Basketball hopefuls hit the hardwood in Tulsa

Basketball hopefuls hit the hardwood for a chance to play for the 66'ers. Tulsa's new NBA development league team. Many of the players will come from the draft, but some local athletes got a shot.

Saturday, October 22nd 2005, 6:34 pm

By: News On 6

Basketball hopefuls hit the hardwood for a chance to play for the 66'ers. Tulsa's new NBA development league team. Many of the players will come from the draft, but some local athletes got a shot.

News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims says they're running hard, hitting the boards, and finding the bottom of the net, all for a chance to live out a dream.

Cornelius Dunsby, 22 years old: "This is a big opportunity for all of us. This is a chance of a lifetime right here in Tulsa. And Tulsa's never seen anything like this.â€

45 players hit the hardwood, gunning for a spot on the Tulsa 66'ers, one of the newest teams in the NBA development league. They've come from California, North Carolina and right here in Tulsa, like former TU Hurricane Marcus Hill.

Marcus Hill: "Actually it means a lot cause this is the league I've been wanting to get into for the last three or four years."

Hill's played on a couple of teams overseas and a semi-pro team here in the states. For him and others this could be an important springboard.

Joe Berry, Team President: "they mighta played a little professional ball in summer leagues but just didn't make it or got side-tracked, but they felt they still had the talent to be NBA material so it opens a whole new door for them and before they didn't have this."

These tryouts are only the first hurdle. One maybe two of these 45 players will win a spot at the 66'ers training camp where they have to survive another round of cuts to make the team."

The odds are long and the competition tough but that's not discouraging these athletes from their dreams.

Cornelius Dunsby: "yes Iâ€™m just going to try to show, give everything I got, my heart and everything so yes this is a big opportunity."

Marcu Hill: "its not so much about the pay but its more about the exposure and getting a feel for the NBA game these guys prepare you for that next level and that's my goal."