PORTLAND, ME - Former SUNY College at Old Westbury men's basketball player Lester Prosper was selected it the sixth round of the NBA Development League by the Maine Red Claws.  Maine, an affiliate of the Boston Celtics, selected Prosper with the tenth pick of the sixth round. 

Founded in 2001, the NBA Developmental League is the official minor league to the National Basketball Association.  The 50-game schedule for the Red Claws starts on Nov. 22 against the Springfield Armor.

Prosper is the first former Old Westbury player to be selected into the NBA D-League.

Since completing his collegiate playing career in 2011, Prosper has travelled the world playing the game.  Last year, Prosper played in the National Basketball League of Canada, seeing action in 36 games for Mississauga Power (Mississauga, Canada), Windsor Express (Windsor, Canada) and Moncton Miracles (Moncton, Canada), while averaging 7.89 points, 7.53 rebounds and 1.08 blocks.

Prosper made his professional debut in 2011, averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12 games  for the MBK Handlova (Handlova, Slovakia) and BC Prievidza (Prievdza, Slovakia) of the Slovakian Extrailiga before closing the season out in the Swedish Basketligan for Norrkoping Dolphins (Norrkoping, Sweden). 

Playing four seasons in a Panther uniform (2007-11), Prosper recorded 1,479 career points as he averaged 13.8 points per game.  A very strong rebounder, Prosper pulled down 1,016 during his career at Old Westbury.  In total during his 107 game collegiate career, Prosper blocked 251 shots.
During his final season he led the Skyline Conference with 19.5 points per game (43rd in NCAA), 13.0 rebounds (4th in NCAA), 20 double-doubles (5th in NCAA) and 3.5 blocked shots (5th in NCAA).

Prosper was a three-time All-Skyline Conference selection, and during his senior season he represented the Panthers  as a member of the East All-Stars at the 2011 NABC Reese's Division III College All-Star Game.  Prosper was also named First-Team All Met and Second-Team All-Region by the NABC, ECAC and D3hoops.com.

On January 26, 2008, he posted a rare triple-double combining 18 points, 13 rebounds and 14 blocked shots in Old Westbury 73-71 win over Mount Saint Mary College.  Prosper had a career-high 33 points against Christopher Newport University on December 30, 2008 and grabbed a personal best 24 rebounds against Franklin & Marshall College on January 2, 2011.