For Immediate Release
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Minnesota Timberwolves Re-Sign
Restricted Free-Agent Forward Ryan Gomes
Minneapolis/St. Paul – Minnesota Timberwolves Vice President of Basketball
Operations Kevin McHale today announced the team has re-signed restricted
free-agent forward Ryan Gomes. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not
disclosed.
"We're really happy to have re-signed Ryan. He was one of our most
consistent performers last year, and one of our top priorities this offseason
was keeping him in a Wolves uniform," McHale said. "Ryan is the
consummate professional and a great asset to our organization both on the
court and in the community."
The Timberwolves acquired Gomes on July 31, 2007 in a trade with Boston.
In his lone season with Minnesota, the 6-7, 250-pound forward averaged
career highs with 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, including a careerhigh
35-point effort against Golden State on Jan. 21. For the first time in his
career, Gomes appeared in all 82 games for the Wolves, starting 74 (including the final 58 contests). Originally selected by Boston with the 50th
overall pick (second round) in the 2005 NBA Draft, Gomes has appeared in
216 NBA games, posting career averages of 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and
1.5 assists per game.
Today, while addressing the media at Minneapolis' Farview Community
Center, Gomes also announced that his Hoops For Heart Health Foundation
will continue its "Let the Beat Go On..." Awareness Tour during the 2008-09
NBA season. Last year, Hoops for Heart Health donated 14 Automatic
External Defibrillators (AED) to various NBA cities, including two in the Twin
Cities: Farview Community Center in Minneapolis and the Jimmy Lee
Recreation Center in St. Paul.
Through the "Let the Beat Go On..." Tour, Gomes plans on donating another
AED in the Minneapolis-St. Paul community as well as the 17 remaining NBA
cities that he didn't reach last season. The tour's goal is to promote
awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in youth athletics. Gomes' Hoops
for Heart Health Foundation has partnered with Cardiac Science Corporation
to help raise awareness for SCA. Together, they have pledged to donate AEDs
at schools, athletic facilities and recreation centers across the country.
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