NBA D-LEAGUE Bakersfield Jam Loving New Court

April 5, 2010 - PRLog -- Jam Loving Elite Court in New Building
Floor shines in first season at Events Center

(Bakersfield, Calif. – April 5, 2010) — The Bakersfield Jam knew it was getting a nice floor when the team selected and brought in 25-year hardwood master Don Tucker with Eaglecrest Enterprises, Inc./ Elite Wood Sport Floors. Don and his skilled crew were honored to furnish and install the court in Bakersfield’s new Jam Events Center, but it wasn’t until later that the organization realized it would likely be the best-looking and highest-performing basketball floor in the NBA D-League.

“When we decided to use this building as our home floor, we knew having a world-class court put in was a crucial aspect of making our arena as successful as we want it to be,” said Jam Co-Owner and Managing Partner David Higdon. “Having now seen it in action and traveled to other stadiums in both the NBA D-League and the NBA itself, I don’t think we possibly could have done better – I have yet to see a floor that rivals it.”

Eaglecrest/ Elite delivered and installed the specially designed, prefabricated, prefinished modular maple panels and incorporated all the artwork, borders, letters and logos and the final finish coats on-site. The upgraded court was part of a major offseason renovation that turned what was once a practice facility into the state-of-the-art Jam Events Center, which is the lynchpin of Bakersfield’s new “luxury basketball” business model.

“When you are selling your season ticket holders on a high-class experience, you obviously need the playing surface to be immaculate; that’s made even more important by the fact that everyone in the building can walk right up to the edge of the floor and see it up close,” Jam Co-Owner Stan Ellis said. “There’s no doubt that our court holds up to that kind of intense scrutiny, and continues to sparkle even 50 games into the season.”

The Jam Events Center surface also provides an unparalleled playing experience, thanks to the Aacer Sports Flooring’s Aacer PowerPlay™ and patented modular design technology used by Eaglecrest/Elite which places the maple flooring cantilevered inches above the concrete base to provide a softer court with more give.

“There are a couple of things that make our particular court so great,” Higdon explained. “Not only is it a permanent basketball floor used exclusively by the Jam, which very few franchises in any professional basketball can say, but the design and technology used by Eaglecrest/Elite gives better and more consistent bounce to the ball and significantly reduces the wear and tear on players’ legs.”

This aspect of the Aacer Powerplay Mod has not been lost on the players and coaches, who have noticed the high performance level of the floor.

“You can feel the difference just running up and down the court,” said Bakersfield big man Brian Butch. “It could be compared to running on concrete versus running on a real track – it’s not that you can’t perform on concrete, but you can feel the pounding on your legs. There’s more bounce than on the other floors in the NBA D-League.”

“For me the most noticeable thing is the shock absorption,” Jam point guard Jeremy Wise said. “You can feel a little give in the court when you land, whether it’s on your feet or getting knocked to the ground. That also plays into dribbling, and the way the ball bounces off the floor at the Events Center is great for a ball-handler.”

After visiting the vast majority of the arenas in the NBA D-League, Jam Head Coach Will Voigt is quick to agree with his players and ownership about the quality of the Events Center floor, which doubles as the practices surface for his team.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the best facilities in the league at our disposal,” Voigt said. “We are trying to establish a reputation as an organization that can develop NBA talent, and having 24 hour access to a great court is a big part of that.”

For more information about the Jam Events Center, contact the Bakersfield Jam at (661) 615-6550 or by email at info@bakersfieldjam.com. For information on this new cost saving high performance modular floor, contact Don Tucker at (208) 659-9315 or by email at eagle@povn.com. Website: www.woodsportfloors.com.

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About Elite: Don Tucker and the team at Elite is just that. They have installed thousands of floors for use both Nationally and Internationally. Some appreciative past customers include the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat. They’ve worked with the Harlem Globetrotters and Disney World as well as colleges and universities around the World —and most recently with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. To put it simply, you would be hard pressed to find another group anywhere that has more knowledge, deeper relationships, higher quality or more experience than the team at Elite. If you are in the need of high performing, cost saving traditional, modular or portable maple sport floors there is no need to look any where else. For the best value and service on any type of wood sport floor you only need to contact the people at Elite Wood Sport Floors.