in return from that. What may your team look like, without going into specific players, but whether you expect wholesale changes by the time we see you in October, whether it will be a different team from the one you have right now?
COACH FRANK: First, in regards to Jason. Jason was a great player for us. He's a future Hall of Famer. But I think the timing was right on both sides where it was time for, shall we say, an amicable divorce. I think everyone has moved forward.
In regards to what we got in return, we were very, very fortunate to get one of the younger, better point guards in the league in Devin Harris who just turned 25 a couple weeks ago. Last night, coming off the game, 22 points, 15 assists. The thing that Devin allows us to do at a high level, he allows us to push the ball and run the floor. When you have Vince and Richard running alongside of him, that's a pretty damn good trio.
Then we have some young, athletic, big guys who can continue to do it.
So I think what Rod has done, our president, is built a foundation for us to add to. I think you're basically going to see the cornerstones of Devin, Vince, Richard, as well as Krstic, Boone, those guys, just kind of add and augment to their skills.

Q. You mentioned Devin Harris. He complained about his time in Dallas that he hadn't the freedom to run the plays he wanted, that everything was an order. Is it right that he has more freedom now in New Jersey?
COACH FRANK: Well, first of all, I think Devin - I don't want to put words in his mouth - but he has a great deal of respect for the Dallas Mavericks, Avery Johnson, everything. They did win the most regular-season games last year. Prior to that they had been to the NBA Finals. From talking to him, he has a great deal of respect for those guys.
He's just coming to a different team. Dallas obviously has Dirk, who is an outstanding halfcourt player. We're built a little bit differently. We're very excited to have him.

Q. Vince, Luol Deng is sort of Britain's best basketball export at the minute. Could you give us an assessment of how you think he's developed and progressed over his first three or four years in the league?
VINCE CARTER: Oh, he's definitely put his work there and his time in. His midrange game is second to none. He works hard. He plays hard. He's a high-energy guy that can do a lot of things that enhance a lot of things for the Bulls and he's just going to continue to get better.
Lot of respect for his game.

Q. Coach, they've changed the format of Europe this year with new training camps. Is that something you're quite relieved about?
COACH FRANK: In what regard in terms of the changes?

Q. Do you prefer the format where you're flying in for two games rather than having to come overseas for a training camp that other coaches find disruptive?
COACH FRANK: To be frank with you, I wish we would have been able to have training camp over in Europe, whether it be in London or Paris or another European city.
You know, I think training camp is such a great opportunity for your team to bond, and especially when you're going to another country. It just gives guys an experience to see something that many of us, including myself, haven't had a chance to see.
I wish from a selfish standpoint that we could have gone there to start camp. But, you know, obviously we feel fortunate just to be able to be there from the 6th to the 12th, regardless.

Q. Vince, Commissioner Stern spoke about the possibility at some point of having a European division in the NBA. Is that something you personally could see working?
VINCE CARTER: I think it can work with NBA basketball growing globally. I think that's just going to create and give other guys an opportunity to play at this level of basketball.

Q. Vince, we here in Germany are afraid that the Mavs don't reach the post-season. What is your opinion to the Dallas Mavericks?
VINCE CARTER: I think they're a great team. Like coach said, Dirk is one of the best players in the league actually. I think they definitely have an opportunity. They have, of course, championship experience. You could more than likely see them in the playoffs.

Q. Richard, you mentioned you sort of booked a vacation in London this summer even before this trip was announced. What is it specifically you were looking forward to do just from a tourist perspective? What is it about London you're looking forward to doing and seeing?
RICHARD JEFFERSON: I do a lot of traveling being here in New York. Being here in New York a lot during the summer, it's real easy to go right over the sea.
I've been to Amsterdam. I've been in Paris. I've been to Italy. Then also for the Olympics, I've been in so many different places. London was one of the major cities I'd never been to. Having Tim Howard there, and also, too, it's an easy transition because a lot of times it's difficult when you go over to other countries, not really knowing the language. So that's a pretty simple move, to go to London and just experience the culture. It's not that difficult.

Q. If we get an expansion team in London, can we put you down over there?
RICHARD JEFFERSON: As soon as my contract is over with the Nets, you can put me down over there (laughter).
CHRIS WALLACE: Thank you all for joining us today.

End of FastScripts

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